AROnline
  • Home
    • Go to random page
  • Cars
    • Austin/Morris
      • Morris Minor
      • Austin A30/A35/A40
      • Austin FX4/FL2 Black cab
      • BMC 1100/1300
      • BMC 1800/2200
      • Austin 3 Litre
      • Austin Maxi
      • Austin Kimberley/Tasman (X6)
      • Austin Apache
      • Morris Marina
      • Leyland Sherpa
      • Leyland P76/P82
      • Austin Allegro
      • Austin-Morris Princess
      • Morris Ital
      • Austin Metro
      • Austin Ambassador
      • Austin Maestro
      • Austin Montego
    • Rover
      • Rover P5
      • Rover P6
      • Rover SD1
      • Rover 200 (SD3)
      • Rover 800 (XX/R17)
      • Rover 200/400 (R8)
      • Rover Metro/100 (R6)
      • Rover 600 (SK1)
      • Rover 200/25 (R3)
      • Rover 400/45 (HHR)
      • Rover 75 (R40)
      • Rover Streetwise
      • CityRover (RD10)
    • Jaguar
      • Mk2/S-type/420
      • MkX/420G
      • E-type
      • XJ6/XJ12 (XJ4)
      • XJ-S
      • XJ (XJ40)
      • XJ (X300/X308)
      • S-TYPE (X200)
      • X-TYPE (X400)
      • XJ (X350)
      • XK (X150)
      • XF (X250)
      • XJ (X351)
      • XF (X260)
      • F-Type (X152)
      • XE (X760)
      • F-Pace (X761)
      • i-Pace
    • Land Rover
      • Defender
      • Range Rover (Classic)
      • Discovery
      • Range Rover (P38A)
      • Freelander
      • Range Rover (L322)
      • Evoque
      • Range Rover (L405)
      • Range Rover Sport
      • Discovery Sport (L550)
      • Discovery 5
      • Range Rover Velar (L560)
    • MG
      • Midget
      • MGB/MGC
      • Austin/MG Metro (LC8)
      • Austin/MG Maestro (LC10)
      • MGF/TF
      • ZR
      • ZS
      • ZT
      • XPower SV
      • MG6
      • MG3
      • MG GS
    • Mini
      • Mini (ADO15)
      • Mini Cooper
      • Mini Clubman
      • MINI (R50/R56)
      • MINI (F56)
      • Countryman/Paceman
    • Triumph
      • Triumph Herald/Vitesse
      • Triumph Spitfire
      • 2000/2500
      • Triumph 1300/Toledo/Dolomite
      • TR6
      • Triumph Stag
      • Triumph TR7/TR8
      • Triumph Acclaim
    • Ford
      • Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac
      • Cortina
      • Escort
      • Capri
      • Ford Granada (1972-1985)
      • Fiesta
      • Sierra
      • Mondeo
    • Vauxhall
      • Viva
      • Victor
      • Chevette
      • Cavalier
      • Astra
    • Rootes/Chrysler/Talbot
      • Hillman Imp
      • Hillman Hunter
      • Hillman Avenger
      • Simca 1000
      • Simca 1100
      • Chrysler 160/180/2-Litre (C Car)
      • Chrysler Alpine/Talbot Solara
      • Chrysler Sunbeam
      • Chrysler Horizon
      • Matra Bagheera/Murena
      • Talbot Tagora
      • Talbot Samba
    • TVR
      • M-Series
      • TVR Tasmin
      • Griffith
    • ‘Other cars’
      • AC 3000ME
      • Alfa Romeo Alfasud
      • Argyll Turbo GT
      • Bond Equipe
      • DeLorean DMC-12
      • Enfield 8000 Electric
      • Lotus Esprit M70/X180
      • Matra-Simca Rancho
      • Midas
      • Nissan Qashqai
      • Reliant Scimitar
      • Sinclair C5
      • Trident Clipper
  • Reviews & Drives
    • Car Reviews
    • Drive Stories
    • Our Cars
      • Mike’s Rover 400
      • Mike’s Rover 416GSi
      • Mike’s Montego
      • Mike’s Rover 75
      • Mike’s Rover 214SLi
      • Mike’s 214GSi
      • Alexander’s Citroën XM
      • Alexander’s Rover 800
      • Keith’s Range Rover P38
      • Keith’s Freelander
      • Keith’s Rover 75
      • Keith’s Citroen Xantia Activa
      • Keith’s Citroen C6
      • Keith’s Polish Rover SD1
      • Keith’s Rover SD1 Vitesse
      • Keith’s Renault Avantime
    • Staples2Naples 2004
    • Staples2Naples 2005
    • Czech Wrecks 2008
    • RatRod 2011
  • News
    • All News
      • Jaguar Land Rover
      • MG Motor UK
      • MINI
    • All Events
    • MGR@10 Month
    • Rover SD1@ 40 Special
    • Geneva Motor Show
    • Archive
  • Opinion
    • Opinion
    • Your Cars
    • Best of AROnline
    • Videos
  • Facts & Figures
    • Mechanical marvels
      • Commercials
      • Buses
      • The bus section
      • Rail Projects
    • History Files
      • British Leyland – The Grand Illusion
      • British Motor Holdings – the joining of BMC and Jaguar
      • Evolution of the AR logo
      • The Road to Perdition
      • The Whole Story
      • Road vs Rail
      • Urban myths and old wives’ tales
      • Interviews and personalities
      • Production figures
      • Development codes
      • Project Drive
    • The converters
      • Avon Coachworks
      • Chris Humberstone
      • Crayford
      • Lynx Engineering
      • Mumford
      • Panther
      • Paul Banham Conversions
      • Rapport International
      • Startins/MacNeille
      • Tickford
      • William Towns
      • Wood & Pickett
      • Woodall Nicholson
    • Concepts & Prototypes
      • BMC, BL and ARG Concepts
      • Ford concepts
      • Jaguar concepts
      • Land Rover concepts
      • MG concepts
      • MINI concepts
      • Rover concepts
      • Sports car concepts
      • Supermini concepts
      • Vauxhall concepts
    • AROnline Overseas
      • Around the World
      • Also known as
      • Carrozzeria designs
      • Connections
    • People
      • Alec Issigonis
      • Spen King
      • George Turnbull
    • Galleries
      • In production
      • Museums
    • Resources
      • Buying Guides
      • BMC, Leyland and Rover engines
      • Press photos
    • The Ryder Report
  • Marques
    • Austin
    • Authi
    • Hillman
    • Hindustan Motors
    • Innocenti
    • Jaguar
    • Land Rover
    • MG
    • Morris
    • Riley
    • Rover
    • Standard
    • Standard Motor Products
    • Sterling
    • Triumph
    • Vanden Plas
    • Wolseley
  • Timeline

Staples2Naples 2005

s2n_07

This year’s event is very much different, though. For one, there will be no points for numbers of countries entered in the first day – so, without that task to meet, there seemed little point in picking up a 140mph+ car to drive through the night in to rack up thirteen countries (and yes, that is what I was planning). No, the organizers are playing down any road race aspect of the event, leaving us with the appealing prospect of some serious orienteering in some of the most beautiful contryside Europe has to offer.

And without the need for a quick car underneath us, we can take a more relaxed and philosophical to the Staples2Naples challenge.

That left us with the task of finding a suitable car for the event. Now, going on last year’s showing, there would be no better chariot to take than another Rover 216… except for one thing. It’s so damned competent, and so likely to make it to the end, that much of the thrill of taking a £100 banger would be negated. After all, every morning, I woke up  knowing we’d make it to the end of the day without missing a beat.

The updates

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Day five – Pinetomare to Pisa

28 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

AFTER a late night in Pinetomare with some of the other teams, it seemed we had earned a lie-in after several days’ worth of hard graft at the Molly’s wheel. […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Day Four – Viterbo to Pinetomare

26 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

DAY four was the one Alexander was looking forward to the most. We were told it would be a treasure hunt – and little more. On the morning of the […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Day Two – Sarnen to Tirano

24 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

WE may have been downtrodden the day before, but nothing recharges you more than waking up in a hotel room, stepping on to the balcony, breathing in clean air, and […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Day one – Calais to Sarnen

23 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

BECAUSE the organisers think that 100 cars converging on Staples Corner on a Friday morning could pose some problems, the event starts at the giant CitieEurope shopping complex in Calais. […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: The off

22 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

THE clutch is on, and the front is still knocking. After tightening every single suspension component and engine mounting, there is still a distinct ‘bocking’ noise coming from the front […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part nine

20 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

TALK about cutting it fine. I picked up Molly from Marlow Motors in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, this evening with a fresh new clutch installed. Our destiny is set – we […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part eight

18 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

THE prosects of us getting to Naples are up and down like nobody’s business at the moment. After several exploratory pokes around the front suspension, we found that the nearside […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part seven

14 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

WELL, it isn’t exactly sweetness and light, as it looks like Molly is suffering from a knackered CV joint. I’ll know more when I get it apart at the weekend, […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part six

9 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

NEXT week is crunch time – thanks to an impending Lancia deal falling through, we now only have my 75 and Molly (and another Allegro shaped cars, more of which […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part five

5 September 2005 Keith Adams 0

MOLLY’S preparations have been going well. A full service has seen her receive new plugs, filters, brakes, and tyres – and since then, she’s been driving very well indeed, thank […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part four

20 August 2005 Keith Adams 0

MOLLY has been brought out of hibernation, and the preparations for her long journey to Naples begin in earnest this week. Most importantly, we needed to get some pictures of […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part three

13 August 2005 Keith Adams 0

A HORRIBLE thought hit me today as I watched ‘The Italian Job’: we’re going on Staples2Naples next month! How quickly time flies! All has been quiet on the Staples2Naples front, […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part two

23 May 2005 Keith Adams 0

WELL, the deal is done and there is no turning back. The Allegro is paid for, and will be travelling to austin-rover.co.uk Towers in the next few days. I have […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Our new chariot

6 May 2005 Keith Adams 0

MORE details to follow soon, but I couldn’t resist showing you all a sneek-peek of our Staples2Naples 2005 car. Yes, it’s an Allegro. And, yes, it has a quartic wheel. […]

Staples2Naples 2005

Staples2Naples 2005: Preparations, part one

1 May 2005 Keith Adams 0

THIS year’s event is very much different, though. For one, there will be no points for numbers of countries entered in the first day – so, without that task to […]

AROnline © Keith Adams 2001-2022 - please refer to the 'Terms of use' pages.