See last Saturday’s post for the background, if this is the first time you’re seeing this series.
My choices for the Euro section is a little different this time, because in addition to wanting to flee the modern electro-digital foolishness, I’m also tending towards smaller cars that are fun to drive, but not necessarily high-performance cars. So you won’t see the Dino 246 (my perennial favorite) or similar in today’s selection. Here they are:
1956 Porsche 356C
1971 Lancia Fulvia 1600 HF
1964 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider
And here’s my go-to choice, one that, unlike the Alfa, will always start reliably:
1964 Mercedes 230 SL
I am quite curious to know that if I ever did populate my garage with the above four beauties, which one would become my favorite over time.
And next week — have the smelling-salts handy — I’m going to list my modern choices.
These are all lovely choices and I would choose the Benz, for mine. Contemplating them gives me the same sad feeling I get when YouTube shows me the “Best Motorcycle Rides in Texas” and I spend too much time dreaming of the pleasant places to drive. Those motorcycle roads would make for an outstanding drive for any of these cars . And I suppose if I lived in New Hampshire or some other hobbit hole (Old Hampshire?), I could pull out of my garage and be on the scenic twisties in short order.
Where I live, it’s a long drive fighting F-250 Super Duties and crazy people to get there. I’ve had them try to run me off the road while driving a decent-sized SUV, let alone a lovely little 230 SL. Any of these cars would just represent blood sport to entirely too many Texas drivers, just as motorcycles do.
Since these are all fantasies anyway, I guess it makes little difference, but it’s irritating that real world impediments encroach on such pleasant contemplation.
It doesn’t help that every Friday I subject myself to Swanson’s Friday Open Road at the DailyTimewaster. Here’s today’s … https://dailytimewaster.blogspot.com/2024/08/friday-open-road_30.html
Which one would be my favorite? Since they are now 50+ year old cars with a rapidly dwindling supply of parts, the more appropriate question is which one is the most likely to running ( or keep running). Clearly the answer is the 356C. It also has the best chance of keeping up with modern traffic and avoiding some Bro in a Dually with a Big Hat. ….. and performance versions are available.
An Air Force officer friend of mine in the Philippines (stood up in my wedding in San Fernando, La Union Province) had a 1970s vintage Spider shipped over. Loved it, loads of fun, but boy was it a headache for him. I had a more reliable American-made Renault Alliance manual transmission which was also fun to drive over there.
That would be the Mercedes for me, German built an reliability, Plus I remember having slobered from désire for one in my neighborod.