Five for the merry month of May

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs.


I was going to use this last week in the Mercedes list as Francis Rossi invites us to go 'Riding in a three grand Deutsche car'. I guess 3K would have got something pretty good in 1972. So with bottle of Babycham in hand and fringed buckskin jacket, prepare to collect Sabine in one of these...

1949 Ford V8 Saloon It is easy to overlook how significant this Ford model was in the 1940s. It created the template for the new post-war full width styling whereby the wings were pulled into the body sides and lines ran uninterrupted from nose to tail. Italians took notice straight away. For: 25 thousand miles and virtually one owner, apparently. Against: Something seems awry with the condition and price.

1957 Austin Westminster A95. One of our readers was saying that he wanted to buy something for the overland drive from China to England so here it is. Sprightly despite the stodgy looks, the A95 Westminster is quite able to withstand being thrashed across the Gobi desert if you plan to take the direct route from Beijing to Birmingham. For: A bit of a sleeper in the classic saloon stakes. Against: Matronly.

1966 Bristol 409. Bespoke and idiosyncratic, Bristols found clients for whom Bentleys were simply too vulgar. Gentleman's club analogies are not appropriate but a leather and walnut lined light aircraft would be close to the mark. The Bristol's narrow cabin is a reminder of its 1930s BMW roots but the Chrysler V8 propelled the whole ensemble at dizzying speeds in perfect composure. For: Cheaper and better now than all competitors. Against: If it looked more like a Facel Vega...

1968 Jaguar 420G Jaguar's businessman's cruiser would not have distracted a Bristol owner for a minute. The 420G was the final iteration of the big bodied Jaguar when the whole range was compressed into the single model XJ. I would want to find an old style car telephone if I had one so I could bellow instructions to my underlings while being driven to important meetings. For: A lot of car for the money. Against: A lot of car.

1975 Chevrolet Vega Cosworth. The wild card this week is this hybrid of English Grand Prix engine technology with a US shopping cart. I like the swanky black plastic interior with the gold faux-machine turned instrument panel a particularly eye catching effect. The engines were all hand built and are capable of high outputs without the emissions equipment. My American friends tell me this is grossly over-priced with cars in their market available for half this figure. For: Potential for fun and unique in New Zealand anyway. Against: A bit of a rip.