Kim’s Garage

Drive Time

No of course it doesn’t exist — for one thing, I’m not a zillionaire like Harry Metcalfe, and nor have I been a petrolhead like Harry for decades.

That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t (and who wouldn’t?) like to have a 10-car garage like Harry’s, filled with all my dream cars.  The only question:  could I keep it to only 10?  Let’s have a look, and they’re not in any order of preference.

Firstly, Longtime Loyal Readers will not be surprised by any of the cars in my garage, because they’ve heard me bang on about them for years.  So I’ll start with the most-frequently-mentioned ones:

1972 Dino 246 GT

Okay, honestly:  it was Ferrari’s first attempt at an entry-level Ferrari — Old Man Enzo didn’t even want to badge it as a Ferrari, at first — and it’s not really a very good drive, by Ferrari standards.  The gear shift is clunky and the clutch needs Lou Ferrigno muscles to work if you’re driving it in stop-start traffic. But:  it is to my mind, and to the minds of many others, one of (if not the most) beautiful cars ever built.  And if like me you will occasionally say, “The hell with function;  what about the form?” then you’re not going to quibble (kinda like Salma Hayek’s inability to make a decent fish ‘n chips:  who cares?).

The same is true of the next one in Kim’s Garage:

1966 Jaguar E-type Series 2 Speedster

Yes, I’d probably prefer to have the resto-modded Eagle version, but truthfully, I don’t care.  And this car needs no justification, because E-type.

2001 BMW Z8

BMW’s successor to the 1959 Model 507, it’s one of the very few “modern” (made in the 21st century) cars that made me catch my breath the minute I saw it for the first time.  As did the next one:

2015 Maserati GT

It has a Ferrari 4.7-liter V8 engine, and looks to put Lollobrigida in the shade;  what’s not to worship?  But enough of the youngins.  Let’s go back in time a tad…

1954 Mercedes 300 SC

Quite possibly one of the best cars Mercedes has ever built.  The engineers were told to design a car that could cruise at top speed all day on the autobahn without ever suffering a mechanical breakdown of any kind.  So they did.  (I’d even accept the larger 300 S sedan model of the same year — same car, really.)

1967 Austin Healey 3000 Mk III

Yeah I know:  oil leaks, Lucas electrical system, blah blah blah.  Don’t care, I love it dearly.  As I do the next sports car:

1970 Alfa Romeo Giulia GT Junior

Alfa pura.  Tiny, raucous, spunky and glorious.  Like the next one.

1966 Mini-Moke

Not the modern electrical one;  this is the underpowered runaround with the famed Mini 850cc engine;  famous, that is, for being the engine that when you put your throttle flat to the floor:  nothing happens.  And speaking of underpowered runarounds;  if I couldn’t find the older Austin Moke, then I’d get a decent substitute:

1960 Fiat 500 Jolly

Just the wicker seats alone make this worth the price of admission.  But let’s get serious, now…

1976 Mercedes 450 SEL 6.9

The Q-ship of the Mercedes line, with a standard W116 frame that concealed a roaring 6.9-liter V8 monster under the hood.  What the 1954 Merc engineers would have designed if they’d had the technology.  (In today’s money, it cost the equivalent of $195,000 back then.)  This, and the ’54 300 SC would be my “refined” drives.

At some point, I have to acknowledge that several of the sports cars listed above would be, shall we say “occasional” drives, the occasions being that they were actually working and not in the shop.  So for the last one, I’m going to go for reliability above all.

1994 Honda NSX

It’s the sports-car equivalent of the two Mercedes on the list:  reliable to a fault, but with all the grunt I’d ever want or need.  And it’s not bad looking, either.  (I don’t like the more recent model NSX because it’s pig-ugly and vulgar.)

 

9 comments

  1. That 1954 Mercedes 300SC – be still my beating heart! And the Jag is a heart attack in waiting.

    But… nothing pre-WW2? Not even a Bentley roadster? Put me down for a 1928 or 1929 4.5 litre convertible.

  2. I’m drawn to the cars of the era I came of age in, the late 60’s early 70’s American Muscle Cars. #1 would be a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 in red with black interior and yes, I want the louvers on the back window. #2 would be the grandest muscle of them all, the mighty 1970 Chevelle SS 454, blue with black interior. And on and on until all 10 garage bays were filled to the brim. Man, I’m gettin’ wood just typing this! lol

    1. Two superb choices that would also have a place in my garage (my Mustang wouldn’t have the louvers though). And as much as I love American Muscle Cars, I would have to have two notable exceptions. First, a 1984 Ford Escort (about the exact opposite of a muscle car) for nostalgia purposes as it was my first car. Second, a Lamborghini Countach with the rear spoiler also for nostalgia purposes as it was the first car I ever dreamed about owning one day.

  3. I recall an anecdote from Car And Driver magazine: the NSX (marketed here in ‘Merica under the Acura badge) had titanium connecting rods, which cost something like $50 each. A Honda executive asked what was the cost of aluminum rods, and nearly fainted when told that they were about 85 cents. (That’s a memory of an article from over 30 years ago; the numbers may be off a bit, but they’re close enough for internet commentary.)

  4. Honda for me, looks + reliability. And Salma or Caroline Munro in the passenger seat. Or Ingrid Pitt ( I do not remember any of those 2 ever featured on Splendid Isolation )

    1. Pierre, this post is about a garage, not a stable (of women).

      However, your comment about Mlles Munro and Pitt has been noted. Merci beaucoup.

  5. An admirable list of desirable cars. Everyone’s list is very different. I’ve been to a number of Car Collections, and yes, apparently is very hard to stop at just 10 cars. I got a tour of Bill Ruger’s collection before he passed. He was most proud of the Fire Engines in the collection and told us a very funny story of buying a 30’s era fully equipped operational Pumper truck from the Connecticut coast and then driving the open truck to his NH Factory with no License Plates.
    https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bill+ruger+car+collection&qpvt=bill+ruger+car+collection&form=IGRE&first=1

    Then there was the collection of Mike Kittridge The founder of Yankee Candle. 80 Plus cars in two large “Barns” – A row of different models of Bentleys, a row of Astons, a row of Ferraris, a row of Porsches, etc. all in running condition and each Licensed and ready to drive on short notice. A different car every day for months without repeating.

    … and the Local collection of the late J. Giles at KTR Motorsports ( His race car restoration company
    when he wasn’t fooling around with guitars ) which featured a broad range of 60’s and 70’s race cars including a pair of Ferrari GTO’s when we visited.

    So, yes don’t feel you need to stop at just 10.

  6. Moke – Underpowered!
    In the late 60’s I worked at a BMC/Lotus shop called La Cañada Sports Cars, located in the foothills of L.A. (on Foothill Blvd BTW). The distributor, BMCD, was located on the other side of L.A. down near the ports. When we had cars/parts to pick up we (I) used a Moke to take four of us down to BMCD – three to drive the new cars back to La Canada, me to carry the replenishments for the parts/service depts. Even four-up, we never had trouble keeping up with L.A. traffic on the freeway, though it was thought-provoking gazing out at the 18-wheelers we were passing, or being passed by, with their axle hubs at eye-level.

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