Five but not for the faint of heart

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs

Alice and I have been up to Queenstown for the Alfa Romeo Owners Club AGM. The best part of the weekend was the drive to Kingston which has to be the closest thing in New Zealand to the Amalfi coast. The modern turbo diesels left us in the dust but I am not sure if I would ever wish to own one. A similar car failed to leave the hotel car park and those that were left peering into the engine bay could only proffer  'Must be a crank sensor', which is apparently what you say when they fail to ignite. Everyone was very kind even though we arrived in the wrong sort of car. So here is something to go with the great Alfa Romeo Guilietta Ti came all the way from Auckland. That's more the spirit.

1966 Ferrari 330. There are many things to consider when plonking 239K down for a car. 'Will I lose my shirt on this ?' would be uppermost in my thoughts but these big but unloved Ferraris have doubled in price over the last few years. Will they keep going up? Place your bet now.  For: The dark and rearmost corner of the Ferrari top drawer. Against: Last to rise, first to fall.

1967 Oldsmobile Toronado. Not many American car designs could be termed brave but that epithet must surely apply to the front wheel drive Toronado. The avant garde engineering was carried in a distinctive body shape that somehow belied its massive dimensions. It also has a dash layout to make a Citroen DS blush. New Zealand new as well. For: Come on. Rescue it from the milking shed. Against: But then you have to drive the thing.

1969 Peugeot 204. Peugeot tried hard not to fail with its first front wheel drive car, ensuring the design met its high standards of engineering refinement. Similar to the Austin 1100, the engine was mounted crossways with the gearbox in the sump. Unlike the British cars the 204 had a proper overhead cam all alloy unit and the Pininfarina styling was equally elegant. For: An unusually well built small saloon. Against: Sick engine may require a specialist.

1987 Citroen CX GTI. A fighting fit CX is a wonderful thing and if I had to choose a car to drive from Dunedin to Auckland and back this would be high on the list. I am always suspicious when I read a car needs a new head gasket. If it was a good car one would imagine swallowing hard and paying for the repair. The car looks in fine order otherwise. For: 1980s trans-continental express. Against: It is never just a head gasket.

1961 Rover 105R. Undoubtedly the worst car Rover ever made but a worthy challenge to the mechanically able nonetheless. The R stands for Roverdrive, a diabolical semi-automatic gearbox designed in-house for obscure reasons. It comprises a fluid flywheel, vacuum operated single plate clutch, two speed manual gearbox and an overdrive hung off the back, all connected to the engine by servos and a complex array of rods, wires, pulleys and levers. They only made them for two years and this is probably a 1958 model. For: Great when they are going. Against: Rover's darkest hour.