Fiona's on the road again

I occasionally visit the DVLA website for news of my previous car, Fiona. I traded her in when buying Sophie last October. At that point she had covered 194,729 miles and was visually in very good condition inside and out, despite her thirteen years. I'd looked after her. But a very expensive auto gearbox replacement was looming, and rather than use up most of my savings on that, I put sentiment aside and bought a newer car on a three-year HP deal - another Volvo, the same model, but actually better in every way. (And I preserved most of my savings, which is how I could afford to buy a new phone last month)

The DVLA let you see whether your old car is being taxed and getting MOTs. If there is an ongoing record, you’ll know that it's still on the road. You can't get details of who the new keeper is, nor where they live. But at least you know that your cherished companion of many years remains a going concern. 

Well, I'd looked at the DVLA website from time to time since trading in Fiona on 27th October 2023. I hadn't seen any indication that she was still being driven about. That might mean, of course, that the worn auto gearbox was being fixed, and the job was taking a long time. Perhaps Fiona had been taken to a specialist repairer, and had languished there while replacement parts were sourced and obtained. This would only be a worthwhile exercise if her purchase price had been low, and the job was being done on the cheap. She remained taxed though: which implied she hadn't been scrapped.

Then at last - it was yesterday - I saw that Fiona had passed an MOT on 16th February at 196,533 miles, and must therefore be running around somewhere in the country at this very moment. 

When I delved further, I saw that, actually, she’d failed an MOT on the 15th February at 196,530 miles because of dangerously thin rear brake pads. But clearly these had been dealt with, and she was then good to go next day.

The MOT test on 27th February 2023 at 184,296 miles had been in my ownership.

By 27th October 2023, when I’d handed Fiona over to Caffyns Volvo Eastbourne, she’d done 194,729 miles. The MOT on 15th February showed 196,530 miles. So she’d covered a further 1,801 miles up till then, driven by someone else. 

As for those dangerously thin rear brake pads, I'd last renewed them on 18th January 2022 at 167,569 miles. I keep a spreadsheet to show me which mileage-based expenses are coming up. Had I kept Fiona, I was scheduled to replace them (and the rear brake discs) during 2024. Well, the new owner picked that bill up. 

I wasn't much surprised that he or she hadn't realised the pads were getting thin when buying. My thinking was (and still is) that having taken Fiona in as part-payment for Sophie, Caffyns shuffled her off into a car auction, where cars are sold ‘as seen’, and there is no proper opportunity to make a careful examination of anything. The buyer would have viewed a very clean, good-looking Volvo, well cared-for, with many luxury features, and (above all) a powerful diesel engine that started first time. I've little doubt that while a Volvo main dealer wouldn't want Fiona on their forecourt - she was much too old - in an auction Fiona would have been tempting to the right person, and such a person had bought her. 

I'm speculating of course. And I shouldn't care. Really, I have let go. But nevertheless, it's good to know that Fiona is still active, and not simply a cannibalised hulk in some scrapyard. 

Curious to know just a little more, I tried following the test centre link, to see where in the country she had been tested, but found that I’d need the reference on the latest V5C to reveal that. Only the current owner can look that up. 

Well, I hope he or she likes driving Fiona, and will look after her. I would be very surprised to encounter her again. But if that should happen, I will try to place Sophie next to her, and get a photo I would treasure.