Well the ruse worked for about 5 minutes. Yes maybe I had some people thinking about SAAB, and why not? It could just have easily been the case, as it has been for many.
Recently I have questioned my prejudices much more robustly and taken more time to understand why I might feel a certain way. It also helps me understand where others might be coming from.
Why it wasn’t about SAAB is only because I have purchased two post-2003 SAABs, one a 06 9-3 SportCombi shortly after they came out and later a 08 Combi which we still have and love. As a matter of fact, the other day I was almost home when I saw one at a roundabout and thought, “Wow! That’s a cool looking Combi!” and realised it was Mrs Turbin returning home from work.
SO, it wasn’t SAAB I was writing about. It wasn’t even a brand of car or anything car related except for the setting where I have enjoyed this new product has been exclusively while driving.
It is Queens of The Stone Age aka QOTSAs fourth album “Lullabies to Paralyze”.
Now I’m not about to try to sell that band to anyone or explain the reasons I am so into them at risk of boring you. I do not know anyone, friend, foe or family who likes this band even remotely as much as I do. It’s personal, just like SAAB is for those who love the brand.
What’s important is that after buying their 2002 album which really broke through in 2003, I also saw them live both times they were in Australia. As much as anything I loved what their bass-player and sometime vocalist bought to the band in quirkiness, edginess and the rest. He was booted out after the Australian tour and I, like many, thought that was the end. I, also like many, saw the guitarist and sometime vocalist as the demon that ruined something good and decided that I wasn’t going to buy into what came next.
SO, while I’m a person who had no qualms spending large on a couple of those post 03 SAABs I wasn’t prepared to take a chance on spending $20 on an album or two that I might prove to hate or possibly, just possibly, even really love.
Recently while on a Swadesque journey through the albums of Led Zeppelin, I went to buy the next installment, “Houses of the Holy”. It wasn’t at the shop so I finally thought, “Why not take that chance?”, and finally bought the next 2005 QOTSA album, almost 10 years after release. To be honest it wasn’t completely spur of the moment as I had worked my way backwards through the QOTSA catalogue and came to realise that the “demon”, Josh Homme, was actually the founder of the band and had everything to do with their sound as much as his sometime partner in crime, Dave Grohl, is core to Foo Fighters and their sound.
Guess what? I came to love it really quick. Any album that has Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top guesting on a track supplying “guitar lead, vocals” where Jack Black is also credited with “marching” might just have something going for it.
I then got thinking why I let prejudice get in the road all these years. I also came to see there was this strange-but-true parallel with SAAB and thus we get to this point.
My question then is:
Have you, readers of Swadeology, ever come to a point where you’ve finally given up judging something and thought “What was I thinking to have not done this before? I’ve been missing out!”??
This is a personal story of prejudice and ignorance but with a happy ending. It also includes a little back-story on an entity dear to my heart. This back-story those in the know are quite familiar with, but I will tell it anyway.
I came to appreciate the product of this entity back in 2000. They had been around for years but in 1998 had come out with an all-new form that signified a change of direction.
Also known by their acronym, a real breakthrough was to occur with the new offering of 2003. This was a product that would take them almost into the mainstream. Problems were on the horizon however, and a while after launch it was clear that there were tensions as to what direction the product should take and a key element was to be left out into the future.
This made me pretty upset as I felt this element was core to the quirkiness, individuality and edginess of the product I had come to know them for. It also became clear that this element would not be returning despite pleas from disgruntled fans and it was also believed to have been the source of some disputes and falling-outs. It was even claimed that any new product would only be a “lite” version of what had come before.
For me personally I lost interest in what was to come after as nothing could be done to redeem things in my eyes. I watched from the sidelines, enjoying the product I had, with the belief it was the pinnacle of achievement from a group whose product would always be a bit “vanilla” from then on.
More “new” product came sporadically with something new in 2005 and a refreshed line-up seeing the light of day in 2007 that some said was “drained of ideas” and “forgettable”.
Finally all was almost lost in 2010 when, starved for oxygen, there was a death on the operating table. There was a last minute resuscitation and final new product came out that recalled some of the glory of before and re-invigorated interest. There has been nothing new since however and for now the future is unclear
Through all this I could not bring myself to respect what had become of something I thought was previously so great.
I delved further back rather than forwards convincing myself I “liked the old stuff better than the new stuff”.
I came to realise though that core elements of the past remained throughout and permeated the product. Looking deeper I could see that the core essence had been retained and it resonated with me anew.
Finally, on a whim, I recently stopped resisting progress and got myself a post 2003 product, one that I had dismissed as “vanilla”. I have now come to realise that it is more polished and, while maybe less of a stand-out on the surface, demonstrates the core competencies and intangibles that are important to me. Above all it just feels right.
I have since been driving around with a smile on my face and can’t get it out of my head.
It dawned on me that for too long I let prejudice stop me from moving forward and in the process deprived myself of the opportunity to really enjoy something new and fresh. I now look forward to working my way through some of the even newer stuff. To be continued….
Myself and a few mates like to talk crap via email. The subjects include list making, music, cycling, gadgetry, buildings, cars, man maths and other things. Occasionally the subject ends up making sense in an interesting way that’s worth circulating.
All entries from The Guild can be found at that link.
Introducing Turbin.
——
I’m a big railway fan from way back.
One of my favourites is what was called the “Sharknose” diesels from a company called Baldwin.
They were once the biggest loco manufacturer in the world with a capacity of 3000 steam locomotives a year.
Baldwin Trains were also some of the biggest and baddest machines ever.
They started developing diesels early in the piece but were interrupted during WWII. The War Production Board would not let them develop mainstream diesels through the war period.
The only company allowed…. yep, GM’s EMD division.
So post war GM comes out strong with a lead and a standardised product that took the US (and Australia, as pictured below) by storm.
Baldwin battled along for a couple of decades making some big, beautiful and brutal machines.
In an effort to differentiate themselves from the GM product they enlisted Ramond Loewy, a designer famed for his “out there” work with Studebaker as well as some truly incredible hardware for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Loewy developed the “Sharknose” theme for the Baldwin diesels which sold in very modest amounts but had a big visual impact.
Many of these locos started serving on mainline “name” trains pulling luxury coaches and the like, but before long were relegated to pulling general freight. Most lasted only a decade or so before being pulled out of service and cut up for scrap…
Except for 2.
These two were bounced around from railroad to railroad until finally both their engines failed. They were left out in the open for some time but in the early 80’s were put undercover, never to see the light of day again and very heavily shielded from a railfan public who had reputedly stolen bits off the locomotives while they were sitting outside.
I’ve had a book about Baldwin diesels since I was a teen and it is in immaculate condition. I pull it out every now and then for a bit of a browse.
On my latest read I again relearned about these last two units of a once great company which prompted me to do a bit of googling.
Lo and behold, just a few weeks ago somebody anonymously posted the only photos anybody has publicly shared for over 30 years.
These are pics from inside the shed of a privately held railroad. Apparently the owner has been offered m for them and refuses to sell.
Whoever, whenever, restores these has got one hell of a job ahead of them (it’s all relative, Swade) . At least they are covered and not likely to be deteriorating at as greater rate as they were outside.
You must be able to show an example of the car for sale somewhere in the world under that price (at a current rate of exchange).
The car has to be interesting.
The writer should be able to provide some short theory as to why it’s a possible long-term proposition for making a little money (or, at the very least, not losing you (much) money if you look after it properly).
Gavin’s already published his list. Now it’s my turn.
Here we go. Investment cars, a-la Swado.
[hr]
Porsche 911
Predictable, I know. But there’s a reason for that.
Want evidence that a classic 1980’s 911 is holding it’s price? I can’t find one under $30K to show you that’s a) Australian delivered, and b) unmodified. Those are the two basic criteria for buying a 911 here in Oz and a year ago, I would have had a bunch to show you. Now, not so much.
The 911 is always in demand but as with all older cars, the good ones are getting harder to find as time passes and climbing in price as a result. Get a good one and you’ll do well. Get a dud and the bills will be like an anchor around your neck.
This UK-spec 911SC Coupe was imported into Australia and looks neat for $28K, but you’d want to check underneath for rust. Imports will always be worth a little less than Australian delivered models, but you shouldn’t lose anything if the car’s in good shape.
For the best chance at appreciation, buy one delivered in your local market, especially if you live in a relatively dry climate. There’ll be less hassle with specifications meeting local standards, no poor steering conversions to worry about and if you’re in a country like Australia, very little concern about rust.
For you US types, a 1971 911T recently showed up on Craigslist for $25K. I didn’t see what price it ended up selling for, but after it was featured on Bring A Trailer the owner received more than 400 enquiries. I have a feeling the price went up after that. But it just goes to show that they DO become available at good prices sometimes.
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Lancia Fulvia
How could I not have a Fulvia on this list? It’s not just here because I like it, though. This is a real value-holder and in the right spec (and at the right price), a genuine investment.
The Fulvia is an acquired taste but in the 12 months or so that I’ve been interested in them, I’ve noted that there’s a definite audience interested in this beautifully engineered Italian. They generally sell for less than $30K. You’re more likely to pay in the region of $15K for a good basic car and $20K-upwards for one in really good condition.
I can’t find a current ad to show from Australia, but the 1600HF Lusso I shared here last month proves that if you’re patient enough, even a 1600 HF Lusso (series 2) can become available for under $30K.
The early 1600 HF’s are the real collector cars but the value pick is probably the 1300 Rallye S from the first series, which have the alloy hood, doors and boot lid. They’re good buying, great driving, they look absolutely beautiful and definitely hold their value.
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Mercedes Benz 380SL
Mercedes SL’s can be hot property, but most of the real investment-grade cars are already well over our $30K ceiling. A good R107 should provide some wonderful motoring without hurting your hip pocket, however, and they can be found in outstanding condition at this money.
I’ve picked a 380SL for my sample because if I was to buy a car like this, I’d want the V8. One of the real money spinners is the 280SL from around 10 years earlier. The gullwing’s in another class all together, of course.
Consider this beauty, for sale in Canberra for $25,000 right now. It looks magnificent in red with a cream leather interior and woodgrain. It’s old enough to look absolutely classic but young enough to have electric everything and ABS, too. Soft-top and hard-top, naturally.
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Maserati Ghibli GT
Here’s one for sale for $32K (the lowest priced Ghibli GT available in Oz), which is a little over budget but a skilled negotiator could pick it up in the high-20’s, I’m sure. You’d want to change the wheels to something a little more age-appropriate, but other than the wheels it’s a pretty nice looking piece of machinery.
This is a risky pick because Maseratis of this era tend to make your average punter run a mile in the other direction. Prices can go low for the BiTurbo but they’re pretty stable for the Ghibli, and the 100th birthday of Maserati, along with current desirability associated with the brand, means they could be poised for some reassessment by the motoring fraternity.
The second iteration of the Ghibli, built from the early 90’s to the late 90’s suffered from being related to the un-revered BiTurbo of the previous decade. Like many cars of similar tainted origin, however, the Ghibli is the type of car that addressed the problems of its forebear and can actually represent really good performance value thanks to it’s poor lineage acting like a boat anchor on its price. They’re reputed to be very reliable, but scheduled maintenance has to be done and the costs can be high.
Now, that’s not necessarily a recipe for value appreciation, but given the exotic nature of the Maserati name, the brand’s recent success and the generous performance and luxury levels of the Ghibli, it might just be one to be recognised. One of the problems, however, is that you’re looking at a very niche vehicle. In order to sell you have to have a buyer and there aren’t a lot of those for 90’s Maseratis.
Call it a very speculative pick.
The Ghibli GT had a 2.8 V6 with a twin-turbo setup that produced around 284hp. It moves. And I could live with a sound like this, too 🙂
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BMW M635CSi
The Shark’s already a popular BMW classic and can be had for around $20K in pretty good condition. The smart money’s on the M model, however, with its extra grunt and M badge appeal that helps to hold the car’s value.
The M635CSi has the hi-po version of BMW’s creamy straight-six making just over 280hp. That’s nice rather than nefarious by today’s standards, but it was extremely competitive in the early-mid 1980’s and a big step up from the 215hp offered in the non-M version.
The styling is superb and the interior is well equipped and comfortable.
The 6-series is already a favourite amongst classic BMW fans. To have a genuine M version of the car only makes it more popular and that means demand = price retention or even appreciation over time.
The car shown here is for sale in Australia but is of UK origin so you’d want to make sure it’s cancer-free. At $29,900 the price is right if the car checks out. Other M6’s are selling for up to $10K more.
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Alfa 105 Coupe 1750
As with the 911 and Fulvia, I’ve been watching Alfa 105 Coupe sales for some times now. And as with the 911 (less so with the Fulvia as they’re not so readily available) the prices for a decent one seem to be going up. Especially for the sweet-spot 1750 engine models.
It wasn’t so long ago that I could show you a number of 105’s around the $10-$15K mark and they would have all been decent, turn-key classics that you could happily take to your Alfa club meeting or on a nice Sunday drive. 1750’s are in shorter supply, however, and the good ones are all starting around $20K now and go up from there.
This one’s for sale right now for $21,000 and the only 1750 selling for less is a $6500 project that you wouldn’t touch unless you had a bunch of time and money to pour into it.
The market says they’re going up right now, but I’d be a little nervous as those $15K cars might hit the sales pages again once their new owners have had their fun. But a properly sorted 1750 (if that’s what this is – buyer beware) is at that point where the good ones are rare enough to be very desirable and unlike the Ghibli, above, you’re selling into a much bigger potential ownership base.
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Volvo P1800 S
I’m not sure that a Volvo will ever be considered as a real investment, but if there was ever a Volvo that might, it’d be the P1800.
It’s the most beautiful Volvo ever made, with timeless exterior styling and a beautiful interior to match, especially the early interiors like the one on this 1966 car, for sale right now in Queensland for $26,000.
Some people like the shooting-brake ES model but I much prefer the coupe styling of the S. The P1800 is no race car with it’s 4-cyl 1780cc engine but it’ll get down the road nicely and if you want to know about reliability, just ask Irv Gordon, who’s passed the 3-million mile mark in his P1800 S since that video was made.
As I said, it’s not likely to go up, but if it’s looked after properly, a good P1800 S is very unlikely to go down.
[hr]
So there they are: my 7 classic investment cars for under $30,000 – cars that I reckon have some potential to make you a little bit of money (or at least prevent you losing much money). Do your homework, though, as this isn’t investment advice. It’s just my opinion.
If you source them wisely and look after them properly then I think you’ll pay very little in rent over your ownership period and have a very enjoyable time driving them, too.
Last week I covered 7 classic car investments for rich people and promised that Gavin and I would take a shot at compiling a list (each) of 7 classic car investments for more regular people. Have we suceeded? Let us know.
For now, here’s Gavin’s list….
[hr]
Old man: …….. “What is you quest”
Me: …….. “I seek the Holy Grail”
Old man: ……“What, …..a bargain value car around $30,000 Australian dollars”
Me: …… “err… yes”….. fearing the worst..
Old man:……“Okay, on ya go … good luck to you then … (demented laugh) hahahahahaha”
Me: ……(Confident) “thanks” … then the view ahead hits me …”oh bugger…. what have I done”
[hr]
Preamble
I have admitted already that I am an automotive addict. Regular sessions of intense internet trawling, just to take in and store all tediously small tidbits of information that exist on all things motoring. So to take on the challenge to pick the seven best vehicles for $30,000 AUD was, well … akin to asking Jamie Oliver whether he could whip us up something for lunch.
I can do this in my sleep, I thought, which I wish I did. It’s been near impossible to stop doing the tedious, mind numbing, painful 9-to-5 stuff and find the time to write this. So If I start to rabble about gross profit, EBIT and stock turns, please disregard as it’s most likely a brain shutdown and reboot mid keyboard stroke. Meaning I’ve mixed up my month end report with this ……. Oh… bugger, that would mean ………
Anyway, you can’t actually do things like this in your sleep. So in between profit and loss spread sheets, and some new point of sale for a BBQ, my list of seven was compiled. Note that most, if not all of these belong on my personal “shed full of cars list”
[hr]
The vehicles
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls …. The seven best are……
Okay I tried to put them in some sort of order, but that was taking hours out of my work day. I had to list them on a white board and number them by different categories. Then I spread-sheeted them and sorted them by different fields. In the end I fell asleep and now have the windows key and the Alt key marked on my nose. People stare … that’s rude.
So, in no apparent order:
(Long dramatic pause please, just like on reality TV)
I discovered Bitters years ago and was just intrigued by the concept. Being Australian we had the Commodore here, which basically was the same as the Opel that Bitter used to build his own car. It occurred to me, at that point in time, that I did not need to build a car from scratch to get my dream car. I could use a standard sedan and create a GT coupe.
I’ve always harboured that addict’s dream of building your own car from scratch.
That said, time has passed and I now understand the pitfalls of using another vehicles chassis. You are governed by that vehicles foibles and in essence you are building into your vehicle someone else’s design flaws. I’m still dreaming down this path. If I get to know you better, I’ll let you in on my current passion dream project.
The Bitter has stood the test of time; hand-built coachwork over an Opel chassis. They were expensive to buy from new and have now deteriorated over time. Pick an original, well looked after car, not a restoration project as it will not benefit you.
In my car trawling years, prices of these have slummed to the low 7,000 euro. But now it appears the cars that have survived are the only ones popping up, and prices have risen again. Expect them to stay steady, or rise further.
The earlier Bitter CD coupe is the real pick, but they have risen beyond the boundaries set in this quest. Sexy none the less.
The early 70’s Audi 100 Coupe has been known to me since, well, for as long as I can remember (In motoring addiction terms).
My First car was a Mk1 VW Golf three door. From this car grew my knowledge of all things VW and from that, I found Audi.
The 100 Coupe is a rare sight in Australia, but I have seen one in the flesh. They have seen the bottom end of the market in prices and over time they have gone through design fashion trend changes that in one period or another would have made people stop and point at this car and say things like “ugly”, “Odd”, or ”out of proportion”.
Thankfully time changes a lot of things, including perception, and this pretty little coupe has come of age, and like the Bitter above, only the good survive. I saw a few basket cases on the net while reviewing for this, but stay well away from those. Pick the best and you will be rewarded with a classic that will pay you back in more ways than one.
My modern alternative to this, and possibly at less then $30,000 currently (and you will need to hold on to it awhile longer to get a return) is the original Audi TT. Like all good collector cars today, they were once cars that were wanted and admired when launched. The TT is one such car. Yes it’s looking a bit dated now, but as you start to grow dated yourself, the TT will come of age again. (trust me).
Of all the marques of vehicles I’ve owned, I’ve had more Loti than anything else. Strangely, I have never had a Europa and previously, I never really wanted one. Time has shifted my thinking and as per the examples above, time has also filtered the bad ones out, so only the cream remain.
The Twin cam is the pick obviously.
Colin’s design concept of backbone chassis and fiber body is probably at its best and simplest here in the Europa. The Early Élan was his stepping stone and continuous development to this model. The Esprits after were much more complicated and intricate. Having owned an Esprit, I now yearn for the more basic version of the concept.
They handle well, go like party pies at a work lunch and the style has travelled through time a lot better than some other 70’s cars. I love the happy face they have.
Mmmm this is not good … as I write this I am seriously contemplating one of these…
Okay, stop laughing. No really, that’s just not being nice.
From childhood it was that odd French thing. Young school boys talking about that weird car with head lights that moved.
The shape was a stand out, and in terms of pushing the envelope, you should buy one of these for that alone. They were brave boys back then at Citroen, either that or the pigeons above the smoko hut at the design lab were tripping out all the time from the fumes rising up at smoko time.
No one has pushed the design of a motor vehicle more than this car. Sadly today, as much as we love and desire a lot of old and newer cars, no one has really forged ahead with any major leap forwards in design. Not like the DS.
That said, no one really copied the DS design either and to an extent, neither did Citroen. They all sort of stood back and said “yeah okay, cool, but we’ve got other ideas”. Mind you, in 2015 the DS appears to go back into production as Taxis in America. (I just want a hover board)
It’s a must have car for a certain type of addict and due to its uniqueness it’s never really been in or out of fashion. It’s just always been what it is: the DS.
Once again (I seem to be saying this for each car, so it must mean something) the good ones have survived and they are the ones that will stay with us, well, at least till we run out of petrol.
Big, boxy and fast. What more could you want? The whole concept of a hand built vehicle, with grace, comfort and style just works.
This series of Royce’s (real RR people call their cars Royce’s not rollers) was not the prettiest and were made at a time when the marque was in a financial and design wilderness.
The boys at Bentley stopped crying into their gin and said “bugger this, let’s make do with what we’ve got”. They went into the workshop, stared at the new Royce, then went back and finished the bottle of gin, which preceded a great brain storming session. This gave birth to the Turbo R.
All I can say is find a good one, sit behind the driver’s seat and if possible, take it for a drive. You will wonder why it’s not been on your list before. It’s not a sports car, but it’s that vehicle you need for those special days. Those days you need to feel extraordinary.
If the Bentley scared you – just because you think the first time something goes pop you will need to sell your house just to buy the parts, let alone have anyone work on the thing (sort of killed the Bentley here haven’t I) – well don’t despair. These English folk were thinking the same thing and in a haze of single malt scotch (and more gin) the team at Rover came up with the budget Bentley.
Once again, a team staring at their front wheel drive sedan, while looking back at heritage, and asking “where did that come from” knew they had to have a rear wheel drive car in the Rover fleet, so they set about building one.
“Ello mate, Gordon form Rover design ere. Listen, we’z were lookin’ for a big lump of a donk to drop in our new Rover / MG, you’ze got anything lying around we can ave?
To which the line to BMW head office went dead. More calls went out to other marques. More dead phone lines.
Then they hit gold.
Unbeknown to them, Tommy Lee at Ford procurement had placed a big order for V8 engines, but they had not sold through.
“Tommy Lee … if you don’t on-sell those engines by close of business today, don’t bother coming back”
…and at that point Tommy’s phone rang.
”ello mate, Gordon here…”
The rest is history.
It’s a bit of a weird one and really, my thoughts on it gaining or maintaining any value are only based around its rarity and value for money. A V8 rear wheel drive luxury saloon. A few for sale in the UK, which is where I have based my findings, as we here in Australia were only blessed with eight or twelve of these things. They don’t pop up for sale often, and when they do, we can only say “tell em they’re dreaming”.
I have kept an eye on these over time and only now am I starting to see a rise in prices on the good condition cars. As before, there are lots of cheapy bad cars to stay away from.
[hr]
RENAULT CLIO V6 .. err from 6,000 GBP to 12,000 GBP and climbing.
With this car, I am both biased and stupid. Biased because I have owned one. Stupid because I just sold it.
I had a phase two version and here I show a phase one. The Two’s were a better build and better car, but the phase one was the original.
They’re affectionately called a “Vee” by those in the fold and there were only 300-odd made. Of those, the passage of time and the passings of boy racers will have dwindled this to much lower numbers. So they will be rare.
The phase one is well known for wanting to pirouette in a corner (or a straight line) and the phase two less so, also helping position the car as uncommon. Consider it as a sort of inbuilt Darwin evolution/vehicle rarity control mechanism.
It’s time to find a good one, as the phase two’s have already started to climb in value.
All I can say is, it’s the only car I know that really makes you smile just starting it up. It’s the only car I know you can have an intimate relationship with, it’s you and the Vee, that’s it.
I’m an addict but I don’t have the ability to buy and store lots of cars. I had the Vee, Loved him (Murphy) and he has gone to a good home. It’s time to find my next affair. … it might just be one of the above …
[hr]
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]lassic Driver’s a website I enjoy reading from time to time. The site has a classified advertising section and some of the cars that come up are absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, many of the best ones don’t have prices attached so it’s hard to know just how much money’s missing from your piggy bank.
I’ve written on this site about classic car investment a few times in the past. It’s becoming a very real investment alternative for those with plenty of cash already squirrelled away. You need big $$$ to get a foot in the door and a keen eye, but there’s money to be made and enjoyment to be had for those who can. Premium classic cars seem to go up and up, with record auction prices being reached seemingly every 6-12 months.
Classic Driver just published a list of classics that it believes are going to be good automotive investments in the near term. Here’s the list:
Lamborghini Miura
I think the Lamborghini Miura represents great value for money at current prices. It’s from that era of cars that everyone understands and loves, it’s from a great brand, it’s got a 12-cylinder engine, and it looks great – I think it’s got a long way to go.
The problem is you’re looking at half a million just to get in the door.
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Aston Martin DB6
Quite simply, DB6s are too inexpensive at the moment. They’re selling for around half the price of a DB5, but they’re not half the car.
Prices start around US$220,000 so you’d even for something like this, you’d better have your finances sorted.
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Ferrari 512 BB
Oh come on, now you’re just being ridiculous.
….in the Ferrari world they look like tremendous value for money in comparison to what Daytonas, 330 GTCs, Lussos and 275 GTBs are making today.
It’s all relative, I guess.
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Porsche 911 (996) GT3
OK, this is more like it (almost). These are actually available in some markets for five-figure sums, though discerning buyers will be suspicious of those. Expect something in the mid US0K range for a good one.
If you find a good example, you’ll be rewarded with not only driving pleasure, but also a solid investment.
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Bugatti EB110 Super Sport
Just think – a quad-turbo, quad-cam V12, 600bhp, four-wheel drive and one of the most illustrious badges in the business, all for one-eighth of the price of a McLaren F1. Does it come any better?
I can’t find a price for an EB110 at the moment. The three that I can find for sale are POA. I hope they come with sunglasses….
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Lamborghini Countach
The Countach is one of the most dramatic cars ever produced, and it’s just now starting to be considered as a collector’s item rather than a second-hand supercar.
I don’t think I’ve ever considered the Countach to be just a second-hand supercar, but I can see what he means.
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Aston Martin V8
OK, now this is one that I can relate to, both as an investment and as an (almost) affordable one.
These high-quality vehicles are completely undervalued and now that DB6s are barely affordable, the later cars look like they might enjoy an enormous increase in demand in the near future.
You can find one of these here in Australia from as ‘low’ as $70K but they quickly move into the low six-figures.
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Obviously the target audience for Classic Driver is a little more affluent than the average Swadeology reader, who I imagine to be in a similar position to myself (or someone who was in (or will be in) a similar position at a similar age – i.e. regular folk).
So……..
Given that car-hunting is like a second hobby anyway, I’ve asked Gavin to join me in coming up with 7 Classic Car Investments for more regular car people.
The terms and conditions:
The budget is for a maximum of A$30,000
You must be able to show an example of the car for sale somewhere in the world under that price (at a current rate of exchange).
The car has to be interesting.
The writer should be able to provide some short theory as to why it’s a possible long-term proposition for making a little money (or, at the very least, not losing you (much) money if you look after it properly).
The cars posed by Classic Driver are ones that I’m sure will provide a good return after 10 years of being locked away. To me, though, that’s not classic driving. That’s collecting art. It’s nice to look at, but cars are meant to be driven as well as collected.
Our mission is to find them. If I had K to spare and I wanted to have the best chance of turning it into K in around 3-5 years from now, what would I buy?
I’m convinced there’s a couple of semi-affordable classics-in-the-making that can be driven AND provide a caring owner with a slight gain over a period of time.
That’s our challenge, at least.
We’ll report back in when the lists are ready. Feel free to assess Classic Driver’s nominations and come up with a few of your own, exotic or otherwise.
I’d like to introduce a friend of mine, the guy who’s penned this article. His name is Gavin and as you’ll read below, he has a condition. Don’t be judgemental, though, because there’s a really good chance you have it too, in one form or another.
Gavin will be sharing his automotive passion on this site every now and then. Please make him welcome.
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[dropcap]S[/dropcap]omeone called me a car fanatic the other day and at first I thought “that’s okay”. But then it hit me – was that an insult or not? Am I fanatical about automotive machinery? Am I an enthusiast or do I fall under another category altogether? Which bucket do I fall into, and does it even matter?
Well, yes – of course it matters. Good etiquette requires that we refrain from overstepping the mark with those yet to blessed with our level of affliction.
I assume a number of you reading this have already placed yourself in one pile or the other. You may or may not have given it much thought but your placement within the right set of white lines (in the correct lane, so to speak) can mean a lot in the pseudo world of motoring. It’s a make-or-break assessment of just how deep both you and the outside world perceive your devotion to automobilia actually is.
Firstly, I must point out that hybrid versions of fanatical, enthusiastic and otherwise dedicated car lovers exist, but I won’t cover that complication here today. Instead, I will focus on the clear cut cases.
The Fanatic
I’m pleased to report that I have not been arrested in any protest outside Holden’s headquarters, trying to persuade the faceless American management team to rethink its obviously silly decision to make a business more profitable by reducing costs and removing old practises that don’t stack up financially.
A Fanatic would protest. They would stand proud in the rain, sleet, sun, wind and snow (i.e. typical Melbourne day) to show the world that someone cares about the fact that an Australian icon is dying.
I, on the other hand, could not be bothered. Like most people, I know all too well that the decision was made ages ago and that the pinstriped suits are just keeping their own jobs and careers safe, so not a lot will change even if I did rug-up and sleep out front of Holden HQ.
So, I am therefore – and thankfully – not a fanatic.
Of course, if you are a fanatic then that’s absolutely okay. It takes all sorts to make up a world. (that’s me trying to stop a protest forming outside my residence. Please don’t.).
If we’re not fanatics then by default, we must be enthusiasts. Or are we?
—
The Enthusiast
I’ll attempt to define the Enthusiast with the same Holden scenario we examined for the Fanatic, if that’s OK with you.
An enthusiast might don his perfect condition 1996 Holden Race Team shirt, cap and jacket (stored in a special wardrobe in chronological order), dust off his collection of Bathurst 1:18 scale race cars (richer enthusiasts have life size versions), straighten his ‘limited edition’ one-of-seven-million-and-still-in-production King Of The Mountain print (the one with a terrible hand drawn image of Peter Brock that makes him look like he was infected with a zombie virus) and cry about the demise of his beloved Holden over a BBQ with his mates where they would toast the Kingswood/Torana/Gemini – or whatever car they lost their virginity in back in the 1980’s.
*Breathe*
I didn’t do that, either. Hence I don’t think I can be referred to as an Enthusiast.
(And having possibly already maligned fanatics and now enthusiasts, I expect some of you are googling my address and sending a murder of your colleagues to take me out….. again – please don’t. My affliction, and maybe yours, is something that many sane-minded people would deem even worse)
It would seem, based on this, that we who are left must congregate elsewhere. “There is another”, as Obi Wan said to Yoda. Or was it the other way round? I’m not sure but I’m quite sure a Star Wars enthusiast can tell me.
I don’t subscribe to, nor would I partake in, any of the things mentioned previously and yet I know there is still something going on in my mind. What does that make me? If you have now joined my queue, what banner do WE fall under? If we are not rampant feverish protestors or obsessive compulsive members of a cult, then we must be afflicted with a condition only talked about in whispers within darkened rooms, away from those that need not know.
We can only be the dreaded oft-not-mentioned band of brothers (a unisex term covering both sexes, so no nasty sexist replies please) that are deemed “the automotive addict”.
The Addict
Yes, addicted to motoring. We suck up, consume and worst of all, store and willingly regurgitate copious amounts of automotive mumbo jumbo.
I know, I know, some of this mumbo jumbo is good stuff, like knowing where Arch Motors stamped the chassis numbers on a Lotus/Caterham 7 chassis frame, or that a 1990’s Rover Mini subframe will bolt straight into a 1963 Mini.
But on top of the ‘good’ stuff is the pathetic stuff that comprises the addicts’ never-ending need for more. The condition is typified by a slightly sick ‘I know more than you’ syndrome.
We do this silently, secretly, only ever letting other recognised addicts see the depths of our condition by spewing forth volumes of detailed, needless car information. It’s stuff that means a lot to you and it will most likely come to mean a lot to the other addicts you meet, too. The nature of the addict compels them to store any previously unknown information into their own knowledge base so as to inflict it upon someone else at another time.
This addiction to motoring is not easily seen. We look like normal humans, doing regular day-to-day things, until…..
There comes a time, maybe just a fleeting moment, where the veil of secrecy is lifted ever so slightly. It can be with non-addicted humans and if so then it normally goes unnoticed and life carries on. But lift the oil sodden veil a bit too much and the un-autoised folk will start to wonder.
It may not happen straight away, but at some stage they will remember your burst of information about the car that starred in the Back To The Future movies.
Your quickened voice, the growing look of angst as you explained that the car was not a Ferrari, it was a Delorean. And it had more than just a touch of Lotus DNA with its steel backbone chassis and fiberglass body. They may even remember all the detail you explained to them, like how the stainless steel panels were glued onto the fibreglass body as an outer skin only.
At the very least, they will remember that the outburst happened and they will watch for more as they build their case against you prior to a formal intervention.
The veil is more easily lifted when the audience is safely recognised as other automobile-ish humanoids, but it will not go up straight away. No sir.
In the first instance you need to find what the pack is made up of. Is this a fanatical gathering and if so, what are you doing there? Is it an enthusiast swarm? You may have to determine if you can relate to whatever they are devoted to. Do you have data stored on their particular marque and best case, do you know more than them? To determine the latter, you must engage in initial small talk, leading gradually to important addiction-focused discussions where you bait the enthusiast with snippets of information, await their reply and then lift the veil just a little more and throw out a curly one.
It’s called Addiction Chess and it goes a bit like this:
Your move – “The Mk 1 Lotus Cortina had alloy doors, boot and bonnet”.
Such a comment could be met with a “Yeah? Didn’t know that”.
Result – BING, you now know you are the superior addict and can either play with these underlings or leave. It would depend on how you felt at the time.
However, if the reply was “Well, not all of them, they went back to steel doors, boot and bonnet a few years after production” ….
Result – Bzzzz. This is your first indication that you face a worthy adversary that has a deeper-than-normal level of information.
This is where it gets interesting. You see, now it’s all based on your respective addiction severity.
If you know that the alloy panels were dropped in October of 1964, which is when Ford did a small upgrade and added flow-through ventilation and that any car with alloy panels after that date were only added by the factory as an extra cost option and did not appear on many more cars after that, or added later in life from spare parts or from another car….*breathe*…..then you now have the option to reply based on this knowledge.
You can lift the veil in one hit, or play the game of chess and see where it leads you. The slower chess option is more enjoyable, of course, and can reveal a lot of information not known previously. All good to store away for another time.
——
So yes…. I am addicted to motoring. I admit it.
I don’t follow one marque, although I have more data stored on some marques than others (based on my personal taste and wanting to know more about interesting types of cars). I seek out information and enjoying learning more. I’m happy to converse with all who are interested, knowing that over time the veil will be lifted, though rarely – if ever – fully. You’ve got to save the pot of gold for that last move in that important auto chess game, sometime, somewhere in the future.
Where do you fall into?
… and if you are a fanatic then I do apologise sincerely and profusely – Hoping again that I got away with that. Fingers crossed.
My mind is trivia-oriented. A psychologist would probably diagnose all manner of syndromes if they ever took the lid off but I’m pretty happy just to accept that I like to know details. I obsess about the big picture too, but details matter just as much and somehow I function with this parallel focus. Thus, in the same manner that my forebears may have spent a Saturday night reading the dictionary or checking the shipping news (more interesting than you’d think), I spent last Saturday night clicking though links in Wikipedia.
Wikipedia’s myriad of links work the way my brain does. Particularly when I view it in Google Chrome and each click opens in a new tab rather than a myriad of windows. So, on a quiet winter evening after the family had gone to bed, the dogs (whippets) asleep by the fire and one eye on the Wales vs Australia rugby match…I decided to re-arrange my iTunes library. This always ends up triggering some musical notion or another and this time it was the 1998 album Celebrity Skin by Hole that flicked my switch.
I don’t know how many of you are fans of Hole’s music – frankly, I don’t like all of it – but Celebrity Skin is something else. Their last studio album, their most commercially successful and arguably their most conflicted. Hot guitar sounds, vocal harmonies and tight, tight rhythm section. Somehow this growling, discordant bunch of west coast punks produced a classic power pop record. You could almost call it pure West Coast .
If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about: try this for starters:
So having stumbled back across one of my old favourites, I whipped out the headphones (Marshalls, you may recall), plugged in and turned it up. Wonderful. Then, simply because I couldn’t resist, I started searching for some background with Jimmy Wales’ help. There was plenty.
The first surprise was that despite the liner note credits, the drums were all played by a stand-in; metal player Deen Castranovo. Patty Schemel is no slouch on drums but somehow the producer Michael Beinhorn (3rd choice after Brian Eno and Billy Corgan) decided that she wasn’t up to it and cut her out of the recording sessions. That must have been a fun time for everyone in the studio…. nevertheless, Castronovo did a great job. I play drums a little and in my dreams, I dream of playing drums like this. Or at least somewhere between this and Dennis Chambers…. What makes it even more magical is the bass playing of Melissa Auf-der-mer. Just perfect.
I read on and clicked though. The details behind Eric Erlandson’s guitar work led me to finding out for the first time ever about Veleno aluminium guitars, for instance. Who knew? Or that the guitar parts were recorded, mixed and produced through two separate channels with different effects? Or the magical harmonies of Heaven Tonight – how did they do that?
Then I decided to click through and learn a little more about the producer, Michael Beinhorn. Turns out he produced a lot of music and then had a Jerry Maguire-esque moment and decided to write a blog about how to save the music industry. Seriously. Actually, it’s not bad. A wonderful essay on the importance of “feel” in music with an avalanche of references . I’m tempted to post a big section here from Beinhorn but I won’t (like how he argues that John Paul Jones from Led Zeppelin owes a little to James Jamerson, house bassist at Motown. Seriously influential player). You’ll find it in a second with Google, anyway.
Hopefully by now you get the picture. Take a listen if you can. Its pretty good.
Last Sunday in Milan, Ryder Hesjedal of the Garmin Barracuda Pro Cycling Team won this years Giro D’Italia (Tour of Italy). After three weeks of racing around Denmark (!) and Italy, he pipped Joaquim Rodriguez by seconds to win the General Classification. Those of you who are cyclists or follow the pro tour will already know the story, for everyone else – take a look at www.Velonews.competitor.com or www.inrng.com where things are documented in pretty much any way you care to choose.
I won’t try to re-write any of the excellent coverage that exists there and elswhere on the interweb but there is one small point I’d like to focus on: Not only was it the first win for a Canadian in any of the Grand Tours (Spain and France being the other two) but he did it on a Canadian bike, a Cervelo.
I tried to capture my love for Cervelo here on Swadeology a while ago and I’ll spare you any further raptures but Ryder’s win is a nice piece of symmetry that I couldn’t let pass. Cervelo has a Dutch majority owner these days thanks to a recent change in ownership but it is an inherently Canadian business that started from scratch in Toronto and grew into a global powerhouse with its bikes ridden by to wins by some of the greatest cyclists in the world. Even so, as another well known cyclist famously said; its not about the bike.
Well done Ryder, well done Phil & Gerard at Cervelo.
Swade warned me this could be a tough row to hoe. After all, isn’t a company going into bankruptcy a pretty clear sign that their marketing has failed? It’s certainly not the most positive demonstration of engagement with their customers. However, putting all that aside (even if you can’t, humour me…) I still think that Saab marketing got some things incredibly, timelessly right.
Let’s set aside the merciless taunting by the Top Gear chaps throughout their recent Saab piece about Saabs apparent fixation with jets – even ones they didn’t make. Yes, it’s arguable that in many ways Saab marketing missed their mark and I too struggle with any of the marketing that tried to trade off the aircraft business. However, I believe that there is a also a case for Saab being one of the best marketed marques in the world. How so?
Bear with me while I take a mild digression to a comment made by a Swedish colleague of mine a few years ago. Knowing my affection for Saab, this fellow loved to rib me about the company’s trials and tribulations as they unfolded. On one particular occasion, he said something that more or less went like this:
“What is Saab, really? I mean, come on, try to define it for me. Volvo is a car company that is very easy to understand, one that make cars. A lot of cars. But Saab…. Saab is really just a very, very appealing idea.”
The fact he is from Gothenburg can perhaps account for something…… but nevertheless, it has remained as a telling comment in my mind. A very appealing idea. Perhaps that is part of the Saab magic after all?
If you consider that Saab’s market share in any market except Sweden was never more than marginal in comparison to its competitors, the iconic nature of the brand is quite amazing. Even now with the business completely removed from the market, I would bet that anyone you ask (literally, anyone) can offer a few words of recognition if you showed them a Saab logo. It might be that they recognise a Swedish car company. Or perhaps more. This is how I propose, that Saab is in fact, a true success of branding and positioning – admittedly only a part of the whole marketing spectrum – far beyond the commercial value of its business.
Nevertheless, if it’s not clear already, I’m not an advertsing guru or marketing academic and this is a not a comprehensive analysis of the Saab marketing campaigns. I’m simply an enthusiastic bystander who sees beyond the current failure of the Saab business and finds a timeless element to the Saab brand that is irressistable.
