Five more rash purchases

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs

I have been dragging myself around the fleshpots of Queenstown recently so I am full of ire about the car buying habits of the rich. One of my companions asked if I was a communist to which I replied that I was certainly one now. There were a few classics on the road but most of it was an unrelenting sea of ugly grey 4WDs. Chris Knox would have speared them all on his mic stand and shaken their giblets out.

1952 Austin A40 The drive to the farmers' market could be made more authentic if you turned up in this rather than your planet destroying behemoth so look upon it as a piece of gentle social activism rather than just another car purchase. Charming in well defined black and maroon livery, you would of course add your own personal crest in gold to the doors. For: Ideal for pottering about. Against: Other motorists will smile but then become angry as you proceed at 70KPH.

1959 Mercedes 220S. White is perhaps not the best colour for a ponton Mercedes but the all important red leather interior looks to be in fine order and it comes with the desirable separate front seats. I imagine it would motor all day at respectable speed and would be just the thing for taking a picnic up to the lake. For: Available for 1/20th of the cost of a new one and considerably more distinctive. Against: Tainted by recent associations.

1962 Chrysler 300. Chrysler introduced a cut-price 'letterless series' 300 with a smaller power plant in 1962 and this is one of these cars. It is striking, nonetheless, with its panoramic screen and distinctive angled lights flanking an overdeveloped Lancia-like grill. 20K is a relatively modest opening price but who knows what the vendor actually expects for it. He is one of those annoying "If you won't buy it, I will send it back Stateside" types. For: The looks, mainly. Against: The vendor sounds like he wants to fight you.

1965 Ford Mustang. There are enough in New Zealand now for the prices to have settled and average spec Mustangs can be found for a reasonable outlay. This fastback is aided by the fact it is not red and might even be deemed tasteful in the eyes of some. For: A bit of a looker.  Against: Anticipate a lot of wallowing about on the road and don't expect to keep up with an enthusiastically driven Fiat Uno.

1971 Bond Bug. If you really wanted to make a splash in Queenstown, might I suggest this for turning a few heads around the nightclub strip. While I was there two nice young women invited me to their establishment. I bet if I was driving a Bond Bug I would have received many more such offers. For: Clever in a mad sort of way. Against: Mad in a mad sort of way.