This is the first rather speckly picture of my second R4, which I named Nicolexia after the letters NCX on the number plate, in keeping with the tradition I had set previously with Angelica. My rule was to ignore the initial letter and numbers, and derive something that must begin with the first of the three consecutive letters and then feature the other two in the same order. It should also be female and preferably have an alternative shortened form, as with Angel and Angelica. Having stood in a branch of Waterstones leafing through a book of girls' names, then a book of Hebrew girls' names, then Arabic, then Occitan or whatever other desperate titles I could find, I came up with nothing that fitted the bill, so I formed my own. Anybody who viewed the ongoing series of British TV commercials for Renault during the 1990s will understand why I felt Nicole to be a good fit for her new 'Papa'. This photo was taken by the former owner before I bought the car in May 2000. I part-exchanged my dear old Angel, who had undeniably but unashamedly reached the end of her life.

The original colour of Nicolexia was light blue, as could still be seen inside. Upon my purchase, the car looked a little different to above, as some new panels had been bolted on, and there were bits of different coloured paint all over, but it was my intention to smarten her up soon after. The underside of this car had undergone painstaking restoration, being completely stripped down, with all the rot being cut out and replaced with new zinc-coated steel. The welding was so perfect that I could barely even spot it. The back axle was completely shot-blasted and re-coated with several layers of protection, and amongst the various other repairs and new parts was a transplanted engine which had received a full unleaded conversion. So, provided I had no more encounters with pathetic snivelling scallies, this car was destined to last for years. More information about the vehicle can be found on the Technique page of the Articles section (number TQ2).