The Aesthete gets on with it

The Aesthete's Fleet
Having made a point of never owning a car with a spoiler (déclassé except for the track), the Aesthete now finds himself with two.  The spoiler on the Alfetta GTV sits back under its long nose, its absence only indicated by the supernumerary mounting holes in the valance panel. Of course it had to be put back, leading to a weekend of rolling around on the ground cursing, welding up broken bumper supports and reshaping the new fibreglass parts. There is no point in taking a picture as there is nothing to see. If you should fall under my wheels in some tragic accident, you might appreciate the tidy manner of its attachment as I pass over you.

1967 Oldsmobile Toronado. One of the few big Americans to make the Aesthete stop what he is doing just to look, the Toronado has languished outside the both the muscle car and cruiser scenes.  Jay Leno, however, has repowered his original looking '66 with a twin supercharged 1000 hp power plant which shows there is some room for development, even if he abandoned the front wheel drive that made the car so different in the first place. Check this link for an interview with the designer.

For: A moment of forward thinking in an industry not generally known for it.
Against: Nothing really. A design milestone that reinvented the wheel arch for modern times.
Investment potential: 3/10. You may find better and cheaper where they came from.

1967 Jaguar 420. Jaguar with the wily William Lyons still aboard squeezed what there was left out of the old Mk II with the 420. There were few quicker saloons available at the time unless you trusted your life to something massively overpowered with cart springs and drum brakes. This is the rare manual overdrive version with Jaguar's own transmission. Glorious on wire wheels even if they are on the edge of coming apart controlling the torque and cornering forces.

For: One more spin of the wheel before the XJ6.
Against: Persistently low values mean that few have been properly restored.
Investment potential: 4/10 in the hope that buyers realise what good cars these are.

1968 Vanden Plas 1300. Loading up the earlier 1100 with lead filler,  leather, walnut and barrels of pitch for soundproofing meant that owners could not go anywhere fast. Not a problem when most were used to take Cynthia to the dahlia show on weekends but a bit of a bore if you need to venture out in modern traffic. This twin carb 1300 adds a dash of liveliness to the bourgeois charms of the little Princess so you can at least get off the hard shoulder.

For: Stand up straight man and take your hat off.
Against: That sort of nonsense for a start.
Investment potential: 6/10 with a snob's premium over a humble Austin.

1980 Citroen CX2500D. Perhaps not the first specification one might choose in a CX but this virtually unused car will have none of the vices that accrue in higher milage cars. The trim looks unworn, the headliner is not hanging in rags and it still has the spherical ash holder on the dash where you may rest your cheroot while charging up to Queenstown for a weekend on the slopes. You will get admiring looks from the French wintering over and maybe a round of polite applause when it rises on its suspension.

For: Nothing short of radical plastic surgery could improve your appearance more than being seen in this.
Against: Pongy old diesel not a match for latter day oil burners.
Investement potential: 4/10 but you should buy it and use it.

Peugeot 204 Cabriolet. There is no link as you have to call me about this and I will pass your enquiry to the owner. Although rare on New Zealand roads, Peugeot's little front wheel drive saloon was the top selling car in France during the late 1960s, occupying a similar niche to the BMC 1100. Virtually the only Pininfarina convertible that you could buy on these benighted shores is here in Dunedin and waiting for a new owner. It has an excellently fitted fabric top and has been recently fettled into good usable condition. 12K to you.

For: So much chic in such a small and perfectly formed package.
Against: Nothing. Parts are easy. Just look on Ebay.
Investment potential: 6/10 or better with a little elbow grease.

This week's mystery Italian

1960 Fiat 1800 Viotti Coupé Gran Lusso. Tom Bruynel wins the empty Chianti bottle with the candle in it this week. Viotti is one of the lesser known carrozzeria having gone the way of most of the others by the early 1960s. This elegant coupe was probably designed by Mario Revelli di Beaumont (1907-1985) whose pioneering aerodynamic work for Alfa Romeo in the 1930s is often admired without the designer being recognised. He finished his career with the Simca 1300/1500 series which shares some styling DNA with this.

For: No one else will have one.
Against: The Fiat 1800 was not the most thrilling of platforms. If it was a Lancia Flavia...
Investment potential: 4/10 as there is always a collector for this type of thing.





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The Aesthete undergoes a cleansing

The Aesthete's Fleet
Despite the fact that Italian engineers loved to design beautifully ribbed aluminium castings, many manufacturers bought in their steering boxes from other makers. This explains why your Alfa Romeo, Ferrari or Maserati has a British designed Burman steering box with all its attendant woes. The car on which I am currently at work suffered a typical failure with a nasty looking crack in the casing, ready to spill its contents on the road and possibly kill its driver. The lubricant had all escaped and was somehow replaced by water which had left a visible tide mark of rust on bearings and other internal parts. This at least explained the crunching action of this once precision instrument, as though it had ingested a broken bottle. Oh, and the cleansing took place in the workshop. You need a clean workbench for that sort of thing.

1958 Volkswagen 1300. Early Beetles have not joined their split window Kombi bedmates in their fetishistic rise to 100+K values. Seeing as no owner uses a Kombi for any practical load carrying purpose any more, the handiness of a saloon should count for something. This one has some extra volts to tickle the sleepy electrical system and the interior looks resplendent in two tone vinyl.

For: Wir fahr'n fahr'n fahr'n auf der autobahn as Kraftwerk once put it.
Against: No, you can't call it Ringo because it is a funny looking old Beetle.
Investment potential: 3/10 but should do better.

1967 Volkswagen Kombi. QED. I wonder if this seller is testing the market with his swingeing $120,000 reserve? Restoration costs are not to be treated lightly with a challenging combination of sheet metal and chassis to contend with so the economics may be justifiable while the Kombi bubble stays inflated. Perhaps this is not the time to get on the whirligig though. Go and see The Big Short if you want an economics lesson on the perils of financial instruments, delivered by Neighbours star Margot Robbie from her bath tub.

For: The black tulip of commercial vehicles.
Against: You spent how much on what?!
Investment potential: I am still reading the biography of Maynard Keynes so I will tell you when I have finished.

1947 Rover Sixteen. Like Alvis, Rover cunningly concealed the sporting nature of its postwar saloons under a rather frumpy six light body. Inside, an elegant and comprehensive instrument panel and a short floor mounted gear lever no doubt encouraged its chartered accountant owners to find a nice back road on the way to evening vespers and give the car its head.

For: There is work to do here but these are surprisingly good on the road.
Against: More than a few weekend's worth of work, sadly.
Investment potential: 2/10. You would not do it for a quick profit, that is for certain.

1962 Daimler Majestic Major. When Jaguar acquired Daimler in 1960 it got Edward Turner's two cleverly designed V8 engines along with the Majestic saloon. Fitting the larger of the two alloy units into the favourite transport of Sussex funeral directors turned it into a wood panelled rocket ship that easily outran the new Jaguar Mk10.  It needed stabiliser wheels for those pesky new roundabouts but could do 120mph in the length of The Mall.

For: If you want your cortège to proceed through town at that sort of speed, here is your car.
Against: Nothing that I can see. A stunning bargain actually.
Investment potential: 8/10 and hilarious into the bargain.

1992 Mitsuoka Le Seyde. I know another aesthete in Wellington whose fingers will be all aflutter over the buy now button when he sees this for it is none other than the legendary Mitsuoka Le Seyde. I can do nothing more than to quote from a Japanese website dedicated to these peerless creations.

Enjoy the car. It is not enjoying themselves? While fondling engine run. Just rub it to be a happy feeling. That's one car, one, with the value of the car as I have. Alone, a pleasure to meet people who exist only because the car is good. Somewhere to go, but it is intended to run there will be a good car. Run from it is immersive, show scenes from the drivers seat, the sound coming to be honest.

For: While fondling engine run. Who would not want to?
Against: Don't worry. I will wake up soon and it will all be over.
Investment potential: Oh, considerable I am sure.

This week's mystery Italian.

1964 Autobianchi Bianchina 'Eden Roc' Cabriolet. Mark Stockdale correctly identified this week's mystery Italian as an Autobianchi but another reader helpfully pointed out how easy it is to get Google to do the work by getting it to search for the origin of the image. I disapprove of this egregious subterfuge and will be taking steps to close off this loophole.

For: Cute as a pound puppy.
Against: Possibly not for driving to Queenstown unless you already live in Queenstown.
Investment potential: 4/10. Small is good.











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The Aesthete's big day

The Aesthete's Fleet
The Aesthetette said 'What do you want to do on your birthday?' to which I chirped 'Go to the Mosgeil Aerodrome to look at old cars.' And so we did. The Vero International Festival of Historic Motoring brought over six hundred ancient cars and their equally grizzled owners to the city. There was unexpected variety including the only Beardmore Super Sport left in the world, a car I had only previously seen in the Hocken pictures collection. There was also a Riley 2.6, the last of Gerald Palmer's dreadnaught saloons for BMC, and a brace of 1930s Kestrels and Falcons to boot. A handful of delightful Fiat 501s and a Bugatti but no Alfas and one lone Lancia Beta saloon in a startling shade of moss green. Clearly, we must do more to show the Italian flag at these events.

1970 Alfa Romeo GT Junior. A long time Giulia fan is parting with his step nose GT Junior which I regard as similar to selling one of your own kidneys but will he listen to the Aesthete's cavilling? Not likely with the bidding running away already.  It is a great little car that we accompanied on the Latins rally in 2013 where it romped up the steep side of the Haast Pass. There is little to be gained from the larger engined cars and whoever is lucky enough to buy this one will have a lot of fun with it.

For: A most attractive combination of features.
Against: Nulla! Magnifico!
Investment potential: 8/10 and rising.

1974 Porsche 914. The only real problem with the 914 was the anaemic Volkswagen engine Porsche was required to fit in order to sell the cars in North America in the dark days of smog mitigation. This is neatly got around by the use of a modern Subaru power plant, a transformation now much applied in the US where nothing is spared the hot rodder's stick. Originality is one thing but would you rather not go fast?

For: A useful rally contender.
Against: Not for the purist then.
Investment potential: 3/10. Could you build one for the asking price?

1939 Willys Overland. The streamlined Willys was an effort to get Americans into a European scale four door car. There were remarkably clever and quite scientific so were of course doomed to market failure. They were also assembled in Australia with pressings supplied by Holden so they were occasionally seen on our local roads where the contrast with an equivalent British saloon of the period was profound.

For: The sort of thing once seen airbrushed on the cover of Popular Mechanics.
Against: What is going on with that paint?
Investment potential: 2/10. Most want their '30s with more glamour.

1975 Lotus Elite. The terse description suggests that this forlorn Lotus is now in someone's way so if you find yourself wanting a project, here is a suitably challenging one. It is New Zealand new and low milage so has a number of useful things going for it. Young people find the wedge styling to be very old school which is a good thing apparently.

For: Colin Chapman over reaches himself yet again.
Against: See above.
Investment potential: It is attracting bids already so may not be a great bargain.

1985 Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2.0. There is no link to Trademe here as the Aesthete is selling this one himself.  This Giulietta was dear friend Amanda's pride and joy, kept undercover in dry Temuka for much of its life and consequently rust free. Its low milage of 112,000KMs means it performs brilliantly. The shell is rattle free and everything works including the windows and central locking. Clear coat damage on the roof and boot lid are the only obvious flaws. Offers invited above 2K.

For: It is great fun. I took it to Middlemarch today and it took to the hills like an Alfa should.
Against: Its looks are starting to grow on me. You too, hopefully.
Investment potential. At that price, are you worried?

On some faraway beach...

1959 Abarth 2200 Coupe. Mark Stockdale takes the Aesthete's Mystery Italian competition this week by identifying this Abarth coupe based on the six cylinder Fiat 2100. The engine size discrepancy suggests that Abarth were not afraid of boring and otherwise modifying their Fiat engines with this one wearing an impressive array of Webers and attractively expensive looking manifolds. Fiat soon had their own coupe on the market, leaving the Abarth an orphan.

For: How much for an Allemano bodied Ferrari 250 GT these days?
Against. Yes, I know its not a Ferrari.
Investment potential: 3/10 as it is already looking a bit pricey.

The Aesthete takes on a project.

The Aesthete's Fleet 

A project for someone else, I might add. Terry pointed me in the direction of his old Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV, gone to a new owner who has stripped it down to a bare shell and now wants some guidance on how to put it all back together. This involves carting boxes of parts back to Scuderia Porto, cleaning and assembling them on the workbench before fitting them back on the shell. I will work my way around the car until it has four wheels and steers. Hopefully the owner will take heart as many hours need to be invested yet. 

1968 Lotus Elan +2. The GTV's great rival in period was the similarly packaged Lotus Elan +2, here in early 1600cc form. Colin Chapman apparently was no great fan of the looks and said rude things to designer Ron Hickman on the subject but I have always thought it a modern and striking design. In typical penny pinching Lotus fashion, the fish bowl front screen was borrowed from the Consul Capri featured on the blog recently.

For: Greater than the sum of its parts.
Against: Fragile parts they are too.
Investment potential: 3/10. Should be worth a good GTV so on par.

1951 Triumph Renown. I was gently chided for overlooking this graceful razor edged Triumph in past posts so here it is. Styled for an unbuilt Alvis by Mulliners, the 1800-2000 range sold in modest numbers in the grim post-war years when anything with four wheels stood a chance of making money. The aluminium bodies were built on a traditional timber frame and got along effectively in two litre form using the Vanguard engine later found in the TR sports cars. Unlike the TR though you could drive one while wearing a trilby.

For: Another contender from the forgotten era of the 1940s.
Against: You do not own a trilby. Well, you will have to fix that, won't you?
Investment potential. 4/10. With some sources saying only ten left in the world, scarcity must count for something.

1967 Ford Thunderbird. We have not had a 'bird on the blog for a while so cast your eye over this first year of the newly restyled executive sports coupe. Note the lack of bling that allows you to actually see the lines of the car without egregious vinyl roof or fake hood irons. Then move on to the cream interior while imaging yourself driving through Mayfair to the door of the London Playboy Club with Barbi Benton... Alright, that's enough. You can stop now.

For: You could fetishise about worse things.
Against. I said stop.
Investment potential: 3/10. Arguably underpriced.

TVR 3000M. The vendor has been rather careless and lost the engine, transmission and interior of this TVR so it is being sold as a shell. Most of the mechanical parts were sourced from current Fords so it may not be hard to put that part right, after which you will have a demonic sports car from the era of chest hair, pink aviators and open shirt fronts.  If you have it, flaunt it.

For: Bodie and Doyle, where are you now?
Against: If you don't have it, please keep it covered up.
Investment potential: 1/10. A certain retro charm but needs a lot of hot sweaty action.

Fiat 2300 Special. The late Peter Bruin was a noted New Zealand race car builder of the Amon/McLaren era and this special is a storied example of the craft. The big six cylinder Fiat was a brave place to start. Designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi, it managed 150HP in Abarth tuned form so race potential was certainly present. It is being sold incomplete and needing a body shell but someone out there has the skills, surely.

For: Only my single garage and the Aesthetette hold me in check.
Against: Oh, if I was only single and lived in a large shed...
Investment potential: 7/10 but only if you can do the work.

On some faraway beach...

Okay. What is this then?

1952 Siata Daina. Not only did Tom Bruynel correctly identify the mystery Italian of the week, he also knew that the coach builder was Stabilimenti Farina, not the more familiar Pininfarina. Societa Italiana Applicazioni Trasformazioni Automobilistiche specialised in elegant small touring cars based on contemporary Fiat models, in this case the stolid 1400 saloon. This one could be yours for 178,000 EUR.

For: Anglophile Italian gorgeousness.
Against: That is quarter of a million local dollar's worth.
Investment potential: You would need an economist to tell you.

The Aesthete takes a holiday

The Aesthete's Fleet

I was delighted to get a drive in an Alfa Romeo Sprint Speciale, the 'sixties equivalent of the new 4C and just as thrilling. One hundred horse power from a 1300 was almost unheard of in a road car and we fairly yowled up the hill from Port Chalmers.  I did my utmost to frighten the Sprint's owner with the GTV, to no avail.  It has had a good workout though as the Aesthetette and I are on holiday at Manapouri. This is something of a big deal as panic sets in quickly when I am out of range of a coffee shop. Fortunately, all the residents of Fiordland have given up their honest trades and there is freshly brewed coffee every 10 kilometres. Testing this out involved a drive to Milford Sound where we enjoyed the worst lunch ever.

The Aesthetette suns herself on a rock while the GTV cools down in the shade.

1984 Rolls Royce Silver Spirit.  Once the exclusive domain of captains of industry and retired senior public servants, old Rolls tend to follow the trajectory of any large and complex saloon until they become available to the hoi polloi. Now no one wants them.  On the other hand, you would not want an old Honda Legend for any money, would you?

For: Oooh, just look at those rear seats.
Against: You would have to employ a driver as the other end of the car is no fun at all.
Investment potential: 3/10. Buy it so that your poor parents can think you have finally made something of yourself.

1950 Jowett Javelin De Luxe. Yorkshire was an unexpected place to find an advanced aerodyne like the Javelin but yet it was one of the most modern cars anyone could buy after the war. Clean sheet designs have a way of troubling their creators and Jowett lacked the engineering capacity to test the car properly, leaving owners cursing on the roadside with broken cranks and failed gearboxes. Most of the cars still functioning have been modified to alleviate these flaws and they make a desirable alternative to a Citroen, much as they did in their hey day.

For: Make way for the 1940s revival, the final Georgian era.
Against: Nothing. They really are very good.
Investment potential: 8/10 and usable as well.

1955 Hillman Husky. This delightful little load carrier looks like it has had an easy life as most were reduced to scrap years ago or are now being sold as 'barn finds'. This one has the auxiliary rear seat where you could torture your passengers on a short trip but the rear bay could be put to better use fetching Alfa engine blocks. Or flowers from the market for your stall if you are more that way inclined.

For: Wallace and Grommit charm in abundance.
Against: Too much of that sort of charm perhaps?
Investment potential: 3/10 and attracting bids already.

1955 Nash Ambassador Pininfarina. Okay. It is $1600 now so someone out there must put the vendor out of his misery before he makes good on his threat and puts it back in storage. One of you step forward now.

For: A restored one of these stole the Aesthete's heart at the Dunedin Autospectacular.
Against: Yes, I know. It has no engine. It had no engine last year either.
Investment potential: -12/10.

1964 Bond Equipe GT4. I listed this on the blog last time it was for sale as I am partial to the works of Laurie Bond, that unheralded British genius of the fibreglasser's art. Most of you will know that he started with a Herald and carefully glued his clever coupe superstructure over the top meaning that it was a plastic car that rusted swiftly from the bottom up. Very few survive and this one deserves to be finished off and used as its maker intended.

For: Rare and funny looking, just how the Aesthete likes them.
Against: Not everyone's cup of Horlicks, I know.
Investment potential: If it just needs the door cards fixed and a tickle up, 6:10.

On some faraway beach...

1963 Autobianchi Stellina. Well, I got three correct answers straight away on my little Italian quiz so clearly the readers are well up on their Etceterini for indeed it is a Fiat 600 based spider from Autobianchi. Unusually, it was a fibreglass shell and a first for the industry. It was designed by Luigi Rapi whose Fiat 1200 Spider sold in far greater numbers. With only a few hundred made you are unlikely to see another.

For: Just the thing for taking to the lake, Como or Manapouri.
Against: You could have bought that 850 Spider the other month and saved a lot of trouble.
Investment potential: 3/10. Small is the new big, you know.