From the point of view of owning and driving the car, the 1800 can be described as sleek and stylish. It is better suited as a long distance motorway or 'A' road cruiser than a high revving fast performer on give and take roads. There is an element of understeer and with the steering being heavy, can at times be hard work at town speeds. The car is comfortable, but it should be noted that the seating position is very low and the steering wheel very upright which can cause a problem for short drivers. For serious motoring the fitting of door mirrors, or wing mirrors even to retain the period touch is essential as the interior mirror certainly on earlier models, is less than ideal.
Engines are generally reliable provided the oil and filters have been changed regularly.
The same applies to the gearbox, and the Laycock overdrive should be checked for ease of engagement and disengagement. As with many other cars, brakes suffer from lack of use. A special hub-puller is needed for access to the rear brakes. As far as bodywork is con-cerned, the points that need watching are rust around the headlights, corrosion from top to bottom behind the wheels, especially if the splash panel has started to rot. More importantly the sills can cause serious problems.