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Hi All
Enjoyable crossword I thought - not too difficult (famous last words maybe) but I'm wondering about 17ac/17d.

17ac, 17 down
"Car operating perfectly starts to make a comeback, then place number one returned — here? (4,8)"

I have an answer which fits most of the clue and crossing letters (I think), but if it's right then either there is a mistake in the clue or I'm missing something.

Any thoughts appreciated.

It does parse - the car is a four letter German make.

Thanks mattrom - I'll have to give this more thought. My 4-letter 17ac is an anagram of the make I assume you are referring to but I can't see an anagram indicator as the rest of the clue is needed for my 17d.
Unless 'operating' is doing double duty as an anagram indicator and is part of the clue for 17d which seems a bit odd.
Of course, I might have gone wrong with crossing letters - in which case it's back to the drawing-board for a few clues. Or I might be completely off the right track!

I don't have the puzzle in front of me, tried the wrong car make first (which could have produced a phrase), now think I have it, but I agree : the parsing is at least rather bold, to put it mildly!

rh,

'Operating Perfectly' then the car...

Thanks scorpiojo - I can see it now; I had 'operating perfectly starts to make a comeback' as the first 2 letters of 17d. with the rest of 17d given by 'then place number one returned'. This gave me the 1st letter of 17ac and I was happy with 14d so the answer seemed obvious - but I didn't spot the 'car' being reversed as well.

Thanks again.

i'm not convinced that my 14d (LOI) is satisfactorily half-defined by 17d - anyone else troubled by this?

it's come to me - i've just turned on the cricket!

Glad you're not gullyble, sorry gullible!

Sorry, I still find the clue to 17 very confused!