Five alternatives to a sensible car

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs
Jeannie's parents and their choice of cars represent something undesirable to Lou in this early loose limbed Velvets version of Rock and Roll. Pernod is the drink.

1954 Peugeot 203. If I was seized by the urge to drive overland to the old country I would do it in this and probably arrive fresh and relaxed. The 203 was a great success for Peugeot who achieved their goals without exotic engineering. The narrow aerodyne styling is full of post-war character and they feel modern to drive so you get the best of both worlds. For: New Zealand new and well kept. Against: Very little that I can discern from here.

1961 Sunbeam Alpine Series II. I am not sure if Maxwell Smart enhanced the image of the Alpine or not but it had problems already with its soft character setting it aside from its competitors. That makes it a good choice today if you are thinking about an MX5 as an alternative. This one comes with the desirable curvy hard top and is painted a fetching shade of powder blue. For: Say its a gift. Against: Nothing that can't be corrected. I would put the steel wheels back on if it were mine.

1965 Alfa Romeo Sprint GT. Bids have climbed to over 15K for this desirable Guilia coupe despite the fact it has a broken motor. The rest of the car looks satisfactory and it comes from South Africa so should be structurally sound. The rust under the rear screen is a little worrying but does not look to have progressed far. For: Mechanicals are easily sorted. Against: Bodywork is another matter.

1988 Bentley Turbo R. The vendor outlines electrical problems but is coy about what they are. The question to ask is could they be sorted for the 10K discount this one is offered at? The rest of the car looks opulent and they offer aircraft carrier launch system acceleration with a stately home interior. For: A car to impress folks. Against: Driven by crooked investment advisors.

1990 BMW 850i. Or you could put your money into this autobahn cruiser with barely any milage on it and enjoy its massive capabilities. It missed the mark on its launch by being a bit too subtle and lacking the track pedigree of previous models. This was to miss the point and if you have kilometers to travel, this is the way to do it. For: Almost new and giving away little to a modern car. Against: Lack of use is not always good with something this complex.

Five to make you say "It's nothing like a Golf"

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs

Further proof, should it be needed, that The Band could play anything.

1958 MG Magnette. This is the first of the Gerald Palmer designed MGs to appear on the Petrolhead Aesthete so we can assume they are rare and cherished. So they should be as Palmer's Italianate saloon was one of the high points of 1950s British production. The quick rack and pinion steering and MGA motor combined to provide a lively drive but all was lost in the later Farina bodied cars which were much less fun. For: What a small Jaguar might have been. Against: Is that vinyl I see on the front seats?

1960 Austin Healey Sprite Sebring Replica. A lot of effort has gone into this car but none of it wasted by the look of the meticulous preparation. Given what some spend on their Targa mounts, 30K seems something of a bargain and I imagine it would be huge fun although not ideal for the daily commute. For: Just right for today's classic rally conditions. Against: Who could say anything against this?

1966 BMW 2000 CS. If you want to know what would make the Aesthete say "God's teeth", here it is. One of my favorite shapes of all time although in rather distressed condition. The avant-garde nose treatment only appeared on this rare model before the car was stretched to fit the six cylinder engine. The cabin is equally gorgeous. If I had not spent so much on the Flavia recently I would certainly buy this, probably its closest competitor in terms of style and dynamics. For: Rare, beautiful and cheap. Against: I am trying to think of something... nope.

1970 Jensen Interceptor. Cripes. It may be too far gone but the price is tempting and it looks complete as well as completely shot. I note that the tail lights are Lancia Flavia Coupe items. I should buy it just for that seeing the way Flavia parts prices have gone recently. For: A gentleman's cruiser down on its luck. Against: A money furnace.

1970 Triumph Spitfire MkIII. Or you could have this, one of the most straightforward DIY classics around. All the work is done, leaving the next owner to have all the fun. Micholetti's smart styling has the edge over Midgets and their ilk, allowing one to overlook the steel wheels on this example. For: Use it every day. Against: Be careful in the wet. Hark, the Herald axles swing.

Thirty cars hath September

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs

I imagine drinking would naturally follow on from a drive with Lana Del Rey.

1950 Renault 4CV. The first French car to achieve a million sales, the 4CV was a bit of a tonic for the post-war motorist and they were exported everywhere. Most examples in New Zealand were English assembled 'de luxe' models with leather seats and a handsome pair of circular instruments gracing the middle of the painted dash. This is just such a car although it has lost the leather and the plated seat frames in the course of restoration. For: A Gallic alternative to a Morris Minor. Against: Don't hit anything. They are surprisingly rare these days.

1938 Morris Eight Sport. This must be the week for not getting around at crazy speeds but I am nevertheless sure you will enjoy the charms of this Morris Eight for which the word pert was probably coined. Just the thing for a lakeside picnic and a ramble. Your Boy Scout experience will come in handy when you have to put up the roof and side screens. For: Great fun then and now. Against: Don't be in a hurry.

1959 Triumph Herald Coupe. Giovanni Micholetti gave Triumph a touch of much needed chic with the Herald, here in rare and pretty Coupe form. It is a bitsa but in a good way with the larger 1300 cc motor and disc brakes. It is pleading to be painted primrose and be put on a set of Spitfire wires. I am broke so one of you do it, please. For: A good little project. Against: Catch the rust before it gets away.

1967 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow Mulliner, Park Ward Convertible. Not yet a Corniche despite the vendor's claims, the earlier Silver Shadow convertibles are the smart choice amongst open Rolls Royces. Simple cabin details please the eye rather more than the bling shoveled into later versions which look ready to be driven off by a Bolivian tin baron. For: Understated. Against: I can think of other ways to dispose of 80K.

1960 Studebaker Lark Convertible. I toyed with this last week, put off a little by the asthmatic side valve six that Studebaker could not replace when it launched its new Lark compact range. The rest of the car is delightful with its Italianate lines and formal grill denoting quality in a small package. For: Don't worry about seeing another one. Against: Originality is dandy but I would be tempted to repower this.

Spring is in the air

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs

Iggy sees a Eldorado rolling along below his window carrying a nameless black girl in the back. Trouble predictably follows.

1973 Dino 246 GT. I know this debases the rule that a car should not account for more than the annual salary of a mid-career academic but if I had bought one twenty years ago I could retire now. They sold for the same price as a Porsche when new but not now that a ratty but usable 911 is yours for 20K.  For: Pininfarina at the height of their mighty powers. Against: You would not want a ratty Dino under any circumstances, not even as a gift.

1973 Alpine 310. Another Dino competitor reduced to hard times. Renault-powered Alpines were dominant in the early 1970s rally circuit, later gaining the big V6 engine from the Peugeot 604 and startling performance if they could be kept on the road. The handling characteristics suited the smaller power plant and this is a rare example with only 600-odd built in 1973. For: No one else has one. Against: Quelle horreur!

1985 Lancia Beta Volumex Coupe. The Volumex was a supercharged version of the Fiat twin cam, cleverly designed to get around the throttle lag that came with early turbo installations. The belt driven unit was unorthodox but gave the front wheel drive Beta a pleasing amount of urge. I suspect very few survive of the 200 RHD cars the vendor tells us were made so it may be some time before we see another. For: Should be more expensive. Against: Nothing. Go on, buy it.

1989 Lotus Esprit 2.2. This must be the week for cars not taken as seriously as they deserve, Lotus struggled with the multi-cylinder fetish that dominated their part of the market and so eventually gave the Esprit a  V8. The four cylinder cars are just as capable and a lot cheaper to keep so 25K seems rather good value. For: The clever Peter Stevens restyle enabled the car to outlive the Roger Moore James Bond era. Against: Check the receipts carefully.

1996 Fiat Barchetta. It will never be worth 325K but it will provide fun in inverse proportion to the price difference. Based on the Punto platform and with the right amount of power, the Barchetta was full of brio. The styling has aged well given that it is almost 20 years old and makes an MGF look rather timid. For: Much more fun than a Miata. Against: Sinistral steering wheel.

Five ways to ruin

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs.

No music or gayety today as we remember Claude (2007-2012), here wearing one of Alice's paua bracelets in his official role as keeper of the family bed covers. 

1957 Jaguar 2.4 Litre Saloon. Jaguar fanciers are reserved about the early small engined cars, not seeing them as the subtle vehicles that they are. The power output was just right for the chassis and the steering quicker than the Mk II, giving them a handiness that was blunted in later versions. This one is in the ideal colour and the spats complete the image. For: Drive one at night. The instruments have a wonderful violet glow. Against: Check the body carefully.

1972 Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina. Is a good Berlina worth as much as a good GTV? Rarity and convenience would suggest as much and you do not have to look at the plain four door body while driving. Instead you will enjoy one of the best dash layouts ever placed into a car. For: Practical, quick and refined. Against: Character deficit compared to earlier Guilias.

1973 BMW 3.0 CSI. It has been a good week for the Europeans with this fine BMW coupe rounding out the selection. Unusually, there are three on offer on Trade Me which supports my theory that vendors decide to sell only when a car similar to their own is listed. This looks to be the best example. For: The car Alfa should have made in the 1970s. Against: Nichts.

1974 Fiat 124 Coupe. The third restyle of the elegant Fiat coupe looked awkward from front and rear but the driving is the thing. The 1800 cc twin cam is strong without being coarse. Later enlarged versions required balancing shafts but here the vibrations are a pleasant Italian rasp rather than the kidney shaking variety. For: The ideal thing for these straightened times. Against: Buy the best example you can.

1979 Fiat 131 R. 'R' stands for racing in case you need to be told. Despite looking like it was made from flat pack wardrobes, the 131 was a rally and track success and the street versions are madly entertaining with the purple plush seating being the least of it. For: The combination of decor and Weber induction roar. Against: The other 'R' word.

Five more reasons to sell something

Cars, girls' names, cocktails and songs

Nobody does sad country music like a Pakistani from Leicester. 

1956 Buick Special Riviera. Cheaper today than the equivalent Belair is this splendid four door pillarless Riviera. The roof line is divine, particularly around the rear door where it looks almost like a large detachable hardtop.  The local 'collectors market' has turned away from the more esoteric Americans for the safety of the 55-57 Chevrolets so this seems like good value. For: A car that would look right almost anywhere. Against: If anywhere is Vegas.

1973 Mercedes 450 SLC. Another undervalued example of the stretched Mercedes coupe but with the larger V8 for added autobahn heft. This one has been imported from somewhere damp (the vendor is coy about where) and has had the sills repaired. One would hope the work has been done well as these are expensive and complex body shells to repair. For: Puts me in mind of dark 1970s German films. Against: The green interior mainly. And the rust.

1974 Rolls Royce Corniche. The earlier the better for these fine coupes which suffered undignified enhancements throughout the following decade, gaining chin spoilers, spot lights and other Supercheap Auto style addenda. This example has the later dash with a rev counter so vulgarity has only just entered the scene. The coachwork looks superb under the dark paint and you could spend the asking price on far less. For: That's class, that is. Against: Anti-capitalists might throw eggs at you. 

1978 Porsche 928. It is hard to believe the 928 series was designed nearly forty years ago. They may lack the drama of their rear engined relatives but are still one of the most capable high speed touring cars and available to those of us with slender means. So how is 6K for this well kept low milage example? I would buy it now if the Lancia was not ruining me. For: 6K. Against: 6K 928.

2008 Citroen C6 2.7 HDi Exclusive. Citroen lost its way after the characterful XM and issued a lot of dreary cars. This seems to have ceased now and avant garde-style is back to the fore. The big C6 has an interior like one of those 1950s illustrations where a family watches movies while their robot car zooms down the freeway. This is reason enough to ride the depreciation comet as they plunge to negative values. For: L'aventure. Against: Buy it and find out. 

Five for the start of August

Cars, girls' names. cocktails and songs

The Band did not write about cars. It disturbed the primeval settings for their greatest songs but Levon tells us he pulled into Nazareth so he must have been driving something. Who knows what he had in mind for Carmen if they went downtown together but I pick drinking would just be the start of it.

1964 Dodge A100. I imagine that the slightly startled look on the face of this Dodge pickup would match that of the driver when the V8 between the seats got about its business. The inside seems to be made of painted steel and look how close you would be to the accident. For: Mildly frightening. Against: Possibly quite dangerous.

1966 Nissan Datsun Fairlady. Looking like the outcome of something Italian that had done the wild thing with an MG, the Fairlady was a capable and well equipped roadster designed for the North American market. They were hardly ever seen anywhere else so it is no surprise this one is left hand drive. The awful paint does it no favours but the hardtop is rare and it would scrub up to be an unusual alternative to a B. For: Unorthodox. Against: More expensive than a B and needs everything.

1966 Ford Cortina Mk1 GT. Two door Cortinas are often presented as Lotus clones so it is refreshing to see this original example in its attractive factory colours. 22K seems like a stretch but you would struggle to find another one and a decent restoration would consume that in a trice. For: A direct route to the great age of motor sport. Against: Can't see too much against it myself.

1966 Chevrolet Corvette.  Ahhh. My favorite American in my favorite colour. What could possibly be wrong here? The price of course. 120K is a lot more than I would spend for something that would get such little use but I doubt if cold logic is what motivates the market for these things. Originality is the key to high prices so check everything the vendor says carefully. For: Sublime. Against: Useless.

1972 Volkswagen Type 3. Despite the Beetle's continuing strong sales in the 1960s, VW knew it would have to replace it somehow but it was not the design giant we know today. Instead it went to Bertone to style the Type 3 which explains the Italianate looks of this rare notchback saloon. White suits it and it has a charming interior with an Alfa-like twin pod dash. For: Unusual bug alternative. Against: Torpid