The bend in the road is not the end, unless...

[Jonathan]

...you fail to make the turn (an apt quote from E_T_V)

Ok, some of you may have heard rumours that I was involved in an accident on Monday evening. A quick glance through some of the pictures below should confirm that under the circumstances you should by now be reading my obituary.

However I'm pleased to report that despite a high speed spin off the road into some trees I'm not only alive and well, complete with all limbs, but walked out of the car at the scene relatively unscathed with only a knock on my head and some minor neck injuries. I'm a little shaken and angry at having completely destroyed a luxury car that represented most of my savings (I wasn't comprehensively insured so won't get a penny back) but overall just glad not to be in a little wooden box!

If anyone's after a parts source drop me a line - the 800 is now in a scrapyard on the south coast (it was a late model 88k with loads of extras, excellent condition before the accident and still has many straight panels). I have a couple of bits in store here too. In the meantime I'll be searching for a worthy replacement and taking in what I've learned from the experience. We all gain confidence the more we feel we can get away with, and take more risks. There are a lot of motorists who regularly travel down the same dark, wet and winding country lanes at far less appropriate speeds than I was doing that evening. If you're among them or have recently had a few "near misses" please consider carefully the pictures below. Be careful out there! I know I will be now.

http://www.maestro.org.uk/images/p725kuk/

[Austin-Rover]

Glad to hear you are alright Jon, but a sad end for a beautiful car. The fact you walked away shows it did its job well!

[e692wtt]

I'll second that.

[H48HPE]

it does show what a good car it was for you to be able to 'walk away'. pleased to hear that your not seriously injured, it does make you think more about the way you drive seeing pictures like those.

Andy

[D87SMW]

Originally posted by H48HPE
it does make you think more about the way you drive seeing pictures like those.

Andy

Sorry to hear about that, but as Andy says, it is perhaps not best to test the cornering limits in such conditions with a car of that size... Hope RDG takes note of this.

Once again, I'm sorry to hear about this accident, was such a nice car...

[Maria]

I'm very, very glad you're not injured Jon, and it's so sad to see KUK like that

Perhaps we can all learn something, and maybe organise something like a club skidpan/driver training course? I know from when I clouted a kerb in Hexie, that perhaps knowing instinctively what to do, rather than panic and windmilling your arms, might have prevented that accident.

[John S]

I'd say you've been very lucky for the damage not to have reached nearer the front and proves spirited driving should be kept for dry weather (I should know)! Maestros let alone any other car just don't grip much in the wet which I found out when I left the road last winter narrowly escaping a collision. Glad you're alright.

PS: Wouldn't have fancied my chances in the Maestro in such an accident I'm afraid.

[Simon]

I'm really relieved that you walked away from that, as everyone says - it is a wake up call for us all. I wouldn't hesitate to replace it with another 800 as and when the time is right.

[MGTurbo]

Hadn't heard any rumours about anything, but pleased to see that you escaped unscathed, you may not have been so lucky if it had hit the driver's door square on, this was how Gary Ralston was sadly killed in December in his Maestro Turbo.

Accidents happen to all of us, as many of you know a few years back i had quite a bad one but i lived to tell the tale, as did the car.

R800's are still very cheap to aquire if you look in the right places at the right time, how much did you pay for your's? P reg 800's can be bought for 1500 or less without huge miles on them.

Gareth

[Jonathan]

Yes that was an exteremely lucky escape, it really wouldn't have taken much for the car to have landed slightly differently with the drivers door taking the full impact. You see flowers at the roadside everywhere and don't really think about it until it's almost you.

I think that a skid pan training day for club/forum members would be a fantastic idea if people are interested and we can sort out some group rates. As with any responsible motoring organisation one of our aims should be to promote road safety.

My 820 cost just under £2500 from a dealer last June, they really are everything one could wish for in a car and more. Bargain of the moment I'd say. The later ones had everything. This one did suffer some reliability issues though and given the amounts of time and money spent trying to get to the bottom of them without much success and the number of AA callouts it's demise at least paves the way for a fresh start. I'll certainly be test driving a few 75s in the near future...

[Guest]

Very glad to hear that you are OK. Sorry to see the mangled car and even sorrier to hear that you weren't fully comp, although, as you say, the material issues really do come second to surviving unscathed.

I think the idea of a skid-pan day is a superb one.

[Guest]

glad to hear you are o.k jon..............

[G51 NAV]

Glad to hear that you are ok. Also glad that it wasn't D428 that has been written off, though sad to see such a smashing car meet such a premature end.

[philippope]

Glad you got away with that one, Jonathan. As well as the Maestro Turbo we run a manual 827 and it's one of the best cars I've ever driven - a lot of car for the money. At the end of the day, cars are replaceable, people aren't!

[Dave]

Glad your okay Jon! Scary pictures like that really do make you think. I, for one, will be a bit less throttle happy in the new 827.

However, this time, when you replace KUK don't let the garage within a mile of it with a steam cleaner! That pesky ECU was on the blink everytime I saw you last year!

Dave.