Driving the HB Special has other privileges than just pure enjoyment. One of them is being photographed at 120 km per hour on the highway by fellow motorists. We always wonder what they do with the pictures? But still its pretty flattering! Another is people jumping in front of you to make you stop to ask "whoawh, what car is that? How fast does it go..."

But the Best one yet happened yesterday in Belgium. We were at some traffic lights and an Audi a6 stops to the left of us. On green we both take off in an orderly fashion, thumbs are up through the passenger window of the Audi. Driver, wife in the back and the passenger exchange some words and smiles and grins keep coming.... Oh what the hell we think, lets give them a little show and the throttle goes down. Vroooaaaaphhhh and off we go - 80, 100, 140, 160 and on the brakes for the next traffic lights.... The Audi tries to follow, upon arrival stops next to us. The window goes down and the driver says - you must be Michel Vaillant!

The immediate success of the Michel Vaillant books can be attributed primarily to the talent of the hero. Because Michel Vaillant is probably the most gifted all-round champion in the history of motor sports. His sporting exploits span all the disciplines of motor sports, particularly Formula 1. He collects an amazing list of sporting achievements: five F1 world championship titles, two wins in the Indianapolis 500 miles Race, five victories in the Le-Mans 24 hour event. But Michel is not only a great champion. He is also noble-hearted, loyal, brave with a sense of fair-play. A man whose nobility of spirit is equalled only by his great presence.

You can understand the grin on my face and the inner contentment  when I tell the driver of the Audi Thank you..... no really thank you... I can't think of a bigger compliment than that!