The Aesthete's suggestions for a winter project

Anonymous, that ever vigilant defender of orthographical correctness, picked up my spelling of Packard last week. The Aesthete's school reports describe an indolent and easily distracted child, rather too fond of his own opinions. These qualities have been extended and refined in adult life so the blog is often written late at night from his bed, a sight that no reader should try and bring to mind. 

1964 Renault Dauphine. As you all probably know now, the Aesthete is polymorphously perverse in his automotive tastes so let us see how many of his fetishes are served by this little Gallic treat. One: engine at the wrong end. Two: primrose yellow. Three: unmanly. Four: red interior. Five: subtly re-engineered. Oh my God. I need a cold bath and a strong dose of bismuth.

For: Is that not enough?
Against: Not much that is obvious to me.
Investment potential: 5/10 and cheap to run.

1937 Citroen 11CL Light Fifteen: The Aesthete has been known to make silly and ill informed comments about old Citroens but admits that early examples are intriguing. In the mid-1930s they were truly extraordinary and the narrow hulled Michelin Pilote-wheeled cars are a rare thing unto themselves. This Slough-built  car has the creature comforts that the English demanded rather than the industriel steel and cloth of the French versions. It looks like a lot of work but of a rewarding sort.

For: Produced for one year only in this version.
Against: déshabillé.
Investment potential: 2/10 and make sure you can do some of it yourself.

1965 Sunbeam Alpine GT. The GT was the budget model in the Rootes sporting lineup with a removable steel hardtop only. Never mind as the steel wheels and crisp lines complement each other well and the shell looks straight and strong on this unrestored example. The Aesthete's advice is to invest in a modest repaint and leave the rest of it alone. There are too many boiled sweet Alpines already without any of you adding another one.

For: Nice and plain.
Against: You can't have it if you are going to spoil it.
Investment potential: 3/10 but only if you follow the rules outlined above.

1972 BMW 3.0 Si. Mercedes had a lot to learn from BMW whose big sedans were both more sporting and more luxurious than the Dusseldorf taxi. The negative side is all of that expensive bouclé cloth and solid wood deteriorates over time, leaving the interiors looking as if a wolf pack has been in residence. This one looks at least presentable, leaving an undiagnosed engine problem as the sticking point. Sort that out and you will own one of the best cars of its era.

For: Smooth, fast and elegant.
Against: Sickly six cylinder BMW engines are nothing trivial.
Investment potential: 3/10 if it is an easy fix.

1968 Austin Princess: Proposed as a small Bentley, the Princess was a clever repackaging of a lowly Austin but loaded with a Rolls Royce military engine that whomped out a rather impressive 145 horsepower. No doubt this generous reserve of performance was never used to the full and most went from public service to mature owners who pottered around with them. This one probably hauled Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara around in Fiji so may appeal to old colonial era snobs out there. You know who you are.

For: Better than it needed to be.
Against: 145 bhp in a Westminster...
 2/10 as long as you get it running and spend no further money on it.

On some faraway beach...

1951 Jowett Jupiter. Back in Blighty at a time when unorthodoxy was a serious offence, getting the Austrian designer of the Tiger tank and V2 rocket to author your sports car carried a certain risk. Robert Eberan von Eberhorst's space framed Jupiter was companion to the brilliant Javelin saloon, the only British post war family car that had anything to say in terms of innovation.  To justify the gawky looks, compare it to a MG TC.

For: Genius.
Against: People have forgotten who Noddy was but they may still say unkind things.
Investment potential: 5/10. Aluminium body, small engine, race pedigree.

The Aesthete sees the end coming

The Aesthete's Fleet

 That Jeremiah J. Clarkson believes the world is losing interest in cars due to the fact that most new ones are inherently uninteresting and young people are not sitting their driver's test and prefer getting carted around by bus. Was it not always so? Could anyone who bought a Morris Marina be said to like cars? It did strike me at the Rally of Otago that many of the competitors might have looked more comfortable on the sofa but they were out there getting their sciatic nerves pinched and covering spectators with dust and stones. Apart from that, old people have far more money and time than granted to the young, two factors that remain necessary for classic car ownership. Hasten the male menopause and superannuation then.

1955 Packard Clipper Coupe. Packards were thought of as stodgy but all the Aesthete sees is patrician elegance, a quality suppressed in most American cars of the period. The single deep blue hue of this Clipper shows its handsome details in high relief and one could see it pulling up to the doors of the Monaco Casino in period without raising a smirk from anyone.  If you are tempted to take it to the beach hop, keep your distance from the others and maintain your standards.

For: A proper American.
Against: The vendor has been caught out somehow. Find out how.
Investment potential: 4/10 if you can have it for 15K.

1959 Jaguar 2.4 Litre Saloon. This phase of Jaguar's first unit bodied saloon saw handling and braking improvements that meant its performance could be used properly and they were the car of choice for a generation of professional drivers. The simple cabin details hark back to a period when a cigar lighter was a luxury feature but I guarantee that you could still drive one of these all day and not feel like you had been put on the rack.

For: When Harold McMillan told the British public that they had never had it so good, I believe he was talking about this car.
Against: Train robbers liked them too.
Investment potential: 8/10. I would grab this one and the grey automatic and get them to the UK quick smart.

1967 Audi 75. This would have earned good spotting points in my Observers Book of Automobiles,  filled out by the junior Aesthete while his parents drove the countryside looking for a pub. I recall a small number of these plush little German cars, usually with continental owners driving them carefully in case anything broke. This one fits the pattern so if you desire a well engineered and perky alternative to a BMW, here it is.

For: An Audi or an Oxford. Well, what would you do?
Against: Don't break anything. Nothing much has changed on that score over the past fifty years.
Investment potential: 2/10. They will never be worth a fortune.

1977 Panther Lima. The Panther Lima was no kit car but more of a Lotusey sort of thing with decent creature comforts and enough performance to scare the wits out of driver and miserable passenger. Powered by the 2.3 Vauxhall OHC motor from a Victor, there was torque and horsepower in a light package with turbo variants capable of 150 mph. Let us salute them then, those who go out on wet days in a Panther Lima.

For: They may laugh at your funny little car until you give it the gas.
Against: Make sure you have plenty of room on the road.
Investment potential: 1/10. Not much room to move at 30K it has to be said.

 1971 Toyota Crown Hardtop Coupe. The Aesthete guiltily savours the period where the Japanese stopped asking Italians to style their cars and began doing it for themselves. This Crown startled the senses with a raised bonnet intake sweeping across the wings to take in the side lights and flush body coloured bumpers. A number of these were shipped down to New Zealand where we seemed to be immune from aesthetic trauma. This will go in a flash, I predict.

For: Not like Italian ugly/beautiful. Just ugly.
Against: Its like an Alfa Romeo painted by Roger Bacon then.
Investment potential: 5/10. Ironic cars are the only way to please the coming generation of hipsters. Buy now or miss out.

On some faraway beach...

1958 Ford 10 Special. Not that faraway at all really but worth our attention anyway. This special bodied Ford looks like it deserves finishing and it would be a treat to see on the track, if other owners would come forward with theirs and make a day of it. It needs a few things but it would give you an excuse to attend swap meets instead of cutting the hedge. Now is that not a better use of your time?

For: Ching-designed according to the vendor. Tell me more about this Ching.
Against: A bit too old school for you is it?
Investment potential: 3/10 but make sure you finish it.

The Aesthete surveys the Trademe ruins

The fleet has been parked up for the winter so there are no hard luck stories to relate this week. To assuage my boredom, the Aesthetette got me An English Affair by Richard Davenport -Hines, a splendid analysis of the Profumo affair. It made me realise that the mores of upper class London in the 1960s were effectively carried over to Glenfield in the following decade and that I was not imagining the nude spa pool parties that my parents took me to when I was a wide eyed adolescent.

Lancia Delta HF Turbo i.e. That random tangle of words and letters is like fine poetry for keen drivers but without the demanding nature of the more powerful EVO cars. A good example will see off most German and Japanese challengers and possess a jiggling Latin vitality that is an invitation to wring its neck even when going to the shops for cat food and milk.

For: Guaranteed to bring some excitement to your tepid existence.

Against: You will need mambo dancers' hips to be comfortable in the Recaro seats.

Investment potential: 5/10 as the last viable ones come to the market.

1988 Peugeot 205 GTI. Note that I only mentioned German and Japanese models and handily swerved around the impressive 205 which in 1.9 litre form was almost indomitable. Italianate in both form and character, it set an impressive standard for factory built GTs that required little further specialist attention before taking to track or gravel.

For: The belle époque for quick hatches.

Against: The dad's car profile of the rest of the range.

Investment potential: 6/10 and climbing.

Renault 4CV. Renault's clever response to reconstruction was supposedly penned in secret during the war with production starting in 1947. It stole a handy march on the Morris Minor so it you wanted a small modern car before the end of the decade, the 4CV was the principal contender. They are enjoyable to drive, simple to fix and full of Gallic charms, even when built in England as this one was. 

For: R10 engine transplants answer the performance issues.

Against: Nozzing.

Investment potential: 4/10. It looks solid under the scruffy paint which is important with these early monocoque cars.

1965 Commer PA Auto-Sleeper camper. English-built campers have always held strong attraction to the Aesthete since he was captivated by a be-finned Bedford CA Dormobile in the 1970s. This one looks like it was fitted out by one of the better makers with a tasteful oak ply cabin in the contemporary G-Plan manner. Save yourself 40K on a Kombi and buy this.

For: Whatever happened to empire loyalty? Show some patriotism there, man.

Against: A rummage in the parts bucket with bits of Sunbeam Talbot and Minx promiscuously mixed through.

Investment potential:2/10 as it needs a bit more work yet.

TVR Cerbera. The ultimate hoodlum's runabout, the Cerberra reestablished TVR as a super car brand that offered lunatic levels of performance in a cut price package. Even the six cylinder cars could manage 170 mph although most drivers chose continued life over the uncertain prospects on offer at that speed. To manage that, some V8 models had a button on the dash that switched off the driver's judgement. 

For: Something for the eight year old that lives in all of us.

Against: We don't let them drive for good reason.

Investment potential. Akin to heroin I suspect.

On some faraway beach...

1963 Rochdale Olympic. Not merely another oddball torn from the back pages of Autocar, circa 1960, the Rochdale Olympic was an accomplished monocoque glass fibre package designed to take a B-series or Ford engine. Light weight ensured well over 100 mph in either form and this improved Mk 2 made has an opening rear hatch. 

For: Yes, it needs improvements but these are ideal candidates for a project. All the body moulds are retained by the UK Rochdale club.

Against: I like it. That should be warning enough.

Investment potential: 3/10. Cheap and no bids come in.

The Aesthete leaves town

To see the later stages of the Rally of Otago that has become an annual fixture in the calendar. Sadly, Emma Gilmour got knocked out before we arrived but the rest of the field was enjoying the day. The BDA powered Escorts seemed to not have much need for a full complement of wheels as only one or two were in contact with the road at any time. We bombed out there in the secret agent's old BMW armoured troop carrier which was perfect for the occasion. 

1928 Marmon Roosevelt. What is this dreary old lump doing here, I here you ask? Well,  look at the wire wheels and the aluminium dash and rack your brains for the other things that Marmon was known for including all alloy V16 engines. The final product of the firm in 1934 featured just such an arrangement in a central spine chassis with all independent suspension. So it has real character even if it comes from the lesser end of the range.

For: An unusual sight anywhere, much less in these far flung isles.
Against: A Model A would be a lot less trouble.
Investment potential: It seems very cheap now but who knows?

1985 Lancia Beta Coupe. This fine Beta was on the Latins rally the other year and is very much as the vendor describes. The long time owner was indeed a man of the cloth and this is one Beta that has been spared the hell of years under rotten covers in neglectful owners' driveways. The fragile interior is miraculously preserved and you will be assured a high place in heaven if you buy it and use it as the Lord intended.

For: No need to be suspicious as this is a better Beta.
Against: You will need to be quick. It is under offer now.
Investment potential: 8/10. Yes.

1994 MG RV8. One might say the MGB was waiting for a visit from the vet by the 1990s but the RV8 was a fairly thoroughgoing rejuvenation of the old nag. Gone was the old iron four cylinder chaff mill and lever shock absorbers to be supplanted by the suave alloy Range Rover V8. While not in a TVR state of tune, it will elevate your tweed cap nicely. Many are now now being shipped from Japan having led sheltered lives there. It is up to you to drive the wheels off it.

For: Old school but not in a hopeless way.
Against: There are better sports cars for this sort of money.
Investment potential: 2/10. Wait and see if the values keep up.

1995 TVR  Chimaera. Speak of the devil and he will surely appear. The Chimera is less an old car made in a new way but rather a new (ish) car made the old way. It was fitted with a similar gentle Rover V8 and not the mad, tooth gnashing flat plane monster in the Cerbera coupe. Even so, the light weight  and simple Chimaera will throw you down the road at 150 MPH so that you can arrive at the pearly gates with plenty of time to unburden yourself of all serious sins.

For: One imagines the Japanese drivers of these things are not the same ones driving in the middle of our roads in hired Toyota Anuses at 40 KPH.
Against: Do not accept a ride in this car unless you know the driver can in fact drive.
Investment potential: 2/10 but you will have lots of fun.

1965 Volkswagen Kombi. Split window Kombis have experienced a transformation in their values rather like workers' cottages in Kingsland. This is inexplicable in terms of actual use value so owning one is to enter the world of speculation although there are other places to put your money, such as sending it to that nice Nigerian lady who is waiting for your permission to open an investment account in your name.

For: Roll up and place your bets.
Against: What is German for insane speculative bubble?
Investment potential: 4/10 but only while the upside down world rules operate.

On some faraway beach...

1967 Glas V8. Yes, I know I am a bit queer about these things but they are endlessly fascinating. Maseratis and big Alfas are quite routine in comparison and this one has the advantage of being one of the rare Glas versions built while the business was still solvent. There is little of the low volume special about this serious and handsome coupe and I want one quite badly where it would join a Deutsch-Bonnet HBR-5 in the Aesthete's dream garage.

For: Buy one and drive it every day. I dare you.
Against: In every dream garage a heartache, to loosely quote an old Roxy Music song.
Investment potential: 1/10. Find a rich German and you might get lucky.

The Aesthete attends to business

The Aesthete's Fleet
The Aesthete's attention has shifted back to the old Flavia Coupe subframe that is propped up against the shed like some hillbilly garden ornament. Swapping the whole engine and drive unit in these cars takes about an hour with a hoist so I am considering a Subaru flat four and five speed transaxle as an instant performance upgrade. The constaining factors are width and length but these are a popular swap in VW vans now with a lot of interesting parts on the market. I have been enquiring about Gamma engines so if anyone has a hopeless wreck that needs dragging away, please call.

1964 Buick Riviera. One of the great mysteries of modern existence is how the US motor industry squandered its design talents in the decades following this sublime Riviera. Everything from the framed bucket seats to the brushed metal dash is ripe for revival whereas deep buttoned  red velour and plastic Louis XIV door panels have stayed where they belong in the 1970s. Unless you are one of those ironic post-modern types that yearns for a Bill Blass Continental with the monogrammed pillow seats....

For: Sublime looks.
Against: One for the long straight roads.
Investment potential: 2/10. The coming day of reckoning will leave few fat Americans on the road.

1985 Isuzu Piazza. Some cars can transcend their mundane origins under a well cut Italian suit which is what Isuzu purchased from Giorgetto Giugiaro, busy hawking his Ace series of prototypes from door to door since the early 1970s. Audi built one for evaluation in 1973 but it took until the end of the decade before Isuzu took the bait. The podded controls were clever and the whole thing now reeks of wedgey retro cool. Do not trouble yourselves over a wreck but a pampered, one owner example?

For: Find those Spandau Ballet cassette tapes!
Against: Perhaps it is better that we forget the whole decade and move on.
Investment potential: 5/10. Yes, really.

1973 BMW 2002 Touring. These were once much coveted by antique dealers for hauling off aunty's Moorcroft pottery. The fashion for sporting wagons triggered by the Reliant Scimitar GTE produced variable results and it is not uncharitable to consign the Touring BMW to the miss category. This may be attributable to the balanced perfection of the original but if you want an 02 with load space, here is your car.

For: Ideal for the weekend away that you have been promising your long suffering partner.
Against: Not Touring's best work.
Investment potential: It looks rather good so 3/10.

1969 Fiat 124 Coupe. Look past the searing price for a moment and consider why you should become the new owner of this Fiat 124. A rare survivor of the initial model with the sweetest lines, the single headlight, low bonnet AC had that alert look that typified Italian sporting cars of the 1960s. This car is like a lurcher puppy then. How could you possibly refuse?

For: Oh come on. Look at it.
Against: Canine analogy is no way to approach car buying.
Investment potential: Woof!

1929 Chevrolet 1 1/2 Ton Commercial. You could restage the dustbowl scene from Grapes of Wrath in this depression era Chevrolet, a reminder that the world had to keep on working even in those straightened times. Failing that, you could just potter down to the lake for a picnic or spend a night under stars in the rather comfortable looking beds the vendor has considerately placed in the tray.

For: Born in the same year as my father and he is still going.
Against: Finding a good reason to use it.
Investment potential: 2/10 seeing as you did not take up my suggestion of a 2CV camper last week.

On some faraway beach....

1960 Devin D. The vendor ties himself in knots making this out to be some kind of Porsche when the Devin has merits of its own that should be considered. Based on a clever tubular frame and a well made plastic shell, they were a step above the average kit car and developed by Bill Devin who was once described by Henry Manney as the Enzo Ferrari of Okie Flats. No higher commendation could be bestowed.

For: Awkwardly pretty, just as we like our specials to be.
Against: A bit rough in the details.
Investment potential: 4/10 given the piles of steaming dung that are shovelled into containers from the US.