The Aesthete casts his net.

The Aesthete's Fleet  

The GTV returns to the long suffering Dennis to fix a list of niggling faults which appear to be the work of his charming and guileless apprentice. Loose exhaust manifold nuts, non-functional speedo and handbrake, maladjusted gear shift, that sort of thing. One of us will succumb to wounds before the Alfetta is made reliable and it will not be me.

1971 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV. Observant Alfa owning friend Terry followed the bidding on this distressed GTV which reached a rather staggering 22K when the auction concluded. But behold, here it is again turning up like the proverbial bad lira so who knows what occurred after the first attempted sale? Cold feet or did that princely offer fail to  tempt the assignees who repossessed the car in the first place? Answers please.

For: Any intact Bertone GTV would make an ideal restoration project.
Against:  But not at any price.
Investment potential: See caveats above.

1985 Lancia Volumex. The vendor is clearly a man of few words and he does not intend to waste them on us. His Lancia looks appealing though, particularly as it is the rare-ish coupe version with the clever combination of engine driven supercharger and fuel injection. So much more sophisticated than those whooping and clanging turbos so admired by the cap on backwards set.

For: Low KMs even if it has 149 on the clock and regularly exercised.
Against: Come along man, make an effort.
Investment potential: 6/10. I have long picked these fine cars to go places. Not yet, however.

1965 MG 1100. BMC's range of small cars was ingenious, both due to and in spite of their autocratic author Alec Issigonis. The MG variant featured a new cylinder head developed by Downton Engineering and produced a zingy 55 bhp. Hydrolastic suspension and disc brakes completed the specification while down at Dagenham, Ford costing engineers rubbed their hands with glee in the sure knowledge that money was being lost on each one their competitors sold.

For: 1960s chic. There is no better kind of course.
Against: Not everyone can get them right.
Investment potential: 5/10 and rising surely.

1937 Morgan 4/4. Flat radiator Morgans attract a particular owner profile for whom an MG TC would be the equivalent of wearing a knitted twinset and pearls. The sliding pillar front suspension allowed sharp steering as long as no bumps were encountered while the unusually configured 1122cc Coventry Climax engine kept performance on the safe side of the chassis' abilities.

For: Find that leather flying jacket and invite a close friend for a drive.
Against: Only the slim of hip and short of arm and leg need apply
Investment potential: 3/10. Not quite in the vintage market so a good bet for the future.

1974 Jensen Interceptor MkIII. It is impossible to  approach the qualities of a low milage car without a specialist rebuild which will cost you far in excess of the asking price. Italian styling house Touring's last hurrah was a bolt from the blue in the 1960s when it was still possible to do things with a car body that no-one had previously seen. The fishbowl rear window made every hatched competitor seem tired, even the sublime E-Type.

For: Cheap compared to an Aston or Maserati.
Against: Will you use it?
Investment potential:  5/10 with original low milage cars becoming hard to find.

On some faraway beach

1957 Fiat 600 Rendez Vous. Looking like a pedal car version of a Lancia Aurelia, the scorched engine bay of this Vignale bodied Fiat tells a frightening tale. The good part is the mechanicals are cheap and readily at hand, even on these benighted shores where Fiat Uno 55s are waiting under trees to offer up their motors. You just have to find a new rear window and I wish you good luck with that.

For: Italian coach built glamour on a simple platform.
Against: It requires a little work.
Investment potential: Fix it and see.