It had been a long time, almost a year in fact, since my sister and her boyfriend finished painting her second Renault 4, but nobody had taken a photo of it. Here in May 2003 it was pictured next to my own, a rather dazzling sight and probably too shocking for suburban Hove. Another photo from this set has been placed on the Star Car page of this Gallery (number SC16), as I thought the two cars were jointly worthy of the accolade.

This heralded the start of an unofficial competition between my sister and myself, as to who could outdo who in the R4 paint stakes. Or to put it my way, WAR!

I thought that my own rather fortunate professional respray was spectacular enough, but although being hand-painted with a brush, big sis now put in a strong challenge with her harlequin-like design. (Note: the blobs on the car are bird and tree droppings, not just a lazy artistic tantrum). The photo below is a bit of an oddball. Until this time, my sister's partner had rarely driven the R4 himself, having not long passed his driving test and having used other vehicles when required instead. My sister wasn't best pleased about him jumping in the driving seat of her car and preparing to pull away; you may be able to spot the cowering expression on her face. Would you trust anybody else behind the wheel of your beloved R4?