The Aesthete takes a holiday

The Aesthete will be in the UK from the end of the week, presenting his arcane research on early New Zealand modernist architecture to a bewildered conference audience at the University of Middlesex.  The subject concerns the relationship between Piranesi's 1762 engraving  ll Campo Marzio dell'Antica Roma and the garden around the 1929 house High and Over, all in 20 minutes. Wish me luck and I will be back in mid-September.

Here is a song to be going along with from the new Brian Eno album.

1965 Fiat 2300 Berlina. The engine is in pieces and some butterfingers has lost a whole piston and connecting rod somewhere so you will need to brush up your Italian and find a replacement on Ebay.it. It also needs a repaint and some new carpets but you will be rewarded with a crisp, fast Italian saloon that will repay all your efforts.

For: Just think. Someone purchased this new in preference to an Austin Westminster.
Against: Big Italian saloons are hard to explain.
Investment potential: 23/10.

1965 Vanden Plas Princess 4 Litre. I can imagine the discussion in the Office of Foreign Trade, Commonwealth Division:  "Get those damned things on the next ship and tell them not to bother sending any more butter until they are all sold or its off to Aden for you." That said, the transformation of the old Westminster into VDP guise was quite convincing and I would like one for wafting around in.

For: Much cheaper than a Bentley.
Against: Much cheaper than a Bentley.
Investment potential: 6/10 as it looks rather good.

1972 Fiat 128 Sport Lusso. There must only be a handful of these sparkling little coupes left now, galloping corrosion and neglect having cut through the ranks soon after they were new. Crisply styled by the Fiat studio and with front wheel drive engineering by Aurelio Lampredi and Dante Giacosa, the 128 was the smart buy of the day, much loved by the hill suburbs set who would go on to a BMW 3 series.

For: Pretty and increasingly rare.
Against: Were they meant to last forty years?
Investment potential: 8/10

1991 Fraser de Joux GTO. Two of the greatest names in New Zealand small scale automotive manufacture collaborated on this stalled project that deserves to be finished and used. Ferris de Joux had a fine eye for a Ferrari body shell, starting in the early 1960s with a Pininfarina 250 GT homage. The space frame chassis looks more sophisticated than what the typical Ferrari was supplied with so come on,  step up one of you.

For: Looks like fun.
Against: Looks like a lot of work.
Investment potential: 3/10

1989 Audi 100 Turbo. Not the Aesthete's usual thing perhaps but there is no doubt that Audi had an eye to the future with its 100 series. Flush glass and superior aerodynamics gave Citroen levels of cabin comfort and the turbo MC engine was an autobahn flyer, capable of sending the big saloon to almost 140 mph.  Only one of the Avant wagons would be nicer to own now.

For: Do you need to go long distances in superior surroundings?
Against: Some mechanical matters to sort out.
Investment potential: 2/10 with a largely indifferent market.

On some faraway beach

Vespa 150 VBB. Well, not so far away actually for Christchurch is the locale for this Vespa and its seller who is known for his wonderfully turned Trademe listings. Read who he will not be selling his treasures to this week.

For: Fix this in your living room and avoid the chilly shed.
Against: Some gumption required.
Investment potential: 8/10