Admission time.

I talk to my car.

It also has a name, but that wasn't my fault - it already had the name when I bought it. No, the talking is entirely down to me. Given that it was built in Paris, I often talk to it in French.

But it doesn't stop there. I nearly wrote that last sentence as "she was born in Paris."

I don't remember if I ever talked to the Rover or not. Shouted at it, yes. I certainly don't ever talk to the 309.

And it's not just talking - I anthropomorphise. Take a look at the Diary of Sally, Age 22.

It's not just me though. The Diary of Sally wasn't my idea, but was first written by a previous owner. Have a look at any car club magazine, or Practical Classics, for examples of people talking about problems with their cars as being revenge for neglect, or some other psychological reason why they'd want to play up for their owners.

So what's it all about? Why Sally, but not the 309? Is it just classic car owners? In general, we do have a relationship with our cars which just doesn't exist for most motorists. They buy a means of transport, something comfortable, fast and well-equipped which will reliably get them to work every day. We buy machines which are noisier, slower, less sophisticated and less comfortable than modern cars - and we call it character. Moreover, our cars are not in the first flush of youth and they need tending and caring for - vital bits are bound to wear out, and they need more servicing. We spend much more time looking after our cars than most people. They become one of the family, not just a metal box that sits outside the house and is forgotten when we're not using it.

But it doesn't end there. Most classic owners do have this relationship with their cars, yes, but why some more than others? Why, oh fellow members of the Citroen Car Club, are you so much more bonkers about your pets - sorry, your cars - than anyone else? I realise that you have to be pretty bonkers to buy a Citroen in the first place, of course, but that doesn't explain why are all GSs given names that sound like cows - such as Sally, Buttercup, Sonya and Deirdre. Why are GSs usually "she" and BXs usually "he" (Gubbins)? OF course there are exceptions - I haven't forgotten Clarence, who is a dark colour and more butch than most GSs. Why were 2CVs, a primitive wartime design, so much loved and well-selling right into the 1980s?

Citroens just seem to have a certain je ne sais quoi when it comes to personality. Please email me if your owners' club is similar - I suspect I will get replies from owners of Beetles and Fiat 500s, but rather fewer from concerning Capri RS3100s. But I am, as always, very happy to be proved wrong.