AP:   Tell us about yourself and when you became interested in cars.

I'm a 30-year-old journalist, currently working as a teacher. Don't really know when I first realised that cars were really interesting objects, but one of the first words I uttered was, as far as I've been told, 'car'. In Norwegian, obviously, my bilingualism didn't really take off until a few years after that.
 
AP:   What was your first car?

A 1982 VW Polo, a car which one could affectionately call a 'shooting brake' but then again, affection was never a reason for buying that one.

AP:   What is your daily driver?

A 1998 Alfa Romeo GTV, dark green metallic. Very happy with that.

AP:   What classic(s) or special cars do you currently have?

A 1973 Fiat X1/9, an early model with the nice European bumpers. Never regretted buying it, although it is in now need of a little bit of welding (um... anybody ever heard of 'a little bit' of welding being done on a '70s Italian car?)...

AP:   What made you choose to buy them?

I had considered an MX-5 (Miata) for a daily driver for some time, but very high insurance costs (I was 25) and a high asking price made me settle for a '91 323F instead (same engine, funky pop-up headlights). I never really thought seriously about buying a classic car, but when I stumbled across the X1/9 for sale on a Danish web page I did the math: Get 1 cheap daily driver + 1 classic car for the same price as 1 MX-5 – and the combined insurance will be cheaper. That was the reason. And it looks fab 

AP:   Have you ever just missed buying a particular car, and lived to regret it?

Not really. Never really regretted not going for the Miata...

AP:   What would be your dream car?

Living in Norway, with ridiculous taxes on cars, one can only dream of exotic automobiles (which makes a trip to Geneva all the more interesting). But I would really like, at some point, to own a Maserati Biturbo of some sort (maybe a Ghibli or even a Shamal) – I like the edgy 80s styling. And one dream that I'm certainly going to make come true when I get the money, is owning a Grinnall Scorpion III.

AP:   Which car do you regret having parted company with?

The 1991 Lancia Dedra Turbo I sold last February was a very nice car. But it quite simply became too expensive to own, because it was too old and too much of it broke down regularly. I sold it to an enthusiast at a ridiculously low price – the upside of it is that he's making it as good as new again, so at least it won't be scrapped for many years yet.

AP:   What is your favorite drive in your classic or special car?

Well, certainly not going from the German border (where I bought it) back to Norway through Denmark. It has only four gears and a 1.3 litre engine, which means that when driving it at 150 kph in a straight line on Danish highways is a deafening experience – especially with the engine screaming right behind your back and a tin lid for a roof. I much prefer it when the road is not so straight, and there are lots of long and winding roads in Norway. Much like the Alp roads for which the X1/9 was built in the first place.

AP:   How much work on your car(s) do you carry out yourself?

Not much. I apply the shiny bits - I've changed the steering wheel on the X1/9, but apart from that I'm a spectator when mechanics do their job. Which explains why the Lancia became too expensive.

AP:   What do you carry with you go out in your car(s)?

Keys, sunglasses, a hat of some kind if I'm driving with the roof off, and my iPod for a nice soundtrack to accompany the drive.

AP:   Do you get involved in the club scene, and why?

Not much. As I said, I'm not much of a mechanic, so I tend to be left listening to those conversations without being able to participate much. Still, I enjoy a nice classic car gathering now and then, mainly to watch other nice cars.

AP:   Do you take an interest in motor sport, and if so where is your favorite venue(s)/club meeting(s)?

I was very much into F1 back in the 90s, but for some years now I haven't had access to the TV channels that broadcast F1 in Norway these days, so I'm not as up to date as I was back then. Rallying is also interesting, but I've never been to an international event in either sport.

AP:   What is your worst memory involving a car?

Probably hitting the roadside rail at 60 kph after accidentally leaving the wheeltracks on a snowy road. There was absolutely nothing I could do but be a passenger as the car slid into the barrier. I was lucky, though, it was a right turn and for some reason my car went right instead of hitting a meeting car. Also, the rail continued for only a few metres after that, and if I'd gone off there instead I'd have hit a concrete bridge support, which wouldn't have been so forgiving. The car ended up with a broken wheel cap, a flat tire and a few dents and scratches on the side of the car. I ended up with quite a scary experience.

AP:   What is your funniest memory involving a car?

One of the funniest memories was actually also a quite scary one: During my driving lessons at the age of 18 I was a passenger as another guy was having his lessons in city driving – to save costs we both had our lessons on the same day. He was told to go up a street which had two lanes of traffic on either side of a dividing barrier, turn around a roundabout and go back down the road on the other side. When he reached the roundabout he turned left immediately, into oncoming traffic, attempting a U-turn without actually entering the roundabout. The driving instructor slammed the brakes, grabbed the wheel and got the car back on track, after which the guy stopped the car in the middle of the road, demanding to know what he did wrong. The same guy went on to enter a heavily trafficked road on the wrong side of a traffic island, and thereby going a couple of hundred metres straight into oncoming traffic – on his final road test. He was gently told to stop the car and get into the passenger seat.

AP:  What is your most enjoyable moment involving a car?

Going to Denmark to buy the X1/9. It was a surreal experience; up until that point I had never really considered buying an old car just for fun, but suddenly I owned a car that brought a smile to my face every time I looked at it. I remember seeing it in the ferry queue between two big, modern station wagons and thinking 'I hope it doesn't get lost on the ferry'. It was also nice to go around Great Britain in it some years ago – I didn't expect it to be all that interesting to people as I thought those cars were pretty common there, but I had a lot of people coming up to me, telling me 'I used to have one of those, and I really miss it'. The early 1300 X1/9s are getting rare, no matter where you go.

AP:   Best road food?

I'm generally not very keen on eating while driving, and fast food restaurants along the road don't offer very nice meals where I come from. But I'd never say no to a real burger (McDonald's and Burger King don't serve real burgers).

AP:   How would you define a ‘classic’?

A car that ages gracefully, features a beautiful design, is innovative in some way and, as a consequence, receives a following by car nuts and other people.

AP:   What in your opinion, is the worst car regarded as a ‘classic’ and why?

I've never really thought of that – I guess there are not really all that many cars that I really don't like. But I have to say that Ford Mustangs and Porsche 911s are cars that fail to excite me visually anymore – there are just too many of them around, every half-interested car nut in Norway seems to have imported one in the recent years. What I actually do like, unlike most "auto connoisseurs", are the 'neo-classics' (the likes of Excalibur). I've always been fascinated by the idea of mixing classic-era design with modern engineering.

AP:   What in your view will be a future classic?

The Alfa 8C Competizione. Quite simply because it's the most drop-dead gorgeous car to be produced by any company for decades. It's retro without being old-fashioned, it's compact and it has a fabulous engine. And, of course, being limited to 500 cars, it's guaranteed to be a collectors' item.

AP:   What question would you like to ask and who to?

That question has actually already been asked and answered: Car magazine asked the designer of the SsangYong Rodius what on earth went through his head when he penned what is just about the ugliest car in automobile history. He admitted that it wasn't one of his better moments. If I got the chance, I might ask the people responsible for the Pontiac Aztec the same question.

AP:   What car publications / car websites do you regularly read?

Car publications: evo magazine and Car magazine (British), auto motor und sport (German). Was a subscriber with Auto & Design, but it was too expensive, and with Car & Driver, but I've never been all that interested in American cars.
Websites: www.ultimatecarpage.com, www.supercars.net, www.carbodydesign.com, www.newspress.co.uk.