My lachrymose efforts to send my dear colleague Nick Laird off from the Department of Applied Sciences led some of you to think he was dead. He has not even begun to smell odd and can still pull a full day of design instruction as well as any other man alive. He appears to be doing just that at the Otago Polytechnic now. So here's a song to put all such thoughts to rest...
1951 Packard 200 Delux. A straight eight Packard would be nice to compare with a Mk 7 Jaguar, if just to see if the engineering matched the refinement of the British car which was a popular choice in the US. Many thought so at the time and the Packard was certainly more modern with its pontoon styling and rational interior. Unusually, this one is right hand drive and New Zealand new. This is attracting a few bids but, like the older Clipper reviewed on a past list, who knows what the vendor thinks it is worth? For: A proper motor car. Against: Not much.
1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Series 1 Coupe. I waved this under Nick's nose earlier in the week and got no response so perhaps he really is dead. This is the connoisseur's choice of E-Type with flat floors, side bonnet releases and in the ideal colour combination of metallic grey with red hide. So what is it doing on Trade Me for two thirds of the going rate? I think one of you should sally forth and find out. For: I don't have 75K but if I did... Against: As the cannibals said after eating the clown "Something tastes funny."
1975 Fiat 124 Spider. I imagine no-one wants these anymore with reliable Mazda Miatas flooding the marked and available for beer money. Fiat's 124 convertible was styled by Tom Tjaarda while at Pininfarina and it makes an MGB look like a cardboard box kicked into the shape of a car. Everything is available from the US so buy what you need while the exchange rate is still good. For: 1K no reserve, no bids. Against: Rusty floors. Pfaff. They all have rusty floors.
1976 Ferrari 308 GTB. Unusual combination of fibreglass shell, carburetors and, thankfully, not rosso red, this 308 commends itself to the buyer who wants something slightly unorthodox. The chassis rusted even if the body did not and it sounds from the vendor's pitch that it has not had many outings, the car belonging to a 'collector', whatever that may be. For: The shape, mainly. Against: The bills, mainly.
1979 Ford Thunderbird Heritage Edition. I have not listed anything for the well known aesthete recently so this should get his wiry sinews straining. Still with its original custom pin striping and rent by the hour hotel interior, this is about as far as I dare go into the seamy world of seventies Americana. I need a shower now. For: Preposterous. Against: Go on, you know you want to.
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