Rare, but affordable

[Osmoliver]

I use the term 'affordable' very lightly.

I was wondering what cars are rare, but available for well under a budget of £100k (i.e. it can fit in the dream garage).

We'll define rare as a run of less than c.1000 cars.

Any ideas?


These thoughts stemmed from admiring the Alfa Romeo SZ and RZ. Both had runs of less than 1000 cars and on an Alfa forum it was mentioned one sold for £16k last year. The cheapest I can find today is a reserve of £25k at an auction.

[Podie]

Ford Racing Puma

[bnseven]

Jensen CV-8?

[Johnny 89]

TVR Sagaris - c. 300 produced?

[Osmoliver]

I'd never heard of the Jensen C-V8 before. It looks like a cool car!

The TVR Sagaris is an interesting one for a very modern classic.

I personally don't count the Ford Racing Puma as a rare car, because it's a variant of the Ford Puma which was made in thousands.

[coopedup]

TVR 450 SEAC?

[dudleybloke]

Lotus Carlton.

[coopedup]

dudleybloke said:

Lotus Carlton.

Good call!

[Osmoliver]

Isn't the TVR based on a TVR 350i though?

And the Lotus Carlton is an awesome Q car!

[truck71]

Osmoliver said:

Isn't the TVR based on a TVR 350i though?

And the Lotus Carlton is an awesome Q car!

Sagaris couldn't be more removed from a 350i, it has the modern T chassis which is similar to a Tuscan/Tamora/T350 but with improved pick up points for the suspension.

350i is one of the original wedge cars from the early eighties and has a Rover v8 rather than a speed six in the Sag.

[Johnny 89]

truck71 said:

Osmoliver said:

Isn't the TVR based on a TVR 350i though?

And the Lotus Carlton is an awesome Q car!

Sagaris couldn't be more removed from a 350i, it has the modern T chassis which is similar to a Tuscan/Tamora/T350 but with improved pick up points for the suspension.

350i is one of the original wedge cars from the early eighties and has a Rover v8 rather than a speed six in the Sag.

Whoops!! I don't think anyone was saying a Sag is based on a 350i :-)

[dudleybloke]

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/d...

Edited by dudleybloke on Friday 4th December 15:27

[plasticpig]

Reliant Scimitar SE4 GT
Reliant Scimitar GTC.
Middlebridge Scimitar
Gilbern Invader
Clan Crusader
Renault Alpine A610
Panther Solo
Panther Kallista

Other than the Panther Solo they are all available for <£10K.

[truck71]

Johnny 89 said:

truck71 said:

Osmoliver said:

Isn't the TVR based on a TVR 350i though?

And the Lotus Carlton is an awesome Q car!

Sagaris couldn't be more removed from a 350i, it has the modern T chassis which is similar to a Tuscan/Tamora/T350 but with improved pick up points for the suspension.

350i is one of the original wedge cars from the early eighties and has a Rover v8 rather than a speed six in the Sag.

Whoops!! I don't think anyone was saying a Sag is based on a 350i :-)

Lol, whoops indeed! Where's the red wine?

[Allan L]

If you look back a bit further, less than 1000 off covers most interesting cars of the pre-war era.
I can't see the attraction of a lot of the unitary-construction semi-mass-produced stuff that is called "classic" and certainly not at some of the prices that are charged for them.

I'm no MG enthusiast but an MG PB (about 525 built) like this:

is offered for £40k (seems a lot to me, but you can fit 2½ of 'em in your £100k budget).

[72twink]

AC 3000ME

[Pat H]

Osmoliver said:

Isn't the TVR based on a TVR 350i though?

And the Lotus Carlton is an awesome Q car!

Hmm. The SEAC is about as much based on a 350i as a Lotus Carlton is based on a boggo VX Senator, so I'm not sure that the TVR can be so easily dismissed.

I used to own this Silk 700S, which was one of 138 made. I sold it about a decade ago for less than £4000. Probably worth about twice that now?



How about a Triumph X75 Hurricane? There were only 1172 of them. About £20,000 for a good one.



The original Lotus Éclat was a rare bird, with fewer than 1200 making it onto the domestic market. But they were pretty terrible. There must only be about a dozen left and you should get change out of a tenner for the best of them.



TVR Tuscan V6. Only 101 made and still reasonably affordable.



The 1970s TVR 3000S was pretty rare, with fewer than 150 ever made. That looks like Martin Lilley at the wheel.



Honorary mentions should also go to the 1970s MGB GT V8, with about 2900 being built and the Lotus Seven s4, of which fewer than 700 were made.

[Mr. Magoo]

Lagonda - The curiosity generated when people ask you what your drive is always fun. Production volume is very rarified for a company theoretically still producing cars. Those in the engineering camp will tell you why Lagonda owners don't sell their cars until they die.

[LotusOmega375D]

Pat H said:

Osmoliver said:

Isn't the TVR based on a TVR 350i though?

And the Lotus Carlton is an awesome Q car!

Hmm. The SEAC is about as much based on a 350i as a Lotus Carlton is based on a boggo VX Senator, so I'm not sure that the TVR can be so easily dismissed.

How about a Triumph X75 Hurricane? There were only 1172 of them. About £20,000 for a good one.

I know next to nothing about motorbikes but have seen 2 of these in the wild. One in Thurmaston, North Leicester in the mid 1990s and one about 800 yards from where I live about 4 years ago. Both in that colour scheme. The only motorbike I have ever lusted after.

Back to the Lotus Carlton: it was never considered a Q car when it came out. It was the original in-yer-face bad'ass Ferrari-baiting saloon, with its deep front dam, widened arches, bonnet vents, side skirts, massive tyres and huge rear wing. Funny how opinions change over time.

[matrignano]

BMW Z1 and Z8?