I had a colleague years ago when I was health visiting who drove to work in her husband’s huge Citroen. When she turned the engine on it appeared to rise up like a hovercraft.

It all seemed very posh, especially in the area of Vauxhall where we were working. It was quite incongruous in the health centre car park where all the other cars were small, old and rusting with the occasional burnt-out one taking up a precious parking space. I had the tyres of my Mini slashed in that car park – obviously someone hadn’t liked the advice I’d given them.

While there are still large Citroens around (the beautiful C5 estate springs to mind) with lovely new ones about to grace the showrooms over the coming months, it’s their smaller cars that I really love.

And there I found myself at a Citroen launch day with the sole intention of getting to know their cheeky C3 Picasso in more detail only to find myself smitten with the special edition C3 Pluriel Charleston.

It immediately took me back to another era and another girlfriend who had a 2CV and had upped sticks with partner and moved to Dorset. I had always found her quite alternative and thought this was the height of alternativeness.

She is now married (same man) with two teenage boys and a very steady job. It’s only when I talk to her that I’m reminded of just how different she is! She would love this ‘new style’ 2CV, because, although it’s been around for several years and is clearly a girls’ car, there don’t seem to be many of them on our roads (this is the first one I’ve knowingly seen) so it would be suitably different and stylish for her.

I was finally allowed to have a go after much begging with our video man. Funny that, when there are any decisions to be made it’s pointed out, in no uncertain terms, that as the editor it’s up to me, but when it comes to doing something I want, then I have to cajole and beg – bloody photographers, such prima donnas.

Needless to say, I wasn’t disappointed, apart from the fact that the weather suddenly changed and I drove with the fear of returning to base with a very soggy car.

So it’s great to see Citroen keeping some old traditions alive. Even though the original 2CV Charleston and this Pluriel version are poles apart in terms of safety, sophistication, performance, build quality and just about every other measure you’d care to mention, the style remains and perhaps that’s the real success?

Diamonds might be a girl’s best friend, but I’d settle for a Porsche any day!

I try not to allow myself to get excited by unobtainable things – it just leads to heartache and yearning. So it is with Porsches, along with the feeling of why spend so much money on a car…?

Friends who do own such cars, of course, don’t just get a basic version, theirs always have all the bells and whistles on it. The one that springs to mind is white, which I know is the new black, but to me it will always just be white.

Anyway, I’m now saving my pennies in the hope that one day I too can be driving around in a Porsche, preferably a red one, but in actual fact any colour will do.

My neighbour has obviously been saving up as well. But rather than showing it off to the street, he then proceeded to covered it up with a huge body bag. Sadly, I don’t think it gets the protection he was hoping for, as we’re all so nosey on our road and can’t help but take a peek to see what’s underneath.

After going on a Porsche launch day and having driven a variety of the purring creatures, I find it hard to see why anyone would ever want anything else. The drive took me completely by surprise, as I pottered around town expecting the engine to feel as if it was being held on a leash. In fact it felt quite civilised and dare I say, a tad dull.

I pulled onto the motorway slip road and found it hard to breathe as this apparently civilised machine took on a completely different personality – and this was just the basic Boxtster! I’d rather not talk about the 997 Targa we drove later as I think my passenger’s ears are still ringing from my screams as I floored the accelerator.

The thing with such powerful cars is that you really need to know how to drive them safely, but at the same time have some fun. It’s all too easy to go fast on the motorway (any fool can do that) but the real skill lies in taking those corners at speed in a safe and controlled way. I think I just need to practice some more – perhaps a permanent loan could be arranged!

I hate to think I would begrudge my friends their good fortune, but just sometimes I find it gets the better of me.

I always try and console myself that happiness is more important than material things but a) I don’t feel particularly filled with the joys of spring (although things have perked up a bit since the weather’s improved) and b) yes, I’d rather be driving my friend’s new convertible BMW than sitting behind the wheel of my very untrendy, uncool people carrier.

The absurd thing is, the day before I met Mrs BMW I felt like the bee’s knees: there I was, driving along the south coast in Peugeot’s new 308CC. Roof neatly packed away, sun beaming down and a whole day ahead of fun, food and freedom. There were ten cars on the launch of this stylish beast and I was determined just to enjoy the experience for the day – and I certainly did just that.

Past the beach we went, along country lanes, fantastic scenery and for a brief moment I thought I was one of the beautiful people who could have it all. It was only when I saw our video afterwards that I realised that it truly was all in the mind! So there I was excitedly telling my friend all about the wonderful day I’d had and the fantastic car etc. etc., when she quietly slipped in that she’d ditched her new Fiat 500 – got bored with it – and replaced it with the aforementioned BMW.

Well, that shut me up.

I dutifully ‘oohed’ and ‘ahhed’ and then waved her off as she stylishly (she does everything stylishly, even when you see her first thing in the morning, kids running wild and her in her PJs) drove off to her exciting life. I chugged home in my old barge, muttering to myself. My day will come – won’t it?