The Aesthete takes on the impossible

The Aesthete's Fleet
A reader recently posed a troubling dilemma. He wants a four door saloon of respectable performance with a decent pedigree that he can use and will not lose him money. This is a classic insoluble problem. If I had said Falcon GTHO he would have laughed loudly in my face (pedigree). Likewise a NSU Ro80 (use issues in abundance), Maserati Quattoporte (depreciates like a Saturn V rocket once fired) or something oozing character like a Fiat Multipla (no performance discernible). Nothing modern and no electronics of course. What is left then? 

THOSE KEEN TO DRIVE TO OAMARU ON THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER.  NOW 12TH NOVEMBER.
My apologies. Something has come up on the 5th. Email me at michael.findlay105@gmail.com this week so I can make the booking. 

1957 Citroen DS19. Apart from the eye watering price, all criteria listed above are met by this early DS. A New Zealand-new car with the full range of hydraulic powered systems including brakes, steering and gear selection, its driver had to relearn the art of guiding it along the road. 'Museum piece' is usually enough to put the Aesthete off looking any further but in this case it is perfectly apt.

For: A fully restored example of a stellar design.
Against: Alas, using it would not add to its resale value.
Investment potential: The price is already set at max. so 1/10.

1970 Rover 3500. The clever young suits at Solihull had their eye on the DS when thinking about a new class of small executive saloon although the references were somewhat watered down by the time the car reached the market. Finding a compact alloy V8 to liven things up gave it a performance edge over the Gallic moon lander and this example features the box on shelf dash that recalls a modernist sculpture by Eduardo Paolozzi .

For: Who could say it is less of a car that the Citroen and at 1/10 the price.
Against: Nothing that I can see.
Investment potential: By starting relatively cheap, you have far less to lose. 6/10

1970 Mercedes Benz 280SE. If quality is a criteria, the mid-sized Mercedes saloon is an obvious choice. By fitting the same shell with rising levels of trim and engine sizes, Mercedes could offer a model for taxi drivers as well as plutocrats. Quite an accomplishment as class snobbery generally prevailed against that sort of efficiency. This one in appealing tobacco brown has a sun roof and manual gearbox for added entertainment.

For: Trans-Europe Express.
Against: The burgemeister's demesne.
Investment potential: 5/10. At 20K less than the other one listed on Trademe there is potential.

1964 Jaguar MkII 3.8 MOD. Still with enough performance to show its shapely hindquarters to most other road traffic, many of these cars have been further upgraded so that they are essentially modern Jaguars in quaint period costume. This one already has the most desirable specification so a handing kit and brake upgrade is all that is required. Air con if you are really fussy. Maybe better seats... Oh go ahead. Buy a Beacham then.

For: Looks, speed and atmosphere.
Against: Can sometimes not be quite as they seem.
Investment potential: They have fallen hard from their high point so difficult to say.

1954 Lancia Aurelia B12. The ideal saloon is not always the fastest and most highly specified but the one that provides the best evidence of your quiet good taste and discretion. If you do not want to look like a fleeing bank robber, an architect of brutalist flats, a Ruhr accountant or a surgeon with an unattractive specialisation you might find the anonymity of this Lancia Aurelia appealing. The best Italian designers knew that making a scene was not the best way of making a impression.

For: Like a well cut suit.
Against: No specialists here when something untoward happens.
Investment potential: For those that know...

On some faraway beach

1972 Fiat 130. If you load all of these values into the Aesthete's saloon synthesiser (analogue, not digital of course) its finely calibrated sensors would immediately flick towards the Fiat 130. This selection is based on the simple logic that anything good enough for Gianni Agnelli  is quite good enough for the likes of you.

For: There are some tucked away in New Zealand.
Against: It should have been a Lancia.
Investment potential: The big Fiat jinx is a hard one to escape but that means low prices.