The Aesthete takes on a project.

The Aesthete's Fleet 

A project for someone else, I might add. Terry pointed me in the direction of his old Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV, gone to a new owner who has stripped it down to a bare shell and now wants some guidance on how to put it all back together. This involves carting boxes of parts back to Scuderia Porto, cleaning and assembling them on the workbench before fitting them back on the shell. I will work my way around the car until it has four wheels and steers. Hopefully the owner will take heart as many hours need to be invested yet. 

1968 Lotus Elan +2. The GTV's great rival in period was the similarly packaged Lotus Elan +2, here in early 1600cc form. Colin Chapman apparently was no great fan of the looks and said rude things to designer Ron Hickman on the subject but I have always thought it a modern and striking design. In typical penny pinching Lotus fashion, the fish bowl front screen was borrowed from the Consul Capri featured on the blog recently.

For: Greater than the sum of its parts.
Against: Fragile parts they are too.
Investment potential: 3/10. Should be worth a good GTV so on par.

1951 Triumph Renown. I was gently chided for overlooking this graceful razor edged Triumph in past posts so here it is. Styled for an unbuilt Alvis by Mulliners, the 1800-2000 range sold in modest numbers in the grim post-war years when anything with four wheels stood a chance of making money. The aluminium bodies were built on a traditional timber frame and got along effectively in two litre form using the Vanguard engine later found in the TR sports cars. Unlike the TR though you could drive one while wearing a trilby.

For: Another contender from the forgotten era of the 1940s.
Against: You do not own a trilby. Well, you will have to fix that, won't you?
Investment potential. 4/10. With some sources saying only ten left in the world, scarcity must count for something.

1967 Ford Thunderbird. We have not had a 'bird on the blog for a while so cast your eye over this first year of the newly restyled executive sports coupe. Note the lack of bling that allows you to actually see the lines of the car without egregious vinyl roof or fake hood irons. Then move on to the cream interior while imaging yourself driving through Mayfair to the door of the London Playboy Club with Barbi Benton... Alright, that's enough. You can stop now.

For: You could fetishise about worse things.
Against. I said stop.
Investment potential: 3/10. Arguably underpriced.

TVR 3000M. The vendor has been rather careless and lost the engine, transmission and interior of this TVR so it is being sold as a shell. Most of the mechanical parts were sourced from current Fords so it may not be hard to put that part right, after which you will have a demonic sports car from the era of chest hair, pink aviators and open shirt fronts.  If you have it, flaunt it.

For: Bodie and Doyle, where are you now?
Against: If you don't have it, please keep it covered up.
Investment potential: 1/10. A certain retro charm but needs a lot of hot sweaty action.

Fiat 2300 Special. The late Peter Bruin was a noted New Zealand race car builder of the Amon/McLaren era and this special is a storied example of the craft. The big six cylinder Fiat was a brave place to start. Designed by ex-Ferrari engineer Aurelio Lampredi, it managed 150HP in Abarth tuned form so race potential was certainly present. It is being sold incomplete and needing a body shell but someone out there has the skills, surely.

For: Only my single garage and the Aesthetette hold me in check.
Against: Oh, if I was only single and lived in a large shed...
Investment potential: 7/10 but only if you can do the work.

On some faraway beach...

Okay. What is this then?

1952 Siata Daina. Not only did Tom Bruynel correctly identify the mystery Italian of the week, he also knew that the coach builder was Stabilimenti Farina, not the more familiar Pininfarina. Societa Italiana Applicazioni Trasformazioni Automobilistiche specialised in elegant small touring cars based on contemporary Fiat models, in this case the stolid 1400 saloon. This one could be yours for 178,000 EUR.

For: Anglophile Italian gorgeousness.
Against: That is quarter of a million local dollar's worth.
Investment potential: You would need an economist to tell you.