The Aesthete rests from his labours

The Aesthete's Fleet
We Drove Here is now open at the Hocken Library on Anzac Avenue and all readers of the blog are invited to drop in and look it over. The opening attracted a decent sized crowd and I got a chance to meet some major motoring enthusiasts including Sir Julian Smith, owner and proprietor of the Otago Daily Times, New Zealand's only independent urban daily. I was pictured gurning like a crazy person in his reputable organ the very next morning but he deigned not to know me. Oh well, fame is a fickle food, upon a shifting plate.

1975 BMW 2002. There is room to improve on this 2002 and it would be well worth someone's while to do so as they are a sure bet for the future. The vendor has obtained repair sections for the corroded parts and one hopes that the rot has not penetrated too far into the structure as BMWs were as susceptible as their Italian counterparts to falling apart on the driveway.

For: Manual and orange, two strong points in its favour.
Against: You could wait and buy a better one with the work already done.
Investment potential: Even with that caveat in mind, still 4/10.

1969 Chrysler Barracuda. I ventured down to the Kaitangata car show with Terry on Saturday and have to say I have not seen HQ Kingswoods and mullets in that variety since the halcyon days of the Thunderbird Valley Inn. This would have gone down a treat in either place as it looks like the offspring of a Valiant that has done the wild thing with a Dodge so has the right combination of the everyday and the exotic.

For: No one else will have one.
Against: Will anyone want one?
Investment potential: 2/10

1989 Citroen BX 16V. Citroen's plastique fantastique was quite something in the 1980s when this avant -garde combination of technology and exhilarating performance was offered to the same market that was being tempted by six cylinder Cortina Ghias. The high milage on this example if probably a good thing as it is disuse that is the bane of all Citroens.

For: Be in your own science fiction movie.
Against: Things will go wrong.
Investment potential: It depends exactly what does go wrong.

1950 Citroen Light 15. I have been known to be a bit churlish about these Citroens but this looks like an opportunity even to my prejudiced eye. Limited information on the condition of the car and two average photographs suggests that the vendor is not trying to impress anyone and may be open to a sensible offer.

For: Fix it and prove me wrong.
Against: I will hold my views to myself.
Investment potential: The start price is reasonable so 4/10

1957 Jaguar XK 150. I  suppose we must accept that we are in an international market place now and should not draw a sharp intake of breath when we see an XK being offered at this sort of money. It is a bit of a show pony with its louvres and bonnet straps but the sinister grey paint and black wire wheels add a desirable level of menace to the overall presentation.

For: It's not red at least.
Against: Make sure you use it.
Investment potential: 2/10

On some faraway beach...

1962 Alfa Romeo 2600 Berlina. Something for the Alfa completist wanting to make a splash at the next Latins rally is this exceedingly rare saloon variation on the more familiar Sprint coupe. It says something for the desirability of Alfa's flagship that it was handily outsold by the two door car but its looks now seem chiseled and handsome in a way they clearly did not when new.

For: Hardly seen outside Italy and not often there either.
Against: Shipping things from South Africa can be problematic.
Investment potential: 2/10 but someone will want it.

The Aesthete's Fleet
The Triumph Tiger 100 has been getting some attention as it is to be a static exhibit in the exhibition I am currently working on for the Hocken Library. You are all invited to attend if you are in Dunedin or visiting over the next few months. There is plenty of time as the show will be up until February 13. Checking the Tiger against the parts book I have for the 1966 models shows a few departures from the norm so ordering parts is a bit of a lottery. The rear wheel spindle seems to have come from something else entirely so the requisite nut to hold the whole affair in place is still missing. I have no idea when or where it disappeared so finding a replacement may be entertaining. The new grey seat looks smart, however, and I am waiting on some bars and levers which will restore correct appearance if not action.

1960 MGA Coupe. The slipper bodied MGA looks even better in fixed head form although the cabin may be a little cramped if, like the Aesthete, years of indolence have added to your girth.  Were you still limber enough to fit inside, the windup windows, heater and carpets make for a civilised ride which your long suffering passenger may appreciate if you are one of those hardy types that goes out in all weathers.

For. What a pretty car.
Against: No bargain at 36K.
Investment potential: 3/10 with rarity on its side.

Mercedes Benz 190E 2.3 16V Cosworth. The values of hot 190s are apparently climbing steeply with EVO versions selling like Renoir water lilies so this may be worth your attention. The white paint is unfortunate but in keeping with the mid-1980s trends in these matters when a white car on white wheels with white painted plastic bumpers seemed somehow to be a good idea. The Cosworth developed engine requires some upkeep but the vendor claims the car comes with a service history. Inspect carefully.

For: Raucous, quick and well built.
Against: Really needs to be metallic black again.
Investment potential: 6/10 and a lot of fun to boot.

1969 AMC AMX. American Motors did not have much to put up against the Camustango dual assault on its sales figures but its lean and dramatically cut down AMX coupe was both great looking and a track success. Show your originality then and buy this alternative pony car from the wrong side of the tracks.

For: Unusual and oddly attractive.
Against. The Rambler pedigree suppresses interest in these cars.
Investment potential: 2/10

1970 Rover 3500 P5B. The light weight Buick V8 transformed this previously stodgy car that soon became the choice of Tory despots including Margaret Thatcher. The Aesthete is obliged to recommend this fine car despite the fact that it reminds him of landing in London in the middle of the great garbage strike when rotting household refuse was piled high in the streets, thus ushering in the Iron Lady herself.

For: Bentley quality at less than Cortina money.
Against: It has rust in the sills apparently.
Investment potential: 2/10. Check this carefully. They are a big complex structure.

1986 Chevrolet Corvette C4. I can normally flick past middle era Corvettes with little effort but this glossy black example with its right hand drive specification caught my attention, as did the rock bottom starting price. It is otherwise modestly equipped with a 350 cubic inch engine and automatic transmission but the C4 was the first of the technology driven models with clever tricks like plastic springs that could provide useful ripostes when people ask you why you bought it.

For: The high school jock of cars gets smart.
Against: Still like driving a Hudson, I expect.
Investment potential: 3/10 but it depends where the bidding heads.

On some faraway beach

1975 Monica. Wonderboy may know a little more about this beautiful French grand routier, having worked withe its creator Chris Lawrence when the designer/engineer was employed by Morgan. Quite how something this complete and sophisticated was stopped after only eight production cars is a mystery. The tooling and production facility was a major investment as the Monica was intended to follow Facel Vega as the ultimate French prestige car. The shots of the interior with this listing bear out this premise.

For: No one else will have one.
Against: Low production numbers mean no parts.
Investment potential: What is such a thing worth? You Francophiles out there might provide answers.

The Aesthete resumes his duties

 The Aesthete's Fleet.

Forget the ABs. The greatest conflict of 2015 has been brought to a draw with only a slight buzz from the driveshaft left behind after weeks of work by Dennis.  The GTV is a different car now and considerably more relaxing to drive. I have been busy trying to seal it against the rain now that it has to park outside while the wreck occupies its space in the shed. Parts are being slowly recovered from it and carried away to another shed. And so we spend our lives like dung beetles, rolling piles of the stuff from one hole to another.

1961 Hillman Minx Estate. Despite a slightly raddled appearance and piebald paintwork, this Minx looks solid and usable.  I have always fancied a load carrier of this vintage although there would need to be a load to carry, other than the iPhone and mac laptop that are the Aesthete's current tools of trade. Perhaps when I take up an honest career...

For: Becoming quite rare now, I imagine.
Against: That may not turn into instant reward for the purchaser.
Investment potential: 3/10. Freshen up the paint and you never know your luck.

1957 Hudson Hornet V8 Hollywood Custom. Surely the name badge is worth 6K alone but I feel that the hapless vendor has come a cropper on Hudson's last hurrah and is trying to recover the shipping costs. There is the conundrum as the market for Hudson Hornet Hollywood Customs is probably not humming even in their country of origin. That being so, you get a Packard V8, tri-tone colour scheme and the interior is a riot.

For: Oh come on. We like an oddball.
Against: There is an immaculate example for less than 20K on Hemmings.
Investment potential: -12/10. Chinese commercial property is a better bet.

1955 Peugeot 203. More agreeable than any Light 15 you could have for the same price and the driving experience is better in my view. The 1940s streamlined looks put me in mind of Paris in the springtime and Rue des Francs-Bourgeois where the French version of hipsters dwell in roof top garrets to this day.

For: Is there a more chic way to spend 3K?
Against: I imagine you have thought of some.
Investment potential: 4/10 if there is not much to do.

1956 Jaguar Mk VII M. Big 1950s Jaguars offer value, particularly older restorations like this one where the vendor has not calculated the selling price by dredging through a huge pile of current receipts. The price of rechroming, trim and a respray would easily overtake 22K and you still have to find a decent car to buy in the first place. The automatic suits the genteel side of the Mk VII although you may find yourself wishing for a power steering conversion as well.

For: Bespoke motoring on a budget.
Against: At that price, not much.
Investment potential: 4/10

1935 Daimler 15 hp Martin Walters Wingham All-weather Cabriolet. Daimler's small six for straightened times was a gamble as the brand was associated with state limousines while Lanchester dealt with the suburban trade. They came in numerous versions thanks to the efforts of coach builders such as Martin Walters who later made the Dormobile campers to which I am unnaturally attracted. Will the vendor achieve 40K for his pile of bits? Not in a thousand years but it is jolly nice in a King's Speech sort of way.

For: Good for a toddle around the old estate during the annual grouse shoot, should you own one.
Against: 40K? Holy mother of God.
Investment potential: Bwahahahaha. Not even it belonged to King George himself.

On some faraway beach.

I looked. There is nothing apart from the Hudson and that would be repeating myself.

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.

The Aesthete tastes victory

The Aesthete's Fleet
But it is wormwood in his mouth when the cost to fix the drive line now adds up to six times the purchase price of the car.  The final job involved swapping over the original driveshaft rubber joint from the wreck, which is of a type now unobtainable. The spare gearbox was fitted with new mountings and the oval location hole in the floor welded back into a circle again. Brakes and suspension parts were mingled promiscuously from a teetering pile of bits. It now drives as an Alfetta GTV should with no vibration, rumbles. clonks and writhing under braking.  Sadly, we cannot join the Alfa Club at Mt Cook for the AGM so the membership will be spared any incoherent ranting as the Aesthete tries to sooth his pain with strong drink.

1968 Jaguar 420. The asking price is set very low for this, the penultimate Mk II and part of the great diversity  of Jaguars swept away for the XJ6 in 1968. With a patrician prow leading the way into the small hull and finishing with the S-Type's rear wings and pinched bottom, it was the Montgomery Clift of the executive car industry but still more effective than anything thrown together by the competition.

For: A hybrid but made out of the right parts.
Against: As the old Clash song went "Who's that man, he sure looks funny? Why, that's Montgomery Clift, honey."
Investment potential: 3/10. 10K on a good paint job and you would still be on the right side.

1949 Austin A70 Hampshire Utility. The Aesthete has long hankered for an English utility and the Hampshire with its big four cylinder engine is a good starting point. The vendor has been reading the classic car press and reports a restored example selling in the UK for 40K so he is not taking a penny less than 8K for his prize. He should be reminded that we are all a long way from Blighty now.

For: Just the thing for towing your Cooper 500, should you have one.
Against: A bit of work to do which if carried out by professionals will get you to 40K in a flash.
Investment potential: 2/10 but who knows?

1982 Volkswagen Scirocco GTI. Bearing in mind the maker's current self inflicted injuries, there was never a need to fake the data on a Scirocco. Quick, smooth, reliable and rare enough to command a slow walk past on the street, Volkswagen's second generation coupe softened the folded paper Guigiaro lines of the earlier model but have aged more gracefully. And the annual peanut butter smeared lens award is won effortlessly for the vendor's views of the car in a darkened showroom.

For: Like an Alfetta GTV but without the designed in faults.
Against: Vorsprung durch fraud.
Investment potential: 4/10. With so few left it should be easy to find a buyer.

1964 Citroen ID 19. This charming Slough built Citroen features the quaint timber dash supplied so as not to frighten English buyers with the French version which looked like a scene from a foreign language space documentary. The hydro-pneumatics were preserved, however, with the system used to power suspension and brakes but not the assisted gear shift which made the DS seem even more like the work of an advanced intergalactic civilisation.

For: Even a lesser DS was ten steps ahead of everyone else.
Against: Nothing that I can see from here.
Investment potential. 4/10. They have found running water on Mars. You only need a fuel supply and some sign posted roads.

1964 Pontiac Grand Prix 455. My juvenile reading of our neighbour's pile of Playboy magazines in the 1960s was defended by my innocent interest in the car ads. Pontiacs were often beautifully rendered with the illustrator lingering over every crease and pucker in the taut skin, with particular attention to the stacked headlights and... Okay. Not so innocent then.

For: The American version of la dolce vita.
Against: Unless you are the Todd family you will pay dearly for the pleasure.
Investment potential: 1/10 but not to worry about that.

On some faraway beach...

1958 MG Magnette. What is the point of scouring the international scene just to show you something that you could acquire here? Gerald Palmer's lovely Lancia-esque saloon for the British Motor Corporation is begging for this sort of treatment but one never sees them here on wire wheels and driven enthusiastically. We must wrench them from elderly owners and start thrashing them around the streets again.

For: The best looking 1950s British saloon. There. I have said it.
Against: Only your lack of vision.
Investment potential: 8/10

The Aesthete picks through the ruins

The Aesthete's Fleet
Another wet Saturday spent squirming around under the wrecked GTV saw the Aesthete emerge, blackened but triumphantly brandishing an early model flexible driveshaft rubber joint, known to our Latin friends as a giubo. Efforts to purchase one internationally have failed with Highwood Alfa in the UK asking me to send them some if I manage to find any. This produced a feeling similar to that when your doctor pauses when conducting a finger test but lo!, on entering the part number into Google one turned up on a factor's shelf in Wellington. The rear suspension has been rebushed in lurid hues of purple and yellow urethane. Hopefully this is what will return the GTV to the suave open road GT that it once was, rather than the unladen motor-dray that it now feels like.

1951 Rover 90. These early Rover P4s have a Festival of Britain modernist charm that was only starting to wear a bit thin by 1964 and the last of the series. Owned by a family of engineers, Rover built the first jet turbine car JET 1 which set the speed record for such vehicles at a smidgen over 150 MPH, on a public highway in Belgium. Jules Holland is having one recreated and you can view the intro to the relevant Chop Shop show here.

For: All of that wonderful culture and history for 2.5K.
Against: At that price, nothing at all.
Investment potential: 8/10

1971 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV. One way to sell a Bertone GTV is to list it at 3.5K and stand well clear. Strong bidding has already pushed the price up but demand for these exquisite cars should ensure it does not stay a bargain for too much longer. While looking somewhat dusty and with Turners listing it as a damaged vehicle, the car sits on a new set of GTA-style alloys and appears to have lived an active life until recently.

For: Rough and neglected GTVs are now well outnumbered by restored examples but if you want a project for summer...
Against: What would you have me say?
Investment potential: It depends whether auction frenzy takes hold. Let's say 27/10.

1990 BMW 325i TC Bauer. Once the chosen car of Remuera third wives and used to ferry themselves and select girlfriends off to Club Mirage on Friday night, an open top 325 remains a desirable thing, even with an interior made from old car dealer's shoes. The six cylinder engine transformed the 3 series into a road burner and will still ruffle your Tony & Guy locks now.

For: Vorsprung durch Chardonnay.
Against: I spurned those people then so why would I want their cars now?
Investment potential: What would Jeremy Corbyn say? Nationalise Parnell Village now!

1930 Sprint special. What is this spindly thing painted the colour of a 1970s bathroom vanity I hear you ask? There is little information with the listing but it appears to be an oval track racer powered by a tuned Ford V8. The vendor claims it was a B2 model which suggests a build date of the early 1950s rather than 1930. That is 110 hp in unmodified form, plenty for that bent coat hanger chassis.

For: The vendor suggests it could be converted to road use. Hmmmm.
Against: Great for going around corners in a hail of gravel I dare say.
Investment potential: Could make an interesting project so 5/10

1958 Dodge Royal Custom Lancer. Chrysler's mid-range did well with Virgil Exner's swept look although the Desoto cars had less egregious bling hung off their flanks and were all the better for it. Even so, the idea of stretching out on the boucle nylon bench seat and driving with one finger on the wheel appeals to this Alfa owner who occasionally just wants things to be simple and comfortable.

For: Dodge Royal Custom Lancer. No truer or more descriptive car name has ever been coined.
Against: The Aesthete's usual standards cannot be applied here.
Investment potential: You may not see another but does that justify the price? 1/10

On some faraway beach...

1962 Citroen Bijou. Here is something for the 2CV devotees (You know who you are. I will not name or judge you here). The Bijou was developed by the UK side of the Citroen empire but was judged a disaster at the time, barely able to make 50 mph due to the added weight of the fibreglass body. Even so, they are pretty and have all of the advantages of the rustic French implement shed that provided the running gear. Pop a tuned Dyane twin into it and voila!

For: Small and potentially great fun.
Against: Unjustifiably dismissed Citroen oddball.
Investment potential: 4/10

The Aesthete plans his next move.

A new life beckons as the last coffees are poured in the staff room and those that remained to the end of design at Otago are ushered out the door with a payout calculated by some Bartleby the Scrivener type in the registry. I began writing this blog to help my old patron Nicholas, Laird of Excelsior waste his redundancy cheque and now it is my turn. Quel dommage! As a form of penance,  the Alfetta gearbox has been clawed from the rear end of the wreck with only a scraped knuckle as evidence of the mighty struggle waged on the shed floor. The bits have been dispatched with the other GTV to be swapped around in the expectation that all bumping and grinding will then cease.

1962 Morris Mini Delux. Early unrestored Minis in this condition are a rare thing nowadays and are the best way of recapturing Alec Issigonis' moment of pure genius. Fair to say that the British Motor Corporation did not really know what to do with it and it was left to the bright young things of the day to adopt it and turn it into the reverse status symbol that it became. The whole car was designed by a team of nine. Those were the days.

For: Buy this and avoid the travesty of values reflected in the new Mini.
Against: Noisy, cramped, slow and leaky. Everything that we expect from a classic.
Investment potential: 8/10 and rising.

1969 Sunbeam Imp. And on the distaff side we have the Imp which does everything that the Mini does but from the wrong end. The Rootes combine outdid BMC with its selling tricks, badging its little buzz box as a Hillman, Sunbeam or Singer but adding a very pretty coupe to the range as well. This is from the middle period of the lengthy Imp life cycle where the early technical issues were resolved. The results were then tested by aged customers who drove everywhere in second gear pulling peak revs.

For: Is an Imp what they drive in hell? Suggestions please.
Against: Don't let that put you off the little devil.
Investment potential: 5/10 and also rising

1985 Fiat Strada 105TC. Just one step below the alarming Strada Abarth came this, a sporting three door to compete with the Golf GTI.  You get the wonderful Lampredi twin cam with appealing early front wheel drive dynamics which will have the steering wheel quivering in your lap like an excited lurcher puppy. Just what you need on your favourite greasy stretch of road.

For: Too good to put on the track in my humble opinion.
Against: Nothing. Buy it immediately.
Investment potential: 15/10 at that price.

1979 Toyota Century. What is this that looks like a hyper-gonadal Corona, I hear you ask? Once only seen parked around Japanese embassies, the Century was what Toyota made as an exclusive saloon before conjuring Lexus out of a puff of marketing smoke. Even then they were only available on special order. The plush decor, strip speedo and column shift suggest something of the values held by its Japanese buyers who probably shared Stalin's views on what made a good car.

For: Something to make your neighbours think the Japanese emperor has come to visit.
Against: Driving it may well make you lose consciousness.
Investment potential: 2/10 or lower if you can't find anyone else who can see the point.

1967 Fiat Crusader. The already pleasing dynamics of Fiat's 1960s family saloon are sharpened in this lightly modified example. Originality is all well and good but the extra camshafts, instruments, gears and brakes cleverly acquired from the donor 124 combine to create a Supermillecinquecento. I can see that on a new chrome boot script so get to work with the fretsaw and a sheet of brass now.

For: A good car made better.
Against: You are up for a repaint and better seats.
Investment potential: 4/10

On some faraway beach.

1939 Panhard et Levassor Dynamic 140 X81 Limousine. In one of the car books I pored over endlessly as a youth was a picture of a Dynamic Coupe. It seemed the last word in avant-garde so when the 'What is the coolest car in the world?' playground conversation was had, I would flute "The Panhard et Levassor Dynamic 140 X81" to jeers and loud disapprobation. Anyway here it is. Decide for yourselves.

For: You will be the toast of the Napier Art Deco Weekend in this. They will carry you through town on their shoulders for certain.
Against: You will have to get it there first.
Investment potential: Oh, negligible I am sure. People are cruel to the differently gifted.