Five for Labour Weekend

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs

Another mixed bag this week but no-one can say the Petrolhead Aesthete lacks for variety.  Neither does  Nick Lowe, possibly the most tasteful man whoever troubled himself with pop music.

1953 Mercedes Benz 170 S-D. I can bend my no wrecks rule for something like this and it is certainly not a vehicle you will see on the road very often. Once Mercedes got back into full production after the war, light trucks and commercial vehicles were part of the offering. The noble radiator and wing mounted lights give it a pre-war look and it could get you some film work if they ever re-shoot Indiana Jones. For: Not your average truck. Against: A 1.7 diesel will not shift your hat.

1960 Borgward Isabella. Borgwards are an acquired taste but they were rewarding cars to own in their heyday. Deceptively quick with their 1500 cc alloy engines, they were less ponderous than a Mercedes and built to a similar high standard. Dark green and red trim suits the formal bodywork and the Aesthete likes the signs of gentle wear and tear on this example. For: Something a bit different for the Targa. Against: You might want to avoid other Borgward owners.

1964 Honda S600 Sport. Honda was rather good with engines as their 1960s foray into Formula 1 demonstrated so their tiny sports car was no toy. The twin cam four cylinder revved like a motorcycle and the brave driver could see almost 150kph flat out. Rear drive was by a pair of long chains, another reminder of the two wheeled heritage. For: Genuinely thrilling. Against: 28K is cracking on for one of these.

1966 Mazda 1000 Coupe. The rear aspect gives us a clue to the design provenance and that this little Mazda coupe is one of Giorgetto Giugiaro's lesser known works. A number were imported into Australia and they have a strong following there. The Italianate interior is delightful and the body looks like a scaled down Iso Rivolta. This is little more than a parts car but there are bits out there for those who know where to look. For: I am tempted but I really should not be. Against: Must resist..... nggrgh.

1967 Ford T5. The vendor is adamant that it is not a Mustang so what is it? The T5 was how Mustangs were sold in West Germany, largely to armed services buyers. The Mustang name had been used by other German manufacturers so it was a re-badging job that came with a European spec handling option. This one is a four speed manual so is quite desirable, being a bit handier than your average floppy example. For: It is not a Mustang. Against: It is in Arizona so you can't kick the tyres.