The Aesthete wonders

The Aesthete's Fleet
I drove to Christchurch and back with the other well known aesthete in order to get his stately old Daimler Majestic up to Rangiora where it has returned to Waimak Classic Cars to be sold. A pleasant few hours was spent looking at their stock and chatting with Jesmond and Gloria who are car enthusiasts to the core. Check their eclectic wares and ponder, as I did,  the connection between a Morris 8 Sport and a Ferrari Testarossa. Oh yes, and I am wondering where all the interesting cars have gone from Trade Me.

1986 Alfa Sud Sprint Cloverleaf. The falling number of usable Suds of any type leaves immaculate examples like this in line for serious attention from the market. They lose very little in performance to a modern car due to their light weight and have a simple specification so are possible to repair. They are also huge fun, particularly as here in four valve form. So is 15K too much? Start trying to fix a rusty one to find out.

For: This is what Italians are best at.
Against: That may not convince all of you.
Investment potential: 5/10. Keep it this good and it will not lose money.

1960 Chevrolet Corvair 700 Coupe. Someone spiked the water cooler at GM in the late 1950s and they began a period of risky behavior culminating in the rear engined Corvair. The dynamics were unlike anything from the US industry and, while perhaps not ideal for icy mountain passes, made compact cars seem quite exciting. The styling was copied widely and even made the Italians sit up and pay attention. The low start price suggests the owner is out of his depth with this one though.

For: Like that little NSU from last week, times three.
Against: The two speed auto is not the best option.
Investment potential: 2/10 but it depends what route you take with it. A Porsche repower and five speed would be fun.

1979 Porsche 911. I usually let Wonderboy guide the selection of 911s as the rather bewildering model variations can make a big difference to the desirability of these cars. I feel safe in saying, however, that this plain 3-litre looks like it has some potential and could be got for a knock down price due to some unfortunate shenannigans between the previous owner and the current vendor. I may not have mentioned that Wonderboy is also rather sharp on matters of law.

For: I will wait for an opinion on that.
Against: Likewise.
Investment potential: 4/10. Anything under 15K would be quite acceptable.

1955 Mercedes Benz 300B. The grosse MB saloon is a rare sight anywhere but there have been two for sale on Trade Me in recent times. Superbly engineered and refined, one imagines that most British manufacturers would have run up the white flag and were only helped by swingeing import duties and a general feeling amongst upper class buyers that the Germans were still not proper chaps. How did these super expensive cars end up in New Zealand?

For: Like a Wagner opera but a car.
Against: You may start wanting to collect unsavory things to go with it.
Investment potential: 2/10

 2000  Honda s2000. Thinking that he may have an opinion about such things, people occasionally ask the Aesthete what a good modern classic might be. It would be a toss-up between an Audi TT and one of these. Honda's sports car was not a rip tearing success although they make a great deal of sense with their smallish VTEC engine producing a prodigious 247hp.  They are therefore devilish quick and are holding on to their value as there are never too many on the market.

For: The Mazda MX5 is 25 years old this year apparently. So what I say.
Against: I am sure someone will think of something. Top Gear was stumped though.
Investment potential: 3/10. You will not lose your shirt on one.

Back in Blighty...

1969 Piper GTT. Piper was a maker of clever GT cars that flourished briefly in the late 1960s before going broke with a stunning Le Mans prototype and the end of the tax breaks on kits. As with many small concerns, development was in the hands of the buyers but they still enjoy a keen following for those who might find a Marcos a bit too ordinary. This is one of two GTT racers made at the factory and looks to have enjoyed a thorough rebuild.

For: One for the real cognoscenti.
Against: Ideal for the track Not much use otherwise.
Investment potential: 3/10. The asking price is low for the unusual pedigree.