Tag: Cars

Never mind the money or the maintenance costs;  I’m not sure that I’d want any of the cars in this collection.

If pressed, I’d go with the Ferrari 288 GTO:

…simply because it was the last of the “slimline” Ferraris (before they got as fat as the Ford F-350 dually).

Feel free to weigh in with your choice(s).  (People who are satisfied with their Toyota pickup or Ford Taurus need not participate.)

My kinda cars altogether.

…featuring “Gentlemen” and “Professional” drivers.

Note the grid lineup (R to L):

Quite a few dollars in that lot.

Anyway, take an hour or so and enjoy the sounds of yesteryear…

Ooooh this one gets me where I’m prone to tingle:

THREE stunning classic Land Rovers are going under the hammer and look likely to fetch £50,000 each.  The classic off-roaders have all been fully restored and are ready and waiting to be driven and enjoyed by the highest bidders.

Here they are (full descriptions are in the article):

Yikes.

As we saw last week, there’s really not a good reason for a car to have a jillion horsepower — one of those “just because you can doesn’t mean you should” situations.  Lots of power on the racetrack:  good.  Lots of horsepower on roads and streets:  ehhh maybe not.

And when looking at cars on this here back porch o’ mine, can older cars be far behind?  Remember, they’re grouped into “taking the family out for a drive” (saloon cars) and “I’m taking my best girl out for a picnic or date” (sports cars).  So here are my choices, from a bygone age.

Saloon Car:

Citroën Traction Avant 15/6 Normale (1949)

I know:  the earlier Traction models (pre-1938) were horrendously underpowered, but the later 15/6 version had a 2.9-liter inline 6 engine which boosted its initial 32bhp to a stratospheric 60bhp, and this yielded a top speed of about 70mph.  I know:  I wouldn’t be able to take this splendid creature onto an interstate, but then why would I want to?  Country roads at 55mph, city streets (drawing admiring looks from everyone).  It’s still one of the classiest cars ever built.

Daimler Consort (1952)

Let’s see:  heavy, underpowered (2.5-liter engine / 70bhp) and supremely comfortable — sounds like my kinda car, and it is.  And it’s gorgeous, so much better-looking than modern saloon cars, and classy (which no modern car is, to the same degree).

 

Sports Car:

Fiat 124 Sport Spider (1966)

Built by Fiat, design by Pininfarina, the 1400cc engine developed 89hp (once again, enough for country lanes and pootling around city streets).

Sunbeam Alpine Series III (1967)

I have to admit a serious crush on this model, with its snappy little 1725cc / 96bhp engine.  It’s beautiful, cheeky and nippy, despite its underpowered engine.  Of course, it’s not as classy as its predecessor:

Sunbeam Alpine Mk I (1955)

This is the car that Cary Grant used to seduce Grace Kelly in To Catch A Thief, but I have to admit that its 2.2-liter / 96bhp engine, while larger than the later Mk III, had to move a chassis which weighed nearly three times as much.  But hey, I don’t do drag races.

 

Go ahead, laugh all you want at the above.  But I’d have an ultra-luxurious drive in the first category, and a super-fun drive in the other, whichever the choice.  I don’t need a massive, loud, gas-guzzling engine to do either;  but most of all, the cars are all stylish, in a way that modern cars cannot compete with.

Remember:  these are cars of their times, not for today, so don’t apply modern-day standards to either — although I’d happily drive any of them today, given the chance.