Older British Cars

…that I’d like to own.  But only under the following Terms & Conditions.

Ever wish that you could get an old British car, but manufactured with modern processes like proper (i.e. non-Lucas) electrical wiring, proper (i.e. non-British Leyland) corrosion resistance and so on?  In other words, get a car that wouldn’t rust to shreds after the first rainstorm and whose lights, radio and windshield wipers could operate simultaneously?

My, how those choices would open up.  Yes, I know:  E-type, Lotus Esprit, XK120, etc. etc.  But everyone knows those cars, everyone would love to have one, and so on.  What about those that aren’t as well known?

Here are my Top 6 in this category (in no specific order) and as a bonus, in each title there’s a link to see why it’s there.  [warning:  watching all the videos makes this post a very long read, but it’s the weekend, FFS]

Lotus Carlton

Ford Escort RS Cosworth

Rover 3500 SD1

(Of all these cars, the 3500 would be the one most in need of modernized manufacturing, as the linked video will explain.  But I need a larger car, and this one fits the bill admirably.)

Austin Mini-Cooper 1275 S 

(Best comment is in the above:  “Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, James Garner… these guys all knew cars, and they could drive anything they wanted.  All three drove a Mini.” )  I’m not as famous, and I don’t know as much about cars;  but I too would drive a Mini:  this Mini.  Right now, if I could.

Triumph TR4A

By the way, you can see the TR4 and two other of my favorites of the era, the MGB GT and the Austin Healey 3000, here.

Finally, my last choice is an interesting one.  And it’s ugly.

Daimler SP250

I actually know the SP250 reasonable well, because back when Longtime Friend Knob was still Drummer Knob, this was the car he owned when first I met him.  And he could actually fit his drum kit in the thing, as long as he didn’t want to carry a groupie his girlfriend as well.

As ugly as that car was, though, I loved it — most of all because of that fantastic 2.5-liter V8 Daimler engine, which sounded wonderful and had enough torque to pull a house off its foundations.

But exercising my prerogative (because once again, it’s my list), I would want a Daimler that wouldn’t make me think of a surprised cod each time I walked into the garage.  Step forward, the later 1967 Daimler SP252 with its Vignale-styled body:


Same engine (as reworked by Jay Leno), same everything except a beautiful body.

I’m sorry, but that SP252 makes my heart go all squonky, like if I were to find Diana Rigg in its passenger seat.

If only…

WANT, TIMES 6.

Seven, if you include Miss Rigg.

Classic British lines, every single one of them.


Follow up:  Knob reminds me that he sold the Daimler to a buddy, who whipped the engine out, trashed the Daimler chassis in its entirety, and dropped the V8 into a Morgan.

More Driving Pleasure

Last week, Longtime Reader and Car Fiend MadJack posted a link in the Comments to this post, pointing to some older cars once on sale at Hymans.

At the bottom of that page were a few other mouthwatering samples, but the one that grabbed my attention immediately was this gorgeous creature:

1953 Siata 208 CS Coupe



Yes, that’s the extraordinary Fiat 2-liter V8, then and now one of the most efficient and racy engines ever made, and offered in several of Fiat’s own 8V models.

A comment made by the Siata’s current owner said everything you need to know about this Anna Magnani of sports cars:

“It doesn’t like to be driven slowly or conservatively. It needs to be driven with somewhat of an aggressive attitude. Once you get moving, you can’t sit back and relax when you drive the car.”

If you want to know what kind of man I am, then understand that this encapsulates everything I love about driving:  involvement, mastery, aggression and a hint of danger.  (This also applies to sex, but we can talk about that some other time.)

If I just wanted to go somewhere in comfort, I’d rent some ugly thing with cruise control and stay on the interstate.

Not I.  Twisty country roads through areas of scenic beauty… I think you know where I’m going with this one…

…with Anna Magnani in the passenger seat, urging me to go faster, faster.

Best Of The Old, Best Of The New

I believe it was Longtime Reader and Car Nut GT3Ted who once stated that his car of desire would be a 1920s-era Bentley (“Blower”) 4.5-liter monster.

Me, I’d hate it because of the extreme hassle of getting the thing started — it was a routine of astonishing complexity and irritation.

However, as Iain Tyrrell demonstrates, there are alternatives.  Sit back and enjoy watching a middle-aged man having his loins stirred by one of the greatest cars — and driving experiences — ever made by man.

As I said, I wouldn’t want one of the originals.  But Bob Peterson’s rumbling and snorting 6.5-liter B80 monster, in Iain’s words a faithful resto-mod / homage / “slightly more modern” / “vintage-esque” Bentley with its military-grade Rolls-Royce straight-8?

In a racing heartbeat, baby.

It makes all the other exotica in Iain’s garage look like effete little toys;  a manly 25-year-old single-malt Scotch compared to a girly cocktail with an umbrella and bits of fruit in it.

WANT.

Clarkson’s Choice

The Greatest (and Sexiest!) Living Englishman loves the Porsche 928, calling it one of the best-looking cars ever made.

I dunno if I agree with that, but it’s certainly the most beautiful Porsche they ever made:

Like most people who live in a hot climate, I’m a little iffy of the big glasshouse back window (also:  1980s Camaro, Jensen Interceptor), but like with any Porsche, there’s no arguing with its engine — Clarkson noting that ii could “sit quite comfortably at 170mph” on the motorway.

Even some modern cars couldn’t have that said about them.

I’ll take the one with the 5.0-liter V8, thankee.

The Way It Used To Be

I don’t know if you had any plans for the next eight hours, but here’s one way to spend them.

Racing the way it used to be and quite honestly still should, especially when it comes to the sound of the engines.

Footnote from former bandmate Knob, who lives there and knowing my love for F1, sent me the link:

We watched from the roof terrace at Café Milano. Best place on the track. Hired by the Bentley Drivers Club UK by my buddy Mark, who is also great mates with one-time F1 Champion Jody Schecter.  Jody just sold his F1 car collection on Saturday at Sotheby’s Monaco auction. Got €6.7m for his Ferrari 312T !!

Also, went to the Eddie Jordan chat with Red Bull designer Adrian Newey on Saturday evening at the Yacht Club. Some interesting stories.

Must be nice to be one of the Idle Rich…

One Man

Question:  what do all the following cars have in common?

Porsche Carrera

Audi Quattro

VW TDI

Porsche 917

VW Golf VR6

Mercedes 350 S Turbodiesel

VW Phaeton

Bugatti Veyron

Lamborghini Aventador

Bentley Continental Speed GT

VW XL1

Here’s the answer to the question:  a crazy Austrian who gave the world its best cars from the 1960s until… well, yesterday.

In my opinion, the only mistake he ever made was a marketing one:  positioning the Phaeton as the VW Phaeton, instead of (say) an Audi A12.  Had he done the latter, Audi would still be selling them.

Never let an engineer near the marketing plan.