The Aethete's picks for April

The Aesthete's Fleet.

Things are back to normal now that rally fever has abated and the Italians have gone home. I am told that Miki drives a new model Lancia Thema which as some of you may know is a rebadged Chrysler 300. It also appears that Fiat may limit its whole passenger car range to the 500 so that proud nation's car making industry is truly in grave peril. My own Italian fleet costs me a fortune to keep on the road so I can only imagine how the economies stack up when manufacturing them. The Flavia gearbox is almost ready to go back together but I have been forbidden to use the lathe at work on safety grounds so one step forward and two back...

1965 Imperial Crown Coupe. Your Aesthete is beginning to believe that he can change the future with his blog. Just by thinking about a particular car, one appears on Trade Me as if to order. This Imperial Crown Coupe is the epitome of good US taste from its glassed in headlights to its cut off tail. 19K and ready to take you to Queenstown where you may get out to a round of applause, particularly if it is snowing lightly, you have a tan full length leather jacket and can do a good French accent.

For: So much more discrete than a Cadillac.
Against: It is no sports car.
Investment potential. 3/10 if it has no serious flaws.

1956 Standard Vanguard Sportsman. As you probably know I like an automotive orphan and got quite a thrill when this popped up in the latest listings. What is the awful thing I hear you ask? Nothing less than a sporting version of the Raymond Loewy studio designed Standard Vanguard equipped with a Triumph TR2 motor and other enhancements. The two-tone leather interior looks particularly glamorous although the stuck on traditional grill does nothing for the trans-Atlantic looks.

For: You will not see another I assure you.
Against: Not considered a great car in its day.
Investment potential: 4/10. The vendor has the price right.

1987 Citroen CX GTI Turbo. Citroens were many things but not always vivid performers.  High pressure hydraulic suspension and power assisted everything made rapid acceleration an unnecessary distraction but that changed with the final iteration of the CX which was like a road going version of the French TGV high speed train.  21K is high for one of these but in many ways it was the last truly original Citroen.

For: It will surprise you.
Against: Earlier versions have interiors straight from Space 1999.
Investment potential: 1/10 but you would never advise you to buy a shabby one.

1967 Triumph 2000 Mk 1. Almost all the later Triumphs are now moldering quietly in paddocks so this restored Mk 1 is a 1960s trip into the time tunnel well worth taking. Micholetti's short tailed saloon wears its Italian styling heritage more overtly that the cleaned up version that replaced it and it has one of the best instrument panels ever put into an English family car.

For: Italianate looks and good English manners.
Against: At that price I can't see much.
Investment potential: 6/10 if you can find someone else that wants one.

1962 BMW Isetta. If you are looking for a car to restore in your spare bedroom, this Isetta could be just the thing. They are cramped, dangerous, ill handling and noisy but you could be describing a Corvette so just enjoy it for what it is. 22K seems a lot for a car that needs work but there is a constant demand for them although few seem to be used.

For: As a child I used to order my parents to follow them on the road.
Against: Not really fit for driving around in.
Investment potential: 5/10 even with the high price.


If you could have any car in the world...

1956 Fiat 1100 Sport TV Boano Giannini. Would it not have been great to have a few spare lire in your pocket back in the day so you could by a special bodied Fiat Millecento? No? What is the matter with you? If you had, you would be sitting on 140K now as that is the asking price for this perfectly formed little number that looks like a tiny Ferarri yet can be fixed by the village mechanic. Perfecto!

For: Only in Italy.
Against: Only the price.
Investment potential: 1/10 but who knows?