There’s a popular phrase: The heart wants what it wants. Most of us have done things for love (or lust) that we knew ahead of time were terrible ideas, but that we just couldn’t resist, from indulging in a rich dessert that’s guaranteed to cause indigestion to getting back together with a lunatic ex because the sparks still flew. The automotive world is of course full of imprudent temptations that you know full well would just strain your nerves and empty your bank account if you gave in — but for a few of them, you still would if you could. Here are two of mine.
Alfa Romeo Montreal
Take a Tipo 105 Giulia GTV platform, fit it with a racy all-aluminum DOHC 2,593 cc (158.2 cu. in.) V-8 derived from the Tipo 33, drape it in show-stopping Stilo Bertone concept car styling, and you have … a headache, most likely.
The great automotive writer Michael Lamm, who owned one for nine unhappy months in 2007–2008, described the Alfa Romeo Montreal in Chapter 14 of his 2012 “Unauthorized Auto-Biography” as “an intemperate ferret: aggressive, aggravating, high-strung, complicated and hard to live with.” Lamm’s car was in rough shape when he acquired it, and the mechanical complexity of the car and its SPICA injection system made it sorting it a nightmare. Lamm wasn’t impressed with the styling, which he called “clichéd,” or the performance, which he thought weak even when the injection and ignition systems were more or less in order. So, he gave up after less than a year, later calling the Montreal “my least favorite car.”
I still would — though maybe not in orange.
I freely admit that the Montreal has an abundance of nonfunctional styling gimmicks, the workmanship leaves much to be desired, and the customary Italian long-arms-short-legs driving position is awkward if you’re not built like Doc Savage’s ape-like assistant Monk Mayfair. The chassis wasn’t quite sorted, the brakes were heavy, the ZF five-speed gearbox was notchy, and it wasn’t outstandingly quick even with 200 PS DIN in a 2,900-lb car. (Autocar recorded 0–60 mph in 7.6 seconds, the quarter mile in 15.4 seconds, and 137 mph on top, while burning 101 RON super premium at an alarming rate of 12.4 miles to the U.S. gallon.) As Lamm found, the Montreal is also a pain to repair or maintain, and is full of minor annoyances.
But, but, but: The Montreal is also a dazzling showpiece, an exuberant Op-Art confection like something from a Jim Steranko Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comic book. When it’s running properly, the injected V-8 is one of the world’s most charismatic engines, burbling and growling rhapsodically in that intoxicating way that used to be the stock-in-trade of Italian cars. If the details were better-sorted, the Montreal would be completely irresistible even if it meant always having a vintage Alfa specialist on speed-dial — a car to make you look and feel like a rock star.
Paradoxically, that’s ultimately the real dissuader: Stylistically, the Montreal is a car for people who look like Milla Jovovich (and have Milla Jovovich money); if you don’t, there’s a very real risk of looking like a prat. Still — considered as an objet d’art, something to look at and listen to, the Montreal remains terribly tempting, for all its flaws.
Mazda FD RX-7
Not so very much different from the Montreal in size (it’s about 2 inches longer overall on a 3-inch longer wheelbase, but of about the same width and similar weight), the final Mazda RX-7 of the 1990s is significantly different in character. To my eyes, the 1992–2002 FD RX-7 still a knockout — lean, muscular, and purposeful — and it’s not nearly as frivolously indulgent as the Alfa. For the FD, Mazda trimmed something like 200 lb compared to the last FC RX-7, so the twin-turbo version, with 255 hp, was ferociously quick for the ’90s, and still respectably fast today. It’s also sharp-edged and responsive, with very strong brakes and bundles of grip, at least on a dry road. A serious driving machine.
The downsides, though: It was fragile (on early cars, even the paint was easily damaged). The twin-turbo 13B engine ran hot (tending to cook itself, its wiring and vacuum hoses, and the occupants). It was very thirsty, and it had some weak spots that need to be dealt with if you want to keep it healthy. (Allegedly — allegedly — the FD can be reasonably reliable if you upgrade a few problem areas and if you know how to know to properly maintain it, but do you really?) Also, as impressive as the RX-7’s dry-road performance can be, very sharp handling was a double-edged sword in the days before stability control, and wringing out an FD RX-7 without ending up sideways down a canyon or wrapped around a utility pole requires a non-trivial degree of driving skill.
There again is the weak link in the fantasy: I can’t drive like Keiichi Tsuchiya any more than I look like Milla Jovovich, and if I’m being even halfway honest, I have to concede that a new MX-5 Miata RF would have a much more viable fun-to-terror ratio while probably being far less hassle. (I talked myself out of buying an RX-8 years ago on a similar basis and don’t regret it.)
Even so, I wanted one of these awfully badly when they were new, and when I see an FD now, I can’t help thinking, “Aww, man, if only …”
So, the question for the group:
What’s a car you covet even though you know better?
A TurboIII FWD Mopar from the80s
Wow, both examples are quite spot on for me! I love the Montreal and would even prefer it in a period color like our example. Just a gorgeous but fragile car.
Regarding the FD, a friend of a friend of mine had one in college about 15 years ago. It sat in his garage and on tow trucks more than the streets. More recently, my wife’s uncle has a pristine black 6-speed TT FD with 50k miles on it. Every time I see him I ask what’s his latest fiasco with it. At Thanksgiving it was the neutral safety switch, before that it was a dead battery, before that it was a $5k servicing of the oil injection pump…
My MKIV Supra hasn’t been troublefree but it is a 30 year old car. Any troubles it’s giving me have been straightforward and inexpensive to repair.
First gen Lotus Esprit. I was making good money at the time. Fortunately it was priced higher than predicted.
1971 Jensen Interceptor. Its timeless beauty still resonates today. Mopar drivetrain was a huge asset, but it’s still a British car, with all the negatives that implies.
I’m not sure why but I’ve seen no less than 3 Interceptors being used as garage shelves over the years. There was one down the block from my first house. Several years later I went to a customer’s house and he had one, finally the person who lived across the street from my Mother-Law’s house had one.
No idea of why any of them were originally parked and how long they had sat before I saw them. I did see the one across the street from my MIL’s outside once, as they were preparing to move. Either way not a ringing endorsement of being worth the trouble.
My answer is very pragmatic – the 2011-2019 Fiat 500. I came very close to purchasing a leftover 2012 the following January, but I ended up wisely deciding another vehicle would be the last thing I’d need if I in fact ended up moving across the country (which I did by the end of the year).
Today I don’t trust what the future brings regarding dealer service and simple parts support; The past four years and counting Fiat has sold less than 3,000 new vehicles annually in the US, and with the current state of Stellantis…
We bought a used 2018 Fiat 500 Pop 5-speed for the wife last year, she loves it to pieces. Engine’s turbocharged…it’s a blast to drive. Parts have not been an issue and considering how many Fiat sold in Europe, I’m not concerned. For a car as small as it is, it really hasn’t been too bad to work on either.
1936-37 CORD; 1981-83 CHRYSLER IMPERIAL; 1967 AMC AMBASSADOR CONVERTIBLE
Any pre-federal bumper Jaguar sedan. My tastes and finances don’t run towards exotic cars, which are gorgeous aliens whom I would never know how to talk to. But a 3.8 Mark II or XJ-6 sedan with those chrome artillery wheels would be just draining enough to tempt me without stopping me. An XJ in that gorgeous cocoa brown or a Daimler V-8 250 sedan would put me happily into “debtor’s prison.”
I do like ..”exotic cars are gorgeous aliens whom I would never know how to talk to”.
If you insist on a V8 250, as might I, go all the way and get one of the very few (1000?) manual o/d ones. Now that you could talk to!
VW Pheaton. Just saw one for sale at the worst place to buy, a BHPH. Cloudy headlights, clear coat failure, cash only 7999. Still tempted to look at was best a running parts car.
Our 2001 VW was still,pretty new when these came out and I got an invitation to a “customer appreciation” event featuring the Phaeton, at the decommissioned Alameda Air Station (where a lot of Mythbusters shows were staged). I had no interest but in hindsight I should have at least gone so I could say I’ve driven one.
I’m not sure I would ever use the word covet to describe my feelings about a car, at least not since the age of about 14. But I was at least tempted when I learned that my neighbor was selling his W8 Passat 6 speed wagon. I let the temptation pass.
An Alfa Romeo Giulia from 1963 or the 1972 AR Alfetta are the first that come to mind. Great seats but the reliability issues are troubling. That leads me to think of a 1982 Maserati Biturbo or the QP from the 80s. Lovely engines and clocks…. but also a major headache.
Lots of cars out there that I’d love to think about owning, but if you told me to pick one it would be a Mk II VW Scirocco. As an ’80s high schooler I lusted after these back in the day. I’m sure reliability and sourcing parts would not be fun to deal with today, but the kid in me still wants one.
I finally saw a Montreal in person, after having seen pictures in collectible car books, usually like the lead photo, with very little context for size. I always thought they were, at the very least in size comparable to a 1970’s Camaro, given that they had a V8 and were a 2+2. Was I wrong! They are incredibly tiny! The guy who owned it said it had been a lot of work to get it to be reliable enough to drive to car shows.
Almost all the cars I lust after are also “problematic”. Here’s some of the more problematic ones, and conveniently enough also practically unobtainable:
A Bristol 412 or even more ridiculous a Beaufighter/Beaufort
A Citroen SM
An R3 Studebaker Avanti or GT Hawk
The aforementioned Montreal
Daimler V8 Majestic Major, or SP-250 if one has to “settle”
1970’s/80’s Aston Martin Lagonda
Maserati Quattroporte III (as noted above)
Jensen Interceptor (as noted above)
Lamborghini Espada
I would imagine I could probably find an Interceptor or even a 411 Bristol, or a non-R3 Avanti or GT Hawk, for only moderately insane $$. But it would still be insane I think. I have talked to someone who had a Quattroporte at a car show, he said “it really isn’t that unreliable”. But he also seemed like the kind of person who didn’t sniff at dropping $5k every 6 months on it.
I don´t think you´ll have problems with a Bristol. The engine is a simple Chrysler and the rest of the mechanicals are robust and well-screwed together. They are a car for a lifetime if you don´t mind the fuel bills. The rest are all serious migraine money-pits, I agree. Nice and also nasty. But lovely to behold.
BMW 840/850.
Love how they look, scared of repairs and maintenance.
Some cars are best enjoyed in scale model size.
Unaffordable purchase, it’ll never happen due to that (but a boy can dream): Renault 5 Turbo II.
Unaffordable maintenance, it’ll never happen due to that: Anything Maserati Biturbo based, the newer the better.
Questionable future, but you never know: Polestar 2 (pre-facelift): for some reason I love the aesthetics/design of the thing but concern myself with future parts/service/repairability. But at some point pricing may render that irrelevant if the roll of the dice becomes inexpensive enough.
The Jensen Healey / GT for me. The early ones were a test bed for Lotus and their 907 engine. The earlier ones looked better with their smaller bumpers but had a more troublesome engine. The rest of the car is a collection of Vauxhall and Rootes parts assembled in a mostly hand made way.
The kicker is once you sort out the faults they are not a particularly valuable or amazing looking car but I still lust after one for some reason.
De Tomaso Pantera of the early 70’s sold at Lincoln Mercury dealers. This would make a Jaguar look stellar in the areas of reliability and dependability. However, we all have our vices!!
As a follow up, a V6 Mercury Capri or Mk I VW Scirocco. I got my drivers license in the early 70’s, so all three were on bedroom posters.
I still search the web for 2013 thru 2017 Fiat 500s. I could teach my nieces and nephews the lost art of the stick shift and how to change a tire. 🙂
Make mine a Mangusta, to me even prettier in that classic Italian supercar genre, but known be more buggy than a Pantera: overheating and other issues which, however, can be addressed successfully with knowledge,
1956 Packard Patrician. I’ll probably never own one but if Santa Baby could get Eartha Kitt “a 54 convertible too, light blue”, then maybe there’s hope.
I would like to have a 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed.. The last year they offered the twin turbo W12 engine. It’s big and fast and luxurious.
I’d only keep it until I needed an oil change or new tires, whichever came first because the overall cost of ownership would probably be ridiculous even if I could afford it
I echo what JB said about some cars being better enjoyed in scale model size. 😊
My list is infinitely long and constantly changing, so I’ll just throw out one: Lamborghini Marzal.
Oh, no you don’t. There’s only one and I claimed it years ago. (I breeze over the high thrills of keeping the only Lambo half-12 in history running..)
Citroen – any of them – I was burned so many times but kept going back.
Agreed, although only ‘real’ Citroens, although deciding which Citroens are real is a question in itself. Certainly not what you can buy now.
Might I suggest the XM as a good compromise. I ran one for nearly 20 years. If I´d been better at rust protection I´d still have it. Both cars were not at all problematic. They needed maintenance but nothing alarming or wierd.
I did look at a C6 but it was one of only a handfull made in that spec so bought another C5 slightly more common, unless you live in NZ.
BMW 3 Series – even though I live six blocks from a BMW dealership, my wallet doesn’t need the hit. I learned my lesson after my Mini Cooper ownership experience. My poor Mastercard was hot to the touch way too often.
I wish I had decent mechanic skills, because I’d love to own a 80s vintage SAAB 900 Turbo.
We have an ’82 8-valve Turbo 900 (son has now) and it’s as good as you imagine. He’ll never part with it, one of the great cars of the ’80s.
Exotic: Lamborghini Countach
Modern but too expensive: Shelby Mustang
Normal Old Car: 1968 Chevrolet Impala Convertible, light blue metallic with white top and white interior.
While the latter may be an obtainable car, the cost of the maintenance on it, and the fact I don’t have a garage in which to store it would be doing this classic a disservice.
Wow ~ so many exotics on the dream list .
I’d settle for a Chevrolet Corvette I think .
Doubtful I’ll ever pull the trigger but I think it’s be fun to drive and cheap to maintain until I got bored with it .
-Nate
My dream car for many years was the Aston Martin DB7. It was a sibling to the Jaguar XK8 back in the mid 1990’s. Except that the first models came with a supercharged straight six engine, which was based on the same engine in my ’97 XJ6. This was one of Jag’s best engines. A lot less intimidating than the V12 under the hood of my XJS.
These Astons were handmade in small quantities by TWR; Tom Walkinshaw Racing. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad one, as factory Jags had their own problems.
These were simply gorgeous cars. I went to check out a convertible, an Aston Martin Volante! What a name, it conveys more romance than a library full of gothic novels! It was a beautiful car, but I could almost smell the remains of the XJS platform that it was based upon. Wisely I passed, and now these cars have gone up in price far above my comfort level.
Now I stick with Fords. No more dreams. Less romance, but a lot less headaches.
’63 XK-E Jag. “The most beautiful car ever made” supposedly said by Enzo Ferrari when they were introduced.
At my age the problem would not be getting in the car but getting OUT of the car.
In reality, my most favorite thing is (fill in the blank) owned by someone else.
Yeah the XK-E is my weak spot. A marvelous car, but the one that I could afford to purchase would be the one I could never afford to repair. Years of reading the blog from Classic Jaguar of Austin have convinced me of that. Irreparable engine support frames made of high strength steel, cutting good rocker panels off to get to the rotten structure inside, internal engine corrosion.
So beautiful, so terrible…
BMW z3, especially one in Atlanta Blue metallic. I can afford it, but dont know if I would enjoy it. Every turn of the key would be rolling the dice on it needing some sort of stupid expensive repair that doesnt happen with a Miata or Honda S2000
I’ve always lusted after a Triumph TR6, or I would settle for a Spitfire. But I know that even if all the jokes about British cars are exaggerated, maintaining any 40-50 year old car is going to require way more work and money than a modern one, and probably more than I am willing to put up with.
Citroen SM…a fascinating look into the future, many of its features predicting what became ubiquitous many years later. Manual with the Michelin composite wheels please, and the European front end, of course.
I came here to say this! An extraordinary car, but one that I’m sure would be a headache to own.
Awesome cars but.. Ive got a much newer more advanced version without the early electronics issues and ironically it is obsolete according to Citroen already, I have Bishops garage in my phone its a waste of battery calling anyone else, diagnosis by phone and repair info right there, oh and bodges work just fine in place of factory efforts and after over 210,000 kms in C5s there isnt another brand that interests me,
LOL my mate borrowed it this morning to get parts for his Toyota Aurion and messaged he should buy another Citroen simply for the ride comfort and handling.
That’s a great choice. When I was in college around 1977 there was one parked at an auto repair garage immobile the whole time I was there and it couldn’t have been more than 4 years old. Spaceship like something from Blade Runner
Yes, it has to be on the list, the SM, even though the only owner I’ve known – a person large of wallet – complained about the frequency and expense of the illnesses afflicting his show-standard one.
TR7 A friend had one when I had my MG, so I’ve even wrenched on one a bit (had the head off, don’t remember why). So I should REALLY know better but I’m convinced I could sort one like I did the MG which then became quite reliable.
I understand that getting the head off a TR7 (or Stag) isn’t easy.
As I recall not all the head bolts are parallel, i.e. they enter the block at different angles.
1971-73 Vega GT
As I commented above, covet is not really a feeling I have about cars, but if my ‘73 Vega GT which I owned from 1976 to 1980 popped out of a time capsule into my driveway, I’d figure out a way to keep it. It’s on a short list of cars I’ve owned that I’d love to at least try owning again. Neither of my Alfa’s are on that list.
Oh boy.
1977 Ford LTD II 2dr. with a 400 V-8 and the Sport Appearance Package.
1979 Chevy C-10 with the Olds 350 diesel.
1979 Dodge Aspen R/T.
1961 Corvair Greenbriar.
Any 2 stroke SAAB.
Saab 96 Monte Carlo 850.
https://silodrome.com/saab-96-monte-carlo-850/
I used to get the newsletter of the Chicago Saab Club, and Jack Ashcraft wrote many articles. I considered him the Saab guru of the club.
He once wrote that ignition timing on a Saab two-stroke is critical and should be set every 1000 miles if you can stand it, preferably with a dial indicator. He also said too much spark advance would lead to detonation, and the souped-up engines (GT, Monte Carlo) were especially sensitive to timing. At least with an MC850 I wouldn’t have to add oil to the gas.
In 1977 I got a few minutes of wheel time in a ’64 96 GT at a Saab owners’ meet. I owned a 96 V4 at the time, and the nimbleness of the ’64 with its lighter engine was noticeable.
Any E-type jag. When it did not run, I could just look at it.
I have always wanted a Porsche 911. The 996 is my favourite model. Alas, it is just a pipe dream. No way I can afford to keep an old Porsche on the road.
You might be surprised, I found my 996 to be VERY inexpensive to keep on the road for the seven years I had it. Yeah, there’s the potential for something to go catastrophically wrong, but that’s the same for any car out of warranty. Normal servicing is no more difficult than most any other car, there is tons of online help, and parts (if needed) overall are not particularly expensive if you do a little research and buy the stuff in the Bosch or Mann or Mahle OEM box rather than the same exact item in the silver Porsche box at 2-3x the price along with avoiding the dealer, (who don’t usually even want to work on 20+ year old stuff anyway). The key as usual is the car’s history and its receipts. The IMS bearing is the car’s historical and perhaps overblown weak spot (as with the 986 Boxster and early 997), but by this time almost all have been either preventatively repaired with a permanent and established fix, or the engine itself was replaced by with one of updated design (as mine was) from the factory which comes with the bonus of much of the mechanicals then having lower mileage, and when Porsche replaced a motor, it came with everything that was attached to it as new also, not just the block itself. Most other systems are usually of very similar design to VW and Audi stuff with some part numbers still being shared. The 996 is very much the sweet spot between initial affordability, owner/user service friendliness, every day usability, and quantity produced although more and more people are starting to figure that out, increasing prices for the better ones.
I love this QOTD, and have to look no further than some of my recent die cast purchases to come up with at least a few examples of a much, much longer list, underdog fan that I am.
– Renault Fuego, Turbo or non. Still-gorgeous looks, decent performance, spotty parts support in the U.S. (?), and they seem easily breakable;
– Chevrolet Cosworth Vega, preferably a ’76. The looks are solid, and it’s the very best example of what a Vega could be;
– 1974 – ’78 AMC Matador coupe;
– 1975 – ’77 AMC Pacer;
– Ford Mustang II hatch with t-tops.
I’ll just stop here, as I still have at least a few more essays to write here. LOL
After pondering this question for a while, I can’t come up with a better answer than a Fuego!
Fuego with the 1.6 turbo for me too. The 2.2 litre was heavier and would add to the understeer. I had a Renault 18 and while things were constantly breaking (part of it was that I wasn’t very good at repairs) it didn’t leave me stranded too many times so I suspect a well maintained Fuego would be reasonable in that manner though parts now would be tricky to come by. I’m sure not too many Rhone Poulenc or other French parts are available now.\
Another would be a Peugeot 504 convertible, or a 304 (I’m not fussy).
1941 Ford half-ton pickup with the 9N tractor engine.
Anything Italian, no matter what, but especially the “affordable” Italians from Fiat! There’s a reason that wags have said that Fiat stands for: “Fix It Again, Tony!”, LOL! Their sexy styling and razor sharp handling, combined with that sexy exhaust note always leaves me weak in the knees, despite their well known proclivity to rust as you watch, combined with the need for a live-in mechanic and a valid passport to get parts! Fiat 850 Spyder, the Italian MG, or the Fiat X1/9 are particularly seductive, due to their sexy styling and low price.
Speaking of MG, I could make the same argument for anything British, but at least replacement parts for most British cars are widely available on the aftermarket, either from factory-licensed suppliers or from British Car fanatics devoted to keeping their cars alive. In that sense, British cars are like Detroit muscle cars of the 1960’s, in that a whole cottage industry has sprung up to supply replacement parts to keep these cars alive. Like Detroit muscle, it is literally possible to build an entirely new car from scratch, as even entirely new body shells and aftermarket frames are available to build or rebuild these cars!
Find it a towtruck. Feeble Italian attempt at technology.
A 1977 Lancia Beta. I know all about the rust, repairs and maintenance involved, but we’re dreaming, right?
Otherwise, a first-Gen Lexus LS to drive when the Lancia was in the shop for repairs.
Funny thing is one of mine was the C3 with the tunneled rear window. Just as malaise is on the rise, not particularly sporty or quick as it looked with mid-70s quality further complicating things. Then Mazda goes and gives the Miata RF enough styling cues to scratch my itch with 21st century Japanese reliability.
My “I-know-it-would-be-a-nightmare-now-but-wanted-one-when-they-were-new” pick?
Eagle Premier (double extra bonus points if it was the badge-engineered twin, the Dodge Monaco).
When they were first introduced, I thought they were a realistic alternative to the usual N/A market family sedan. They looked fantastic and they had cavernous room inside. The driving dynamics were great and i really liked the leather interior. (I could even live with the bent 9-iron-styled column shifter) I thought they were a “can’t miss” proposition.
I weas wrong…..
Oops-typo found after I hit ‘send’:
I was wrong…….
I gave some thought to putting a Premier on my shortlist ca. 1995, and then I did some research and learned what a can of worms they are.
FAR too many to list. I’ll blurt out a few:
Lotus Europa Special
Jaguar XJS V12, preferably May Fireball-headed.
Jensen Interceptor preferably with 6-bbl.
TVR something-or-other with Rover V8
Buick Riviera, first-gen, Fireball-headed. (Different Fireball!)
Corvette newer than ’86, preferably newer than ’90
I have my mind totally full to capacity with a piece-of-crap ’66 Olds Toronado (rusty “frame” above and behind the leaf springs, broken A/C, poor interior, dents and body rust) and ’68 El Camino (terrible interior, wiring, A/C, body rust)
As soon as I read the question the FD RX-7 came to mind and sure enough…
Maybe it’s just because of when I was born but I still think it’s the best looking car ever made, especially in person (and before the styling changes that came throughout its run). It’s so delicate and the curves are just perfect. The only change I’d make would be a slightly larger wheel.
I’ll take a 1958 Chrysler 300D with the Bendix Electrojector.
So, so many possibilities: Jaguar XJ 12, MG Midget or B, Spitfire, TR-6 or -7. Even after hearing all the tales of woe I’d still take one or all.
DeLorean.
Yes, it’s underpowered, the build quality wasn’t good, it’s useless as a daily, it’s thirsty, parts are ruinously expensive…but I’ve wanted once since before BTTF and that only boosted it.
As for the other more attainable classics:
1977-79 LTD II with a floor shift and the biggest V-8 possible
1973-76 Dart Sport, likewise
1965 or ’67 Grand Prix and other full-size Pontiacs
Fiat X1/9
1965 and 1971 Riviera
the ’88 Fiero I once drove with the 3.8L and a clutch
Easy, a Citroen SM. I also have a weakness for the original Jaguar XJ-S, obviously in glorious Leyland thermoplastic brown, to better blend in with the fluid leaks
Few manufacturers could pull off questionable on multiple levels with such effortless aplomb as British Leyland, pretty much sums up their entire stable of vehicles.
Lancia Fulvia. NSU Ro80.
Fulvia, yes, and from what I understand, almost sensible in reliability (if not parts prices: a new crank for the V4 is apparently about $6k+!)
I assume that’s AUD? Still eye-watering.
Jaguar XJ/S without question is the most illogical. I’m the type who isn’t afraid of most automotive maladies but even I might meet my match with a British Leyland V12, but I do love the styling of them.
1962 Dodge or Plymouth. Bulletproof mechanicals but obviously universally hated styling I can’t help but find a charm too
80-81 Turbo Trans Am or Formula. Not fast, not well engineered but the screaming chicken on the hood spitting fire through the offset hood scoop with a crude turbo gauge facing the driver is so cool it’s worth it
79-81 Mustang Cobra or 79 Pace car, especially the Turbo 2.3. See above with the Trans am but also the early Fox Mustang’s roots of being semi-“paint on performance” in the vein of Mustang IIs. Stark contrast to the universally beloved no nonsense 87-93s but I can’t pretend I don’t love the looks of the Cobra equivalent of the screaming chicken on the hoods or the big giant fog lights in the exaggerated bumper
Honorary stream of consciousness mentions while I have time to edit: any Turbo K-car, Mercury Bobcat, the specific slant 6 red 68 Charger Paul wrote about here, 75-77 Dodge Charger Daytona, third gen Trans Am, 75 Roadrunner, Volare/Aspen/RoadRunner/R/T/Supercoupe, Datsun 200sx, 77-79 Ford Ranchero, 76-77 Oldsmobile 442 V6/5-speed manual
Unlike me, you’ve obviously put some thought to this question. Well done; I endorse your choices, except maybe the Jag.
Peugeot 405 Mi16.
Studebaker Hawk.
Alfasud.
I did not think of the the Alfasud, wonderful choice.
One more vote for Jaguar here. An XJ6 series 3 or X300 would be enough trouble for the man such as myself with a mortgage and dependent children.
Also grokking the Citroën C6 suggestions.
And to be a bit different, the Subaru SVX.
It would have to be a ’59 Chevrolet Biscayne, the shape for me suits less trim than the Impala although I’d take a Bel Air at a push. The down sides are; price, these have become very expensive cars, crash protection, these are not sturdy cars, rust and of course more rust, these were not designed to be durable cars.
In the exotic category, it’d be a Lambo Espada, (partly because I can’t ever have that Marzal). And before the recent meteor rise in old car prices, they could even be called a very pricey toy, rather than the decent-house priced objects of today. A Citroen SM likewise, and likewise.
In the more likely world, I too would be getting a Series 2 or 3 Jag XJ. Every thing about it genuinely good, (except ownership, natch). In theory, it’d be a V12, though in practice, I’d balk and be quite happy with a six. Or, likely, quite unhappy with either.
Possibly, if a Jag wasn’t to be found, a Rover P6 3500 manual might have to do, though that’s the whole list of Brit cars right there. Oh, perhaps adding the exhaust note – nothing else, please – from a working Triumph Stag. Why on earth lever-arm damped, cart-sprung leak-fests like the Midget or MG-B’s appeal to anyone is beyond my ken.
A Montreal? Even for the reasons listed, no. If exotic, it’s got to be outstanding in some way, and isn’t. The Mazda always looked to me like a boiled sweet some kid spat out, and to find here that it’s unreliable means the kid had a point.
I concur with the Espada, SM, XJ (S3 only though), and P6. But I’d add add an SD1 Vanden Plas, and the entirety of the Stag to the list, as well as a lightly broken Range Rover of some description.
KAR 120C. Those of you who have eclectic tastes in television will know what I mean.
The one license plate I will always recognize.
My choice is totally influenced by past experience: A 1973 Chevrolet Vega GT, only this time with the optional interior and any color except silver with the black stripe.
Yes, my first modern car (first car was a 1937 Buick Special two door, but that was for AACA shows), and I have very fond memories of it despite wrecking it once, and three seasons of SCCA B-sedan autocross. It was actually reliable, although a lot of that was because it was traded-in on a 1976 Monza 2+2 at the three year point. And I could see the first wisps of oil burning coming out of the exhaust. I feel sorry for the second owner.
Alternatives: Rover P6, four cylinder version. Renault 5 (I test drove one with intention to purchase, it caught fire). Saab Sonnet III. Any Citroen DS/ID. No, I don’t have the nerve to even consider an SM.
Agree with so many of these. Two more I covet despite knowing better:
– Fiat Dino Coupe
– Iso Rivolta
Tell me I’m wrong, please.
My Aztek. The quirky looks, utility, and Pontiac name sold me back when they were introduced. Perfect to haul the baby, my wife and plenty of junk. Didn’t purchase one then due to the fact my father-in-law would have had a hard time fitting his size 14s between the B pillar and rear sear base to get in. Fast forward to 2022. The same things sold me on a low miles 2003 front wheel drive unit to replace my Accord. Not a ding or dent and a near perfect interior, but oh the hidden rust! No biggie, I fabricated panels, welded them in place and painted to match. Beautiful. Lower intake manifold gaskets replaced to fix over heating issue, tires, brakes, and bad front wheel hub replaced. Runs great for a few months and I start chasing a continuing engine temp fluctuation, leaks and such. I understand that a 20-year-old car needs fixin’ but at every turn, poor design fought me. Change the thermostat? First remove the throttle body/ & air filter housing-near impossible. Swapping the battery required removing a cross brace, fuse box and sidepost terminals with no room for any tool. Rear spark plugs? Forget it. Curious George couldn’t reach em’. Steering column had to be dropped to replace dash mounted head lamp switch Even after fully sorted, still rode poorly and creaked like a wooden boat over bumps. A NVH nightmare. Happily, sold it to another starry-eyed fool after full disclosure but I still love them.
93-97 Ford Probe GT
01-02 Mercury Cougar V6
Fiat 500 (1960s) or even better Autobianchi Bianchina Cabriolet.
1950 Studebaker Starlight Coupe
Tatra T77
Or more realistically a1964 Corvair Monza Convertible with 110 hp engine and 4 speed.
Here’s a few ‘unsaleable yet strangely appealing oddball cheapies’ discovered lurking and unloved, hidden deep in the back row of small used car yards in the early 1970s. The type of otherwise sale-proof bargain that for some reason you find seriously temping to buy, if not for hearing the whisper of providence. Yet which remain as lurkers in memory to haunt, as one of those now unanswerable ‘what ifs?’
Audi 100LS.
Morris Isis.
Jaguar Mk1 3.4 (rust).
Daimler Majestic Major SWB.
And from the ’80s a Triumph TR7, further blighted by a Dolomite Sprint engine.
I like the first generation Landrover Discovery, even though they all the reliability of a Series II Jaguar XJ6 and they rust, I also like the Jaguar XJ and the VW Phaeton, although knowing what I know about Piech era VW if I really want a V12 sedan I’ll buy a Toyota Century.
I also really want a hydropneumatic Citroen
Jaguar Mark 2
Alfa Romeo GTV from the early ’80s
Studebaker Hawk
Hudson Pickup from 1940s
Interesting question!
Maserati Bora’s kind of lovin’ is my kind of lovin’… almost.
Don’t know enough about exotics to know any better. Not many exotics really caught my desire to own. Yet, if I had to name one it would be one that I once rode in and was impressed. That car was a 1974 Guilia Nuova Super. New, but Alfa so would be far more nervous with that over time than with a current Porsche 911 like my father owned. In the end I would be happy with a first gen Shelby GT-350 or a 68 Cougar GT-E. The Cougar must be the 427 and not the 428.
Early 911 Porsche
Citroen SM. Needlessly complicated, notoriously unreliable, but oh so beautiful and unique.
Alfa Romeo GTV 3.0 from 98 to 2003. Drop dead gorgeous, but unreliable AF
I want several, but mostly an old B-body Mopar from the late 60’s. A Roadrunner, Super Bee, Charger, GTX, etc. 440 and an auto with an added overdrive, at minimum, and preferrably a 6.4 liter out of a present day Scat Pack, backed with the awesome ZF 8 speed automatic. But having drove these cars in their best first days, the awful brakes would need upgrading, and doing that that would invoke hating from unknown numbers of old geezers like me who would claim that the brakes were “fine”, and I was butchering the car with all the stuff I would do to it. No, they weren’t fine, not at all. All I would need is money to solve almost all it’s issues!
Next would be to get another ’77/78 Macho Power Wagon. My ’77, like this one, was a total POS. It caught on fire TWICE and I stupidly saved it. I should have let it burn, taken the check and bought the Chevy K10 I should have bought and almost did. No A/C in Vegas? I must have been drunk! Every weld on it was badly done, the wiring issues started almost from day one, and I spent huge bucks fixing it, even though I did a lot of the work myself. And the leaks, rear and front end, valve covers, intake manifold, front engine seal, they never stopped. That yellow paint is what sucked me in. I figure all these years later, the survivors must have the bugs out of them by now.
I’m a Mopar fan and there’s a few cars from their stench-of-death years in the late 70s/early 80s that I’d take risk with: a Dodge Mirada, a Diplomat coupe, an Imperial or a Dodge St Regis. I had a ’79 Volare and it was a good car so they weren’t all turds.
An early Vega coupe with a small block. There’s probably none left with their original engine anyway
An 80s BMW 6 series. As collector cars go, theyre affordable but theres no such thing as a cheap German car
An early Pantera. No explanation necessary