The Aesthete's automotive benevolent institute.

This is where indigent, strange and unwanted cars wait forlornly for rescue and a tender touch to return them to active use.

1971 BMW SL 1800 Cheetah. 'A what's that now?' I hear you ask. It was all part of the opportunities that fell BMW's way when it took over the distressed Glas marque and got its Frua-styled coupes and saloons as well as the OHC motors that powered them. It was a bit much to have overlapping models in the same market as the parent company was aiming at so production was shifted to South Africa and what was then Rhodesia. The airy and attractive Frua lines were carried over to the German neu-classe cars but the Italian shape is more attractive in the Aesthete's view.

For: No-one will have seen one before unless they have spent some time on the dark continent.
Against: Just go and buy a 2002 and save yourself the trouble.
Investment potential: 3/10. The start price is about right.

1954 Riley Pathfinder. Riley's louche four cylinder saloons had a Latin edge to them thanks to designer Gerald Palmer's admiration for Lancias. This one is looking a bit frayed around the edges but the interior is brilliant with Palmer's sculpted modernist dash and right hand gear shift set amongst luxuriant bottle green leather. The knee holes in the seat back make much better sense than drop down picnic tables and other such symbols of bourgeois decadence.  

For: Has anyone made a loud speaker look as good as that?
Against: Mechanical and body woes may outweigh the nice interior.
Investment potential: 3/10 but only because the Aesthete is inordinately fond of these characterful cruisers.

1948 AC Two Litre. 'Please, take me' cries this poor jug-eared AC saloon, doomed to a lonely and miserable existence in the shade of its winsome sports car sisters. Very few survive now as they were ruthlessly broken for parts and it is unusual to find one with the correct vintage AC engine. It requires a lot of finishing off but appears sound in the body which is alloy over a traditional ash frame. If that gives you any violent ideas about cutting it up, please do not act on them.

For: Get past the looks and there is a fine car.
Against: The looks of course.
Investment potential: 1/10. Severely undervalued even in top condition so your reward will come from knowing you have done the right thing.

1990 Lancia Thema Turbo 16V. Unggggraghhha! I... must... not... buy... another... Italian... car! If I possibly could it would be this sad looking Thema, the best and least valued of all the high performance executive saloons produced in Europe during the 1980s. They are huge fun to drive, particularly in this specification which gives away little to the Ferrari 8.32 version. There is enough torque to put a bend in space-time so find a winding road and make your peace with God.

For: Tremendous. The most fun you could have with $1400.
Against: I know, it is a terrible shed.
Investment potential: 10/10. There. I have said it.

1995 Maserati Ghibli II. The autumn offspring of the highly promiscuous Bi-Turbo, the Ghibli was a luxurious and ugly coupe that could run the legs off almost anything mass produced. This one is ex-Japan and – like so many European performance cars that went there – was barely taken out of its box before being dispatched on a ship to the gaijin. The vendor has bought various expensive accessories for it but never a VIN which underscores its toy like qualities.

For: Fast and queer looking. Just the way an Italian car should be.
Against: The lengthy rest indicates some recommissioning is required.
Investment potential: 0/10. With much better Maseratis in terminal price decline, what hope is there here?

On some faraway shore...

1967 Maserati Quattroporte. Speaking of Pietro Frua, here is his fine effort on an Italian gentleman's saloon, the kind of car that Ferrari was too set in his ways to make. Not only is it in my favorite shade of primrose yellow, it has a five speed ZF manual. And look at that interior...

For: A big Italian saloon you might make some money on.
Against: It has sat around for a while. You do not want to incur a 50K engine rebuild so check carefully.
Investment potential: 3/10 These should be worth a lot more but the philistines in charge of the market are unmoved.