The Aesthete's wanderlust

... has taken him from Auckland to Oamaru where the local Alfa Romeo club met their Canterbury counterparts for a weekend of eating, drinking and telling lies. The crowd was hushed for the redoubtable Alan Dick, now a fixture of that town, who told them all about getting the bum's rush at Ferrari headquarters during their imperial phase.

The little man that used to control the rear end of the GTV from an extra steering wheel in the boot has finally gone after the addition of a few UK£s worth of neoprene bushes. He was a indecisive fellow, or hard of hearing. If you yelled 'left!' he would steer hard right or straight ahead before directing you into the fields. I am pleased he has found himself another post.

1988 Alfa Romeo 33 1.7 QV. No-one much loved the 33, or at least no-one who had ever owned a good Alfa Sud. The final sporting versions were a great improvement over the basic car and the carburetted four valve engine is a spirited thing that makes all the right throbbing and heavy breathing noises, if you can hear them over the rattling plastic trim. I am not doing a very good job of selling this car, am I?

For: A great engine in a so so car.
Against: Has been let sit around since 2007 but looks decent enough.
Investment potential: 2/10 and not a mad keen following to get prices on the move.

1965 Alfa Romeo Guilia 1600. As I suspected, the fellow who was bidding like a man trying to put out a fire in his hair has pulled out of the sale and this very attractive Giulia is back on the market again. Draw your own conclusions.

For: A great engine in a great car.
Against: The must be something...
Investment potential: 3/10. 10K did not seem excessive but look carefully.

1966 Sunbeam Rapier MkV. This is the penultimate Loewy-style Rapier with the smoother and more powerful 1725 engine and overdrive gearbox. Massively over-constructed compared to their contemporaries, they feel a bit tedious around town but are great fun on the open road. The pillarless side glass is a touch of glam, the automotive equivalent of Babycham and a quick snog against the chip shop window.

For: The last hurrah of Billy Rootes.
Against: As they might say in Coventry, 'Nothin, ya great ....!'
Investment potential: 2/10. They do not tend to appeal to the young folk, sadly

1974 Ford Capri 1600 GT. Speaking of glam, here we have the aging Rapier's dashing challenger, the multifarious Capri, available with every engine under the sun from 1300 feeble ccs to 3000 or more in rare track mode. This is purported to be a one owner car, unusual as most endured a short life at the rough hands of many inconsiderate lovers.

For: Look at those stripes!
Against: A bit flash for the Aesthete but good if you like this sort of thing.
Investment potential: 4/10. This seems a bit on the cheap side seeing as there are so few nice ones left.

2000 Toyota MR-S. When Porsche responded to the challenge of Totota's affordable midis with the Boxter, Toyota quickly responded by... making a Boxter. Brilliant! Hardly anyone bought one and they languish on Japanese import lists today at cheap sake money. I would buy one in bright yellow which, along with this acid lime, adds to their searing ugliness.

For: The kind of hopeless Japanese car the Aesthete actually likes.
Against: Why aren't you buying an SLK then?
Investment potential. Bwahahahaha.

Out in the wilds of Wyoming...

Resides this one-owner 1949 Hudson Pacemaker Brougham, the sort of post-war streamliner that is the Aesthete's not so secret passion. If I had one, I would put a parting in my hair, wear a flannel shirt and adopt a squint somewhat like George Clooney.

The Aesthete returns from a brief respite.

From Auckland that is where he spent the weekend with the Aesthetette stretched out in a classic Anglo caravan at Beachlands. Sunny weather, cafes and restaurants everywhere and a quick ferry ride into Auckland. You are lucky that I do not have the wherewithal to live there or I  would not be sitting here in Dunedin writing this.

1957 Buick Super Riviera. At least the vendor does not think this magnificent sledge is worth 30K or I would have passed it over. GM was making a special effort with Buick styling in an attempt to cast off the marque's appeal to American senior citizens. The swooping belt line and Cadillac style roofline on this four door pillarless saloon sets it apart from lesser models and it would make a good project if you could withstand the terrifying plating bill.

For: Handsome in a Montgomery Clift sort of way.
Against: Like Monty, a bit bashed up.
Investment potential: 1/10 even if you do own your own electroplating facility.

1967 Riley Kestrel 1300. One of the more unusual and attractive variants of the front wheel drive BMC range, this Riley looks solid and well cared for. The larger 1300 twin carb motor means you will not be down to second gear up any reasonable rise and they are responsive to a bit of gentle development if you feel so inclined. I can see this on a nice set of Minilite alloys and the Aesthete would not hang his head in shame if it was his.

For: Sharp price if it is as nice as it looks.
Against: The usual complaints: rust and whiney transmissions mainly.
Investment potential: 4/10 with the caveat above.

1984 Porsche 944. White is not the best colour for anything apart from early 1960s Ford Consul Capris but overlook that for a moment while thinking about this 944. Most 944s in this price range are rough looking automatics in even more ghastly hues and the relatively low milage and service records suggest there is plenty of life left in this one yet.

For: Fast, cheap and reputable.
Against: John Key probably had one as a single man.
Investment potential: 2/10 but who cares at that sort of money?

1968 Mazda T2000. Who knows what sort of bizarre regulatory regime encouraged the production of three-wheeled trucks in Japan but let us just enjoy the fact that they exist and that we could experience one here. The truly sad amongst you will know of the Scammell Scarab, an equally bizarre English variation on the theme. One of my first pieces of digital illustration was for an airborne version of the little 360 cc version to be screen printed on a T shirt. Any takers?

For: Slow, expensive and dangerous.
Against: Hang on, have we not covered that already?
Investment potential: Bwahahaha.

1970 Mercedes 300 SEL 6.3. The 160 MPH speedometer in this Mercedes tells you what you need to know; that there was no faster way to travel across ground in comfort than this unless you were in a train. Planned as a way of selling the surplus stock of limousine engines built up after the slow sales of the 600 series, various entertaining myths have gown up around these cars. It was certainly not the outcome of unsupervised Benz apprentices having fun in the workshop after hours.

For: Vorsprung durch great big motor.
Against: Airbag suspension and expensive parts.
Investment potential: 3/10 with a keen following.

Ungrrrrnagh!

The Aesthete's weekly summary

The Aesthete's Fleet

The mad dance of the Italian cars continues with the GTV's tail high in the air in the shed as rear axle bushes are replaced. I managed to plough the Lancia into an earth bank on the way home and bent the bumper out of shape. Annoyingly, it now fits the nose of the car better than it did before but that might be because other things are bent as well. Humbling phone calls to long suffering underwriters will be made on Monday. 

1959 Lincoln Continental. The Aesthete's attitude to American cars is avoid the middle ground. Corvairs are wonderful in their own way and so are Continentals. Particularly when the whole styling studio was participating in a drug experiment which the the only possible way you can explain the looks. The vendor tells us that it is the largest and heaviest car made in post-WW2 America which, oddly enough, enamors me even more. All that tortured sheet metal, glass and cow hide can be yours for 28K. How many Mercedes 600s are you going to get for that?

For: You could always live in it when your fortunes inevitably decline.
Against: The frugality of a Saturn 5 rocket.
Investment potential: 1/10. The enormous jalopy market is a bit tight and will probably remain so.

1967 Oldsmobile Toronado. All the same things could be said about this early Toronado apart from the looks which are utterly sublime. The poor vendor has just about given up as this is the same car that was advertised as being New Zealand new a couple of years ago. Clearly, no-one thinks it is worth the 12K asking price although the Aesthete might be persuaded, if he actually had the requisite 12K. Never mind... one of you should buy it.

For: Oh, the looks most certainly.
Against: What is the best cornering style with something like this? I would like to see it on a gravel road.
Investment potential: 0/10. Clearly there is no investment potential here but I advise you to buy it anyway.

1951 Austin A40 Sports. It appears as if someone has started something here that they could not finish. A shame as the Eric Neale-styled and Jensen-bodied A40 is a fine thing and a straightforward restoration proposition as long as the alloy panels are reasonable. Not particularly sporting in original mode, they can be made to get along nicely with a B-series engine and gearbox swap.

For: Elegant little tourer. More so lowered a little on painted wire wheels.
Against: A pit ponderous, even for 1951.
Investment potential: 3/10 if you do your own work.

1966 Plymouth Barracuda. The modern wheels are hideous but the rest of this Barracuda fulfills the Aesthete's strange prerequisites for an American car. If it was primrose yellow it would be perfect but the powder blue is almost as good and shows off the tinted glass in the massive rear deck to some effect. The modifications appear tasteful enough so you would not die of shame to be seen in it.

For: That rear window. Grwwlll.
Against: There are cheaper out there but without the NZ history.
Investment potential:  2/10. There will always be fewer on the market than Mustangs or Camaros.

Alfa Avanzo. The Aesthete was pondering something like this as a long term project. A Ferrari Monza look-alike shell with an Alfa engine and transaxle is a good combination but something less obvious like a Frua Maserati A6G/54 2000 or a Siata would suit his obscurest tendencies.

For: Paying someone else to avoid all that hard work is rather tempting.
Against: I would like to see how far I could get on 48K.
Investment potential: 3/10. A toy but a very nice one.

The Aesthete's forlorn hope.

1969 NSU Ro80. I ran into a pleasant fellow at the Rally of Otago street event who had just sold a set of Fuchs allow wheels from an NSU Ro80. I would have bought them in a flash in the expectation that I would find a car like this to put them on. Both he and Wonderboy asserted that the Ro80 was an ugly car. The Aesthete would say it was the most beautiful saloon car of its time but he is funny that way.

For: So clever.
Against: So doomed.
Investment potential: 3/10. You should have one of these and an early 911 Targa in the same hue.

The Aesthete faces his demons

The Aesthete's Fleet

You can probably guess what has the Aesthete's index finger poised over the buy now button this week but I will be generous and alert you to it anyway. This of course shows the high moral character of the Aesthete as measured by his selfless behaviour when confronted with something he would dearly like to own.

I forgot to mention the other week that a reader has kindly supplied another Aesthete's ABC. You can read it here and it is really very good with a number of titles that had me searching for some time for evidence that they ever existed. Bravo, that man! Owasso indeed.

 

1952 Riley RMB. What comprised a good sports saloon in the early 1950s and which nations made them? Only England and Italy is the surprising answer. You could buy an American four door car that would do 100 MPH but it would not be remotely sporty. You could buy a Delahaye or a Delage from France but you would need a nobelmans's fortune to do so. The big Rileys therefore offer a unique combination of pre-war looks, high performance and affordability. This one needs some final fettling but the all important interior looks fine and it has a rebuilt motor.

For: Evocative and satisfying.
Against: Demanding as well.
Investment potential: 3/10. An original car should fetch more than this.

1953 Alvis TA21 DHC. The excellent value of the Riley may be gauged by the 65K asking price for this handsome Alvis although they were never an inexpensive car in period. This Tickford bodied tourer offers a pleasant experience for four full size occupants and you will be at your destination in good time thanks to the locomotive like qualities of the 3-litre engine.

For: Something for the gentleman.
Against: I could think of different uses for 65K.
Investment potential: 2/10 here but you could probably sell it back in Blighty.

1966 Sunbeam Tiger. That 65K would drop you into the cockpit of this Mk 1 Tiger although you will be down on passenger space if that is an important consideration. These cars, even at their current respectable prices, represent value for the Carol Shelby connection alone. Open top Anglo-American hybrids are rare enough in any case and if it had an exotic badge you would be paying a great deal more for it.

For: Surprisingly civilised and quick.
Against: The low values of lesser brethren keep the prices flat.
Investment potential: 4/10 once people wake up.

1990 Renault Alpine GTA. Here is the other Alpine, the French variety that marked the apogee of rear engined sports car development, in that country at least. Plastic panels and a slightly flimsy feel to the interior means that a 911 is a more obvious choice but we do not value 'obvious' greatly here. These cars are always slow sellers so you should buy with the firm intention of long term ownership. It is not something you can flick off to a passing oik.

For: Unorthodox and with a fine pedigree.
Against: Earlier Alpines are worth a fortune but not these, sadly.
Investment potential: 1/10. Most will prefer a 911.

1965 Alfa Romeo Guilia Super. The Aesthete could not totally stifle a whoop when this popped up on Trademe a few minutes ago. A Guilia is the absolute essential 1960s sports saloon and owning a good one is the key to years of Italian motoring pleasure. This appears to be a genuine low milage car although bearing signs of some improvised repairs. The vendor says it was offered for sale a couple of years ago. It should have been snapped up then so careful investigation is advised.

For: One of the best cars ever made.
Against: What could possibly be said against it?
Investment potential: 8/10 if it is as good as it looks.


What, no overpriced European buzz bomb this week?

Oh alright. Here is a very nice Moretti 750 but you have to get it from Malta.

The Aesthete's lost weekend

The Aesthete's Fleet

The long Easter to Anzac Day break has slipped by with little either attempted or achieved. I have learnt that the Alfa's disturbing self steering is due to some missing plastic spacers that stop the axle trunnion moving from side to side. As these were absent from duty they have never been included on the inventory of jobs but their replacement should firm up the handling and stop nervous nelly passengers from clutching at the dash as we descend our steep road. After that I will attempt to stop the Lancia's oil cooler from lubricating the entire engine bay and road way between Port Chalmers and the city.

1968 Triumph 2000 Estate. Most British attempts to craft an estate car from their mass produced saloons were awful bodges but the Triumph 2000 was an exception. Low roof line and narrow hips made for restricted load space but the luxury cabin and smooth six cylinder power made up for it. This rare Mk I model comes with the Micholetti-designed dash pod and clever engine modifications ensure strong performance. The Jasmine Yellow paint seals the deal. White roof optional (see below).

For: The best looking 1960s wagon, tastefully upgraded.
Against: Keep the rust at bay.
Investment potential: 3/10. You may not see another.

1956 Studebaker Sky Hawk. The first major restyle of the Loewy designed coupe delivered a handsome new nose but not yet the tacked on fins that spoiled the elegant lines. This Sky Hawk model achieved boutique level numbers but rarity is no big deal amongst Studebakers where falling sales kept production low. The owner seems to have given up at the sight of some floor rust so if you want one of the best looking American cars of the period make him a desultory offer.

For: Yellow and white roof. Grwwlll.
Against: Plenty of work to do yet.
Investment potential: 1/10. Much less if you have to pay someone to do it.

1971 Alfa Romeo GTV. Oh dear me. My advice to erstwhile GTV owners is to check carefully under the paint before you embark on a major restoration. There was a rather notorious racer in Auckland named Raspberry Ripple and then Strawberry Crush after its last and most violent encounter with the barrier and it could almost be this car. Never the less, good GTV prices are on the march and all the outer panels are available to repair the worst of this mess.

For: Apart from the real exotics, the most buyable of the 105 GTV family.
Against: I would be looking carefully underneath this one with a measuring tape.
Investment potential: 2/10. You will still spend all of 20K to get this to be a 30K car.

1996 BMW M3 E35 3.2 EVO  All the letters and numbers mean is that this was one of the most exciting BMW road cars you could buy in the mid-1990s and this rare six-speed four door car is still a top shelf performer today. Modestly high milages in one of these cars is a good sign, as is a fulsome maintenance record.  It is New Zealand-new as well.

For: Few ways of going more quickly for the price.
Against: Try and not have it blow up in your ownership.
Investment potential: 3/10

1967 Jaguar E-Type 2+2. As pointed out in the UK classic car press recently, extra seats and greater convenience can reduce the price of an early E-Type by half. So it seems with this very desirable S1 car with the covered headlights but 4.2 litre engine and much improved gearbox. It seems to have not been bodged in the past so it could either be the very expensive start to a full restoration or a usable car to be enjoyed as it stands. You choose.

For: Cor! You'll be fighting the birds off in that, guvnor.
Against: Same advice as GTV above. Bring your x-ray specs.
Investment potential: 2/10 as long as you do not attempt restoration. Otherwise -6/10.

The Aesthete's bargain basement classics

1961 Simca Aronde Plein Ciel Coupe. Like the Aesthete,  you want a Facel Vega but are cruelly denied the economic means to indulge yourself. You could have one of these instead. Facel made a comfortable living building coupes for Simca and they are rather under valued for what they are. This Aronde has some of the styling cues of the exotic French grand routier but draped over simple and reliable mechanicals. You could find saloons rotting under trees a short time ago but they have probably all gone now.

For: A Bardot body for a few sous.
Against: An Edith Piaf dash spoils the effect.
Investment potential: 2/10. For inveterate Francophiles.  

The Aesthete's holy day of observation

The Aesthete's Fleet

I took the Lancia up to Cromwell to watch the Highland Park Festival of Speed on Saturday with the Aesthetette for company.  What are the odds then of parking next to the owner of what is evidently the only functioning Lancia 2000 saloon in the country? It lives with its chaming owners at the restored Pitche's Store at Ophir so I now have another reason to visit the countryside.

Highland Park itself is a odd thing.  There was a great array of cars including old favorites like the Lycoming Special but the drivers did not seem to be trying very hard and problems with the sound system and timing meant that no-one knew who was winning. There was a wonderful Maserati 3500 GT parked on the paddock so I took a picture. It was the highlight of the day.

1972 Bristol 411. You do not see too many Bristols on the Aesthete's list and that is not a joke for any of you secret Barbara Windsor fans. Admittedly, this 411 is a wreck but the exquisite shut lines on the doors suggest that the bespoke bodywork is in a reasonable state. The long and narrow 411 has a pedigree going back to the aerodynamic BMW based cars of the 1940s but the Chrysler V8 moves things along at a fair clip. The vendor does not mention the interior but be prepared to spend a lot of money if it is past saving.

For: A 140MPH gentleman's club.
Against: You could find a better one in the UK. They are inexplicably cheap for what they are.
Investment potential: 2/10 if you own a tannery and a herd of barn raised cattle.

1953 Chevrolet Belair Sport Coupe. The phenomenal success of the 1955 Chevrolet range with its light weight V8 has put earlier six cylinder cars somewhat in the shade. This well specified Belair coupe may have sufficient charm to overcome its dynamic shortcomings. The interior looks a pleasant place to be and I imagine the Billy Eckstine Orchestra rather than Little Richard flowing from the push-button AM radio.

For: Oddly chic. No, really.
Against: Not a driver's car, more of a passenger's one.
Investment potential: 1/10. I am still waiting for the US iron price meltdown. It must come soon.

1985 BMW M635 CSi. This is an exquisite thing not to be confused with the baggy old 635 coupes that proliferate for around 5K on Trademe and never seem to sell. The M635 was the master of the autobahn in the 1980s and, as the European versions were not governed, would run out to 250KPH. This one has a rebuilt motor which would cost about the asking price so you get the rest of the car for nothing. What are you waiting for? Schnell!

For: There is still little faster or more capable, particularly for that sort of money.
Against: The vendor has a few little things to explain to the buyer. Why does he not just fix them?
Investment potential: 2/10, dependent on the little things above staying little.

1972 BMW 3.0 CSi. Whether the looks and cachet of the earlier model warrants paying three times the price is of course up to the whim of the purchaser. This example is extensively modified and loaded with period bling that does little to enhance the elegant form. The fortuitous mash up of Giorgetto Guigiaro's early 1960s  rear section and an extended nose by Karmann is one of the best looking coupes ever made but another German once famously said "Less is more" and he was right.

For: It will be quick.
Against: Possibly the ugliest BMW E9 coupe available.
Investment potential: 3/10 but only if you undo everything the current owner has done.

1972 Lotus Elan +2S. Not every car could carry off a daffodil yellow bottom section and a silver roof. In fact the only one the Aesthete can imagine is an Elan +2S. This speaks volumes for the essential rightness of the shape that falls into the ugly/beautiful end of the automotive aesthetics range. It looks particularly gawky with the lights up, a fact that does not bother the vendor. I like his attitude and suggest one of you buy his car.

For: The Aesthete never tires of looking at these cars.
Against: But then he has never owned one.
Investment potential: 3/10 but possibly not as a daily driver

The Aesthete's Euro ugly bug of the week

1969 DAF 55 Coupe. I suspect the Dutch are celebrated for their automotive industry in much the same way as Italians are for their beautiful tulips. DAF was not deterred and trod an idiosyncratic path of its own producing clever small cars with constantly variable transmissions. Limitations on the amount of power that could be transmitted using rubber belts meant that none were particularly fast but this coupe has undeniable charm and I like the cheap Alfa-esque interior. I bet they trembled in Milan when they saw this.

For: A gear for every occasion.
Against: Could not pull a sailor off your sister.
Investment potential: 1/10. Put your money in cinnamon biscuits.

The Aesthete surveys the ruins

I must have been asleep and missed the terrible flood that swept through Trademe and washed away all the interesting cars so this week's selection is made up from the bedraggled survivors. It would have to be bad to reach us up here on the hill overlooking Port Chalmers but I can hear them calling out down on the flat "Oh no. Its got the Nissan". Good.

1966 Oldmobile Toronado. You do not have to pay very much to get a decent example of the most daringly engineered American car of the 1960s, also one of the most dramatic coupes ever to command the road. The styling in watered down form was passed on to the first series Holden Monaro. Try getting one of those for 10K now.  I imagine these cars as they were illustrated in period, in the rain at night with a smudgy eyed companion in a little black dress pulling away from the best party that has ever been thrown.

For: The Aesthete's dream car.
Against: Could easily be a nightmare.
Investment potential: 3/10 Tread carefully though when they are still so cheap in their home country.

1971 Sunbeam Rapier. Here of course is the English version of the same dream, although the magic is wrought from humble Hillman Hunter parts rather than Cadillac ones. The Aesthete can normally resist the charms of these cars but the deep bottle green paint, vinyl roof and stainless steel sills sets this Rapier above the more humdrum Alpine version. Now, picture yourself pulling away from an Accrington semi after a night on the Double Diamond, Deidre with her head out the window.

For: Oddly attractive, like an old copy of Men Only.
Against: Semidetached suburban Mr James, as Manfred Mann once had it.
Investment potential: 3/10. The price is about right for once.

1967 Austin A110 Westminster Mk II. BMC's old war horse was looking rather tired by the late 1960s and was about to be replaced by the peculiar Austin 3 Litre so the marketing office threw all the nice parts into the so called Super Deluxe model. Separate leather seats, picnic tables, twin carbs and lots of cheap  veneer wrapped in handsome Pininfarina lines is an attractive combination but anyone with any sense would have bought anything else, surely?

For: Reverse snobbery makes it better than a Wolseley.
Against: Show it a corner in the rain and find out.
Investment potential: 3/10. Rare enough to be interesting.

1960 Auto Union 1000. These ugly bugs sold for more than the price of the aforementioned Westminster so it is a surprise to find them in New Zealand at all. They tended to be owned by fanatics who appreciated the smooth three cylinder engine that felt more like a six due to its unearthly ability to fire on each stroke. The charming interior with white plastic steering wheel and painted metal dash has a Bauhaus feel about it that pleases the Aesthete's perverse sensibilities.

For: The odd source from which all modern Audis sprang.
Against: The reeking cloud of hydrocarbons that will follow you everywhere you go.
Investment potential: 2/10. Only loved by an aging band of sympathisers.

1957 Lotus Super Seven S1. The Aesthete has long yearned for an alloy bodied special in which to streak in and out of the city on fine days. This replica Seven is just the thing although the fragile Coventry Climax motor is possibly taking authenticity a step too far for everyday use. Anyone who thinks that Lotus Sevens are ugly are surely thinking of the fat later versions. The tall, narrow hipped cycle winged S1 is utterly sublime.

For: Wind in the teeth and up many other parts of the body.
Against: Nothing. Roll it inside for the winter and use it for a coffee table.
Investment potential: 4/10. 20K seems quite cheap for what it is.

One for the real Italianophile.

1950 Siata Amica. I hope my Queenstown based Toppolino driving friends are reading this as the Siata Amica is indeed a special bodied Fiat 500. With a performance upgrade to 20 horsepower you are not going to frighten any Maseratis but it has all the charm in the world and would be just the thing to take down to town for a pizza from Bella Cucina. I think they would give you one for free just for the boost you would give their business.

For: Oh come on. Look at it.
Against: 100 KPH flat out may not be enough.
Investment potential: 1/10. Once you have got it here, nulla, sadly.