"Charles Atlas" of the Car World

Remember those old advertisements in all the magazines a few years back.
The picture of a strong, heavily muscled man holding up a huge globe, and the exhortation about not being a wimp. Take the course and no one will ever kick sand in your face at the beach again.
Well this car is the "Charles Atlas" of automobiles.
I am a taxi-driver (and freelance journalist) in Dublin, Ireland.
This car is not called the Stanza here in Ireland and the U.K., but is marketed as the "Bluebird"
In my six years driving a cab, I have owned three of these wonderful vehicles. I acquired my first Stanza by accident. My old Renault was in the shop (yet again) for more major surgery, and the garage gave me a Stanza as a loan car. When word came back that the illness of my Renault was terminal, the garage offered me a good deal on the Stanza.
I wasn't cabbying at the time, but working in the sales and marketing world. Over the next year I covered the length and breadth of the country in this vehicle, and when I started up in the taxi business, I converted it into my taxi. This car gave me 3 years of wonderful service, and covered 375,000 miles on the original engine. The only work I needed to do (apart from regular services) was to replace the clutch at around 250,000 miles.
Since then I have owned a further two of these vehicles. My current car is the "top of the range model". Fuel injected, air-conditioned, alloy wheels, and full leather interior. I bought my current Stanza through the Internet (that's another epinion, folks, see my epinion - The Way of the Future) and have had it for the past 2 years. The economy is good, and I average about 28 m.p.gallon in almost totally urban, city driving.
It is comfortable, with good boot (trunk to you Yanks) space, and is roomy, with plenty of space in the rear for three passengers, which is very important in the taxi trade. I have had no major problems with the car since purchase. She is a 1990 model, the last Stanza sold in Europe being manufactured in early 1992.
My only problem now is what to do when my Stanza eventually gives up the ghost, as it is getting harder and harder to obtain a good, clean version of this model.
I absolutely ADORE this car, and would recommend it to anyone.
Truly one of the "strong men" of the auto world.

Ken J. (cujimmy)