Monday 5th October 2015

£100k Garage: Danny Smith

A thoughtful and varied way to spend a (sadly) imaginary £100K from PHer Danny

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Name: Danny Smith
Previously owned: "Ford Fiesta Mk1 1.1 van, Fiat Panda 4x4, Citroen Saxo 1.1, Toyota MR2 SW20, Subaru Impreza Sport Special, Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000, Caterham 1400 Classic, Audi A4 1.9 Tdi, Nissan 350Z GT4"
Currently owned: "Audi A6 2.7 Tdi, Caterham 1600 Supersport DVA"
On the shortlist: "Lotus Elise S1, 50s V8 pickup (because want), VW Campervan"

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Lotus Elise S1
Cost: £8,500
Balance: £91,500
Why I chose it: "I've wanted an S1 Elise since the day my neighbour bought one in the mid 90s. This one is keenly priced, has some interesting engine work and room for improvement under my ownership. This would be a lifetime keeper. If I didn't have my current Caterham, I would be in Cumbria right now."

Audi S4 Avant
Cost: £13,995
Balance: £77,505
Why I chose it: "The do it all car. Safe for children, boot space for holidays, cruise on the motorway, oomph to overtake, a V8 soundtrack to add cheer to a dreary Monday morning."

Subaru Impreza P1
Cost: £11,993
Balance: £65,512
Why I chose it: "I've had a love of that burble from watching Colin McRae and playing Gran Turismo in my youth. The car I miss most is my Turbo 2000, though thankfully it lives only a few miles away, with a friend."

Ferrari F355 Berlinetta
Cost: £59,995
Balance: £5,517
Why I chose it: "A red Ferrari is something I think any petrolhead, deep down, would like to own. I'm no different. I'd quite like a 550, but I'd rather have this AND the P1."

Classic Mini
Cost: £3,100
Balance: £2,417
Why I chose it: "Both something for now, to chuck about on track, and something that my son can learn to work on, learn track skills in and take on if he wants.

"The balance would be spent on driver training, which is still the cheapest way to make a car faster, and track days, or maybe a big blowout trip to Spa or the Nurburgring for a proper trackday/weekend/week."

[MrSimmoUK]

Some nice choices,

I would have swapped the mini for an upgrade of the s4 to the rs4, the roar from the rs is phenomenal...

[Leggy]

Great choice. One of the best garages for a while.

[big_rob_sydney]

Love the P1. The only impreza I'd aspire to besides a 22B in the classics. And to be honest, if you chucked some folding at it, it would make the Elise and mini redundant.

Put that money to a bike instead.

[bencollins]

Sound, safe choices (not a criticism).
All the right classic-for-the-car colours too.

[kainedog]

A man after my own heart, would just swap the Audi for an m5 estate , lovely garage

[DC2 Mark]

A sterling garage there Sir.

[sideways sid]

Great choices! Really nice selection.

[Smitters]

Cheers for the comments. As has been noted, quite a "safe" set, but I've not got particularly startling tastes in the £100k game. It's a surprisingly limiting amount and there was a good deal of umming and ahhing about whether a Porsche would make it in. I deliberately went S4 as I love the understated look. The RS4 in all generations looks great to me, but knowing you have 80-90% of the performance, in a package that only really hints at it has real appeal for me.

I think I could quite easily have included a Jag XJR, an MX-5 instead of the Mini, a 996 C4S, a Maserati Gran Turismo, a Defender, a Fiat Panda 4x4 for nostalgia's sake, an original VW Beetle, all sorts. That's why it's taken me months to really come up with a final list. I say final, but if I did it again in a year it would probably be different, with the exception of the Elise and the do-it-all estate.

[TaylotS2K]

Surely you'd just buy the Elise and the remaining money could be spent on keeping it on the road ;-)

[Fozzi1]

Some great choices, what happened to the pickup ? Also I can vouch for the S4, I viewed that actual car on Saturday with a friend who has now bought it ! great car with a great soundtack....

[Smitters]

Fozzi1 said:

Some great choices, what happened to the pickup ? Also I can vouch for the S4, I viewed that actual car on Saturday with a friend who has now bought it ! great car with a great soundtack....

That's a semi-real plan, but to be honest, there are not many examples in the PH classifeds. I did find a few at auction, which meant I'd claim to bid whatever £££ I had left and hope, but realistically PH isn't the place for a 75 year old pick-up truck.

Glad someone else has validated my S4 choice! I may have my PH card revoked, but I had hoped to find an auto as 99% of the mileage I do would be fine as such and with the rest of my £100k garage, one slushbox is forgiveable I think. A more aural exhaust and job's a good 'un, though with that, the 355 and the P1, my neighbours may not be sympathetic.

[dinkel]

Elise S1 is a riot. An Exige though...

[Fishy Dave]

Hi Danny,

Good choices there, good to hear that you still have 'Colin'. Keep hold of it, don't sell it for an Elise!

Cheers, Dave

[Smitters]

Fishy Dave said:

Hi Danny,

Good choices there, good to hear that you still have 'Colin'. Keep hold of it, don't sell it for an Elise!

Cheers, Dave

Cheers Dave. Colin will be appearing at Abingdon next Friday, finally, after a somewhat interrupted summer... and he's staying for a while.

Who said kid were time consuming?

[shipoftheseus]

Like the choices. With you on the 996 C4S too. For the same reasons you take the S4 over RS4. Most of the 911 Turbo's performance for less money. Also looks better.

[Smitters]

Just refound this and had to chuckle to myself - you couldn't get these cars for £100k now - more like £130k, so it seems I may be accidentally shrewd too.

Dear PH - can we have the £100k garage game back again please - it was fun!