£100K Garage: Andrew Gordon

From Honda Legend to bike-engined Mini via hot hatch and Italian V8, there's variety aplenty in Andrew's garage!

Name: Andrew Gordon
Previously owned: Too many to mention! Highlights include various classic Minis, Ford Fiesta Mk2 1.4 S, Ford Fiesta Mk3 1.6 S, Vauxhall Nova GSI, Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth, Mercedes C200, Audi A4 3.0 TDI Quattro, Honda Civic Type R FN2, Subaru Impreza (bug eye), Jeep Grand Cherokee, two Alfa 156s and a VW T5 Transporter. (I won't mention the 15 odd motorcycles that have came and went; hopefully my wife isn't reading this!)
Currently owned: BMW 530i (E39) LPG shed
On the shortlist: "As you can see I have had a wide and varied selection of cars, so it's impossible to find a do-it-all car, but my old 530i isn't far away. My £100K is going to be well spread out. I'm an aerospace design engineer and involved with motorcycle racing so I've always had a great love for the engineering aspect of my vehicles; my car needs to have a good engine to keep me interested!

"The build quality of cars since I started driving in the late 90s has improved so much that it's hard to find a bad car these days. I want a family wagon with balls, an ongoing project that I can work on with my lad, a wow car, a daily driver, possibly a Yank tank, something for my wife and anything else that is a bit leftfield. I do like a fast Ford too!"

BMW X5 4.4
Cost: £4,295
Balance: £95,705
Why I chose it: "This is the family wagon. Just look at the amount of car you get for £4K: TVs in the headrests to keep the children up to date with Peppa Pig and BMW's growling V8 to drown it out! I'm sure this could pull the family caravan without holding up the traffic too much. My current E39 is touching 200K miles, a testament to the build quality of BMWs of this age; I reckon there is plenty of life in this old girl yet. This would be a perfect candidate for an LPG conversion - we will see what sort of cash is left at the end!"

Ford Focus RS Mk2
Cost: £19,995
Balance: £75,710
Why I chose it: "Daily driver I reckon. I have always loved Fords, thanks largely to my Dad who had various nice ones from a Sweeney Granada to a bug eye Scorpio 2.3. My Mum bought a new Sierra Sapphire 1.8 LX way back when and it was the first car I ever drove. Fast Fords, especially RS versions, never seem to depreciate; just look at the price of anything Cosworth today! Sierra RS500s are pushing six figures. This Focus engine is making all the right noises, it has low mileage, the service history is full and it has the all important heated screen (this should be a legal requirement for all cars in this country!). I drove one of these when they came out and it felt as quick as my Sapphire Cossie did 15 years previously. The five-cylinder note and pops on the overrun would give me the "I can't wait to drive it home" feeling."

Honda Legend 3.5
Cost: £6,276
Balance: £69,434
Why I chose it: "This will do for my wife. Honda makes great cars; name me a bad one from recent times. The big H has massive technical engineering capability both on two wheels and four. Its engines are everywhere, from a generator to a lawnmower, and the Honda Cub bike is the world's most popular transport. This Legend represents Honda's very best personal transport solution; it's not likely to be a dog, is it?! I have no idea why these aren't more popular in the UK, though it's probably because of our love of diesel. Again, why are automatics not more popular in 'normal' cars? With the amount of traffic and distractions on our roads, autos are so much easier to drive. Lovely car this. Loads of kit too."

Classic Z Cars Mini
Cost: £9,500
Balance: £59,934
Why I chose it: "Because you should do something every day that scares you! I love the fact that the pictures show two sets of ear defenders - I assume these are vital! I can't think of a more impractical, raw and downright scary car for this sort of money. This would tick my track day box as well as my need to work on a project, as it would surely break at some point. My lad is nearly four and is following in my footsteps as a petrolhead; he loves watching Richard and Aaron (with the funny beard) on TV. He also seems to like Minis. I've had a few and my Dad was known in the area during the 70s as a bit of a Mini tuning guru. Minis were such a groundbreaking design back in the day. I would love to make this one look bog standard and give Mr Audi A4 S Line a bit of a scare at the traffic lights.

Maserati GranTurismo
Cost: £51,950
Balance: £7,984
Why I chose it: "My wow car. The Italians are all about form first and then function. Just look at it! It's beautiful, with more than enough power for our roads. I can just see me and my wife touring the beautiful roads around western Scotland in this. For me this has almost the same class as an Aston, the same DNA as a Ferrari and the cost of a new 5 Series!"

"My balance of £8,000 would be used for an LPG conversion on the X5, some Revo or Mountune mods for the RS and service bills for the Italian one."