Something special from Trade Me

The Aesthete confesses...

...that he did not read the gory details of the Dino Coupe's twin cam Fiat engine transplant before sticking it on the list last week. Sharp-eyed Nathan saw the full horror of the near empty engine bay and now the whole shabby plot is revealed. Best check that your US import has an engine in it before writing out the cheque is my advice.

The Trade Me Five

1975 Ferrari 308 GT4. Ferrari's unappreciated V8 four seater cannot remain in the doldrums forever and they look like a bargain while their Dino predecessors are heading into outer limits. The Bertone styling was controversial but today it looks every bit the 1970s Milan show beauty and it has a practical interior for those to whom that is important. Really the first modern Ferrari, if a bit of a mis-step.

For: Fabulous V8 and mid-engined dynamics

Against: Just as expensive to fix as a million dollar one.

Investment potential: 3/10. Be prepared to spend money if you intend to use it.

1966 Fiat Crusader. Fiat's 1500 saloon was the smart choice in the mid-60s. You would think the disc brakes, refined mechanicals and brisk styling would stop anyone wanting a Vauxhall Velox but it was not quite the case. Survivors in this state are rare but not unknown as an informed few recognise the Crusader as a bit of a catch.

For: Low milage and excellent provenance.

Against: What more could you want?

Investment potential: 8/10. Nothing to spend if it is as good as it looks.

1970 Alfa Romeo 1300 Junior. Alfa produced a bewildering variety of sporting coupes around the Bertone shell. This one is a mid-period Junior with the distinctive dropped nose panel and side indicators of the early cars with the twin pod dash of the 1750. It has been de-rusted and painted and comes with a 2-litre engine which needs a rebuild. I thrashed around and ground my teeth when reader Nathan pointed this out to me. It is, after all,  the Aesthete's ideal project. 

For: An unusual Alfa which would be huge fun.

Against: Nothing that I can see.

Investment potential: 8/10 or less, depending on how high the bidding goes.

1962 Ferris de Joux GT. These do not pop up on Trade Me every week so the Aesthete was thrilled to see one of Ferris de Joux's early efforts come on to the market. He was something of a renaissance man, working in industrial design as well as bespoke car manufacture. His Mini de Joux was one of the best looking transformations of that car ever wrought and this big coupe shows his approach to a potential Jensen rival. 

For:  An important piece of New Zealand design history that you can drive.

Against: A bit of work ahead yet.

Investment potential: 7/10. Basic mechanicals and construction means that the project could be completed without a mortgage. 

1974 Rolls Royce Corniche. I wonder which New Zealand plutocrat bought this new in 1974 when it was amongst the most expensive cars in the world? Diminishing value has brought it down to the price of a new Hyundai so why not waft about the town in something with real presence.
For: You could finally convince your parents you had made something of yourself.
Against: Possibly not as cheap to run as that Hyundai.
Investment potential: 3/10. Uneconomical to restore. Buy a good one and use it regularly.

And from elsewhere...

1969 Intermecannica Italia. A who–what I hear you ask? This is one for the Automobile Annual scholars who will recognise it as a short lived Italian American hybrid that paired Ferrari GTO styling with robust Corvette mechanicals. Some were better than others and this restored example would make an amusing alternative to a Corvette for similar outlay.
For: No one will know what it is.
Against: You will have to keep explaining it.
Investment potential: 4/10. Too esoteric to have a big following but relatively cheap to keep going.

1939 Lincoln Zephyr Coupe. The most elegant of the 1930s streamliners, the V12 Lincoln Zephyr looked like something from Norman Bel Gedde's Futurama. This original low milage car has never been restored and should not be, so authentic is the ambience of its wonderful decor with its central instrument pod and numerous other exquisite modernist details.
For: Apart from a Packhard Clipper Coupe, my favorite American.
Against: Made for long straight highways.
Investment potential: 5/10. Who knows where the price could go on this? Wait and see.