ALEX MOULTON IN 1995 - LEXUS REVIEW
As we continue to celebrate Alex Moulton’s centenary, here we have another interview with the man himself - this time whilst test-driving a 1995 Lexus.
Veteran motor journalist Steve Cropley lives not far from Bradford on Avon and was a frequent visitor to The Hall. As well as being good friends with Alex Moulton, Steve Cropley knew that Moulton would give him an unfiltered opinion on how well (or otherwise) a car performed. As Alex Moulton stated, “there is no place for spin in engineering.”
Witness Moulton’s comments on the tiny 2/3 seat Toyota iQ: “Good Lord. What a huge car.” On the subject of the BMW MINI he was more forthright and continued to be loyal to his friend Issigonis: “Enormous. An irrelevance in the Mini story.” Most cars with Moulton suspension - Hydrolastic, Hydragas and Cone - received praise, although in some cases (notably the Allegro) Moulton remained polite in public whilst pressuring Leyland bosses to improve its looks. Other seemingly pedestrian vehicles received high acclaim - despite having owned many luxurious and powerful cars, the Citroen GSA was unparalleled in Moulton’s view, particularly for quality of ride and driving experience.
For a man who for many years had been used to the notion that real luxury cars were built in Crewe, the Lexus was always going to be a tough sell. Watch the video and find out - in Alex’s own language.
Steve Cropley was kind enough to send in 100 words on Alex Moulton to help us in an online celebration of Moulton’s centenary. You can read it by clicking the link below:
Our Alex Moulton Life and Works series of articles are linked below (use the arrows on the right to see more) - or click here to go to the Life and Works page.
Alex Moulton and Autocar’s Steve Cropley review the (then) new Lexus - 1995