The Aesthete rises to the challenge

The Aesthete's Fleet
I have been so enthralled by the Brexit fiasco that I have not left the house so there is nothing to report on the fleet this week. The Aesthete has been asked to present at a Pecha Kucha event in October so will be making a rare public appearance. I have warned the organisers that he is erratic and liable to say anything but they were keen to go ahead. Readers' suggestions for suitable disguises will be read with interest. The song this week is from the back catalogue of British prog rock, an unjustly derided form of popular music if you ask me.

1969 McLaren M6GT. The vendor is being a little coy in revealing what this actually is by omitting the words 'kit', 'replica' or 'Volkswagen' from the text of his ad so the Aesthete will try and fill in the missing details. The original Trojan built M6GT was a road going coupe built by McLaren to test the idea of a  production run of similar cars. It was a barely civilised racer but was a popular subject for kit car makers. This one is probably a Manta, manufactured in California in the 1980s. What could you do with it? Well, you could go very fast in extreme discomfort and it is way cheaper than a real one.

For: Chiselled Le Mans looks.
Against: Why has it not been finished? Lack of a screen is just the start.
Investment potential: Oh come on. It would be fun.

1949 Hudson Commodore. Post-war Hudsons were called 'step-downs' because of their low built construction and they are still striking today, if like the Aesthete, you appreciate the modernist bathtub lines. Their big side-valve engines could be effectively tuned and the smaller Hornet models were formidable on the track. Brush paint this one gray, remove the hub caps and employ a sign writer and you could have a retro Mexican desert racer to drive to the shops.

For: People said they looked like a plastic bathtub. Good thing I say.
Against: Oh yes, I know. Many things.
Investment potential: 2/10 but worth the effort.

1973 Renault TL 17. One day, a vengeful car god clicked his fingers and all the Renault 15s and 17s instantly vanished into sheds and muddy paddocks.  What had they done to offend him, asks the curious Aesthete? On the lookout for something new, their slinky female owners had graduated to Fuegos and there was no going back. No-one wants to be a cuckold so they all died of shame and rejection.

For: Steam shrunk Dodge Charger looks.
Against: Nothing at all. 1970s chic, tres magnifique.
Investment potential: 4/10. Find a Francophile that wants one to go with their Yves Saint Laurent trouser suit.

1957 Simla Vedette Versailles. What is French for 'beach hop' I hear you ask? You could turn up in this with and a nice bottle of beaujolais and the more tasteful spectators will want to know what it is. Simca purchased this Ford of France product in the early 1950s, getting its tiny V8 in the process. The styling is pure mid 1950s Ford but smaller and neater in the French tradition. A bit like Leslie Caron then.

For: French-Américaine. Très charmant.
Against: Not that quick in original form. Feel free to experiment there.
Investment potential: 1/10. 12K is a bit steep for a project car.

1973 BMW 2002. It looks a little careworn but would be a nice winter project with a fresh coat of paint and the seats attended to. The 02 series was always the major rival to Alfa's GTV and you rarely see those on the market now. They are simple to fix, parts are plentiful and they do not suffer from dementia and forget their ignition key security code which is what immobilised Kiri's one last week.

For: A GTV in plain German packaging.
Against: I see only opportunity here.
Investment potential: 7/10. Go on. Get cracking then.

On some faraway beach

1961 Cisitalia Abarth Spider Riviera 850. We have not had a nice Etceterini for a while with even the less exotic Italian specials rare in this part of the world. This endearing example combines three of the proudest names in the industry as the bodies were built by Allemano of Ferrari 250 GT fame. While 45K seems like a lot for a Fiat 600, reviewers of the time recommended them at any price.

For: Oh come on. What to you expect me to say.
Against. Nothing. Nothing at all.
Investment potential: 6/10. Simple, cheap to fix and gorgeous.

The Aesthete climbs back into the ring

The Aesthete's Fleet

The Alfetta has been loaned to a friend with a late model BMW suffering from what I imagine is a computer related starting issue. Wonder boy suggested the age old remedy of tapping the starter with a stick but a lengthy search under the various covers revealed nothing like the familiar foot long Lucas part with the recalcitrant solenoid atop. Tapping on the power steering pump did no good whatsoever so it will be towed to the shop at dawn. There are limits to my powers after all.

This weeks number is a piece of joyous savagery from that great eccentric of the post-punk era, Julian Cope. Altogether now;

 "I got a space hopper baby but it's strictly one seater,

You got to hold on baby to my special features"

1960 Lincoln Continental MKV Hardtop Breezeway. What is this behemoth that looks like two Ford Uglybirds welded together in the middle?  Well, it is the ultimate kicking up of heels from the Ford studio before they swung the other way towards the cool Kennedy era Continentals of the early 1960s. Consequently you get the shaped wings from that year's Thunderbird with the wind down reverse slope rear breezeway window that no-one knew they wanted. This promiscuous mixture of Ford genes produced an imposing sight but one that should be shielded from sensitive eyes.

For: I wonder if you could lower the rear window and place your Scotch outside on the rear deck to avoid prosecution?
Against: There has to be a better reason to buy it than that.
Investment potential: 2/10 but rarity and sheer dreadfulness make a tempting combination.

1981 Mercedes 500 SL. This rare right hand drive SL with the big Mercedes V8 is attracting desultory bids on Trademe and looks like it deserves better. R107s may never match the values of the earlier pagoda roofed cars and can seem saloon-like and uninteresting. This is unfair as open motoring rarely comes with quality construction like this. Combine body strength with unburstable mechanicals and you have a car for life.

For: Tidy it up and reap the benefits.
Against: A bit more history would be useful.
Investment potential: 6/10 if it stays close to the present price.

Austin Seven Ashley Special. Sharp eyed friend Simon spotted this listed amongst assorted car parts and sent me the link so here it is. The vendor suggests that it is a Tiki, based on an English  kit made by Ashley Laminates. This firm's complex history saw its founder Peter Pallendine set up manufacture in New Zealand making Falcon body shells before relocating to Australia and building steam cars. Whatever it is, Pallendine's designs were always pretty so this is worth investigating.

For: Something from the great age of automotive DIY.
Against: What? You don't want to build your own sports car from a pile of rusty bits?
Investment potential: 7/10. At the buy now price  you can't really lose.

1939 Citroen Light Fifteen Cabriolet. Citroen bores will know there is no such thing but the vendor does not seek to convince us otherwise. It is up to you to work out whether 55K is too steep for a reproduction. It is no small matter to convert a saloon in this way as all the panels are different from the scuttle back and there are numerous small castings such as the charming little step on the rear wing allowing access to the rumble seat.

For: Well, its gorgeous of course.
Against: But she is ze fake, no?
Investment potential: Hmmm. This requires more thought than I can give it.

1958 Packard. The Aesthete's love of Packards and tragic underdogs combine to draw him hopelessly to this last ditch chance for the patrician maker to save itself by using Studebaker body shells. How could it be bad? Let me count the ways. The lovely Hawk body styles by Raymond Loewy was given a duck bill nose and yet another set of fins welded to the fins already welded to the original slender tail. A crude dash was arranged internally and glitzy trim with pull cords on the seats added to the industrial painted steel Studebaker decor. It is so awful and yet so desirable. What is wrong with me?

For: It is only 7K!
Against: Transgressively terrible.
Investment potential: Dreadful then. Now? Your risk.

On some faraway beach...

1939 Daimler DB18 Drophead Coupe. In his youth the Aesthete would go out and buy Daimler Centuries in the tragic belief they would turn into one of these with a wave of the welding torch and a bash with a planishing hammer. No such luck of course but the pre-war Daimler Dolphin with its sideways facing rear seat was alway a bit of a fetish object. Here, look. You can have Winston Churchill's old one. And that lovely DB18 saloon is still for sale up in Northland.

For: Few Daimlers are drop dead beautiful.
Against: Not as fast as it looks.
Investment potential: You could knock 100K off the price without the famous ex-owner.

The Aesthete returns to his old ways

The Aesthete's Fleet
The damp cooling weather is affecting the Alfa's ability to start in the morning and my idle tendency to drive it 500 metres to the shops is not doing it any good either. We missed the recent Alfa club outing to Ohou which is exactly what it needed. The subject of vibration has flared again on the Alfa Bulletin Board where I have posted lengthy analysis of this problem. The exhaust system is now being pointed out as the culprit but I suspect that if you dismantled one of these cars to the last nut there would still be a vibration left hanging in the air.

The song this week is a psychedelic oddity from Scottish band Marmalade, a favourite of Jimi Hendrix and no indication of the bland pop fate that befell them. They had two bass players and there is a great comment on Youtube about a gig at the Prickwillow Village Hall.  Oh, nostalgia...

1976 Ford Granada Ghia Coupe. Seeing this took the Aesthete back to two channel TV and The Professionals where if there was a conman deserving of a good thrashing from Bodie, he would be introduced in the episode driving one of these. It is a better car than that image perhaps suggests and time has been kind to the fastback lines. Even the beige cloth interior looks attractive compared to the putrid decor combinations that followed. Compare it to a Ford Probe and I think you will see what I mean.

For: Cor guvnor! Is that a new motor?
Against: Not much really. I would buy it.
Investment potential: 6/10 if it is as good at it looks.

1959 Rover 105S. The sleeper of the P4 range, the 105S featured every option that the conservative Rover company could justify so individual bucket seats, a cigar lighter, twin Lucas fog lights, special wheel trims and an HMV radio sweetened the usual mix. Larger SU carburettors pushed the stately barge up to 100 mph and while it was no Jaguar it had class in spades. Turn up to a Rover club day and the old codgers will be all over it.

For: That's class, that is.
Against: If you like old Rovers, nothing much at all.
Investment potential: 6/10 again but with the same proviso.

1952 Sunbeam Talbot 90 Mk II. Those that know the Aesthete's weakness for cars from the 1940s will roll their eyes to see this but a good Sunbeam Talbot 90 for 8K is a bit of a steal really.  The era produced some terrible cars but the ST90 was not to be numbered amongst them. The Monte Carlo and Alpine rallies sorted the sheep from the goats, Stirling Moss drove them enthusiastically and history of that calibre should not be available as cheaply as this.

For: I saw this car on the Vero Rally last year and it is indeed as described.
Against: Surprisingly intimate cabin. The portly will need the seat rails moved.
Investment potential: 5/10

1968 Volvo 122S. The subfusc pictures do the car no favours but this two door Volvo is an original and handsome thing also with an illustrious rallying past. Like the older Sunbeam, mechanical toughness was selected over incendiary performance but the Volvo was nimble in the snow and great to watch on old rally films, somewhat like seeing your aunty jumping hurdles.

For: An extraordinary 1960s rally classic for quite ordinary money.
Against: Like saunas and fondues, you have to open your mind to it.
Investment potential: 6/10 if you do as the vendor suggests.

Bean. The vendor cannot tell us much about this 1920s chassis so the Aesthete will attempt to fill the knowledge gap around this interesting vehicle. The six spark plugs sprouting on its side valve head mean it is a 14HP model similar to the car that Australian adventurer Frank Birtles drove across Australia from Darwin to Melbourne in 1926. Beans were justifiably popular here as well and were raced in stripped down form on the early beach circuit. Fabricate a torpedo body on top of this and you will be pleased at the result.

For: Its 2K for heaven's sake. What do you want?
Against: Oh yes, I know. Its a dreadful wreck.
Investment potential: It depends on your resourcefulness.

On some faraway beach...

1963 Ghia L6.4. Odd that one of the most successful Corgi die cast models of the 1960s depicted  a car hardly anyone had seen. The Ghia L6.4 was hand built in Turin around Chrysler mechanicals and the price tag deterred all but 24 customers who famously included Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. You could slip into that sink of vice for a relatively modest 397K, a snip for one of the most glamorous vehicles ever to take to the road.

For: You could probably drive it.
Against: No one will though.
Investment potential: 3/10. Surely some 'museum' will want it.

The Aesthete pulls another five from Trademe

The Aesthete's Fleet

The older Bertone GTV has been put away for the winter in its dry lock up so now the Alfetta will have to be the daily driver again. It has been getting admiring comments from passers by recently so clearly the new wheels and front spoiler have done their work well and it is not that you see any others on the road. If you are in the mood, I am happy to collect compliments for all Alfas, past and present. 

The song this week is from the 1968 sound track I carry in my head from the first year that I owned a transistor radio. Johnny Rivers did not write many of his own hits but listen to the jangle when he hits the line about Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

1990 Volvo 480 ES. Bless the earnest boring Swedes and their safety sports cars. Not fast enough to cause any sort of risk to human life, the 480 ES was nonetheless fitted with US standard safety bumpers to ensure that it was unharmed at supermarket car park speeds. The interior was made from car salesman's shoes and the whole pointless thing was designed and made in Holland, the traditional home of high performance automobiles. I can just hear Alanis Morissette's Isn't It Ironic on the cassette player.

For: NOTHING!
Against: All together now in the back seat... It's like raaaiiin on your wedding day.
Investment potential: Oh well. The '90s are cool again so 2/10.

1965 Fiat Crusader. Wiley marketers decided that Crusader flowed off the monolingual local tongue more easily than Millecinquecento so Fiat's mid sized saloon was renamed and rebadged accordingly. Those lucky South Africans got an OTS version with over 100 HP but even without the tune up kit, the Fiat could stay ahead of anything in its class. How they ever sold a Hillman Minx when you could have one of these is one of life's enduring mysteries.

For: La dolce vita.
Against: Keep it in indoors if you can.
Investment potential: 10/10.

1974 Humber Sceptre. Speak of the devil. I know there are some out there who hold a torch for these old relics of the Empire. This one comes with a nicely veneered dash and green vinyl door trims in the style of Grinling Gibbons so you can feel superior to your Minx driving neighbours. It's a pity we don't do Tudor semidetached housing here so that the dream could be made complete.

For: Buffed up Mk 2 Cortina clone for those that like that sort of thing.
Against: I would rather be whipped by Lord Rootes, thank you.
Investment potential: 3/10

Escartus. Imagine that Giorgetto Giugiaro was born in Ngongataha and owned a panel beaters shop and you can better comprehend the Escartus. They were built in Napier in the early 1990s and were available as turn-key cars at a stupendous 52K. Powered by a Leyland P76 V8, the wedge styling almost held together until you got to the rear but the prototype induced nine buyers to open their wallets so who are we to cavil at 3K?

For: Kiwi ingenuity, number eight wire, can do attitude and all that dreadful nonsense.
Against: Ugly, fast and lethal. Or is that good?
Investment potential: Finish it and see.

Fiat Strada Abarth 130 TC. If snorting induction noise and torque steer make you happy, you owe it to yourself to experience a Fiat 130TC. Your rump will be clamped by the unforgiving racing seat while you sit up at the wheel like a startled baboon. The next thing that you will see is your surroundings passing by at speed, all set to a fantastic racket of howling engine note and tortured tyres.  Keep all solid obstacles to the side and you should be fine.

For: Last of its tribe? Must be getting close now.
Against: Its great. Buy it now.
Investment potential: 12/10

On some faraway beach...

1974  Volkswagen Karmann Ghia TC. Oh well, Giorgetto did not always get it right either. Here is his effort to restyle the VW Karmann Ghia for the Brazilian market  in 1970 where the bulbous lower flanks of the earlier car are blended with an anonymous fastback roofline for maximum awkwardness. It is all steel so one imagines that the car could have looked like anything he wanted.

For: Ummmm. I am thinking.
Against: No one will know what it is and may not care when you tell them.
Investment potential: Modest.