Finding, curating, and selling quality goods, while educating guys on what it is they're actually buying, is Bureau of Trade's mission and one they do quite well. Each week the site is bringing GQ readers thoughtfully selected items for all of life's needs. Up today: European coupes and convertibles, guilt free, and pre-midlife crisis.
For some men, this is the time of life to make a sensible purchase: a family car with anti-lock brakes, a baker's dozen airbags, and a bumper camera to make you feel, mmm, about the same age as the child you're trying not to maim every time you parallel park. If this is you, sir, by all means rest on your procreative laurels and read no further.
For the man less encumbered, and in the market for a "daily driver" — something you turn on and routinely take out, and don't just confine to heavily surveilled garage like Cameron's father in Ferris Bueller's Day Off — it's time for some hard truth: you may never have another opportunity to own a beautiful, eye-catching, fun-to-drive classic. Sure, you can put it off until retirement (classic car ownership being one of the more benign side-effects of Cialis). But take it from the family guy no longer reading this article: life gets more complicated. It gets harder, not easier to make this purchase.
Simply put: no one who has ever owned a vintage ride has ever regretted it, but many assume that it is out of their price range, or maintenance will keep your social life on the Injured Reserve list indefinitely. It's true that we think every man needs a relationship with a mechanic he trusts, but the cars we're featuring today are as reliable as taxes, easier on the eyes than a Laker Girl, and each and every one of them costs around $10,000.
In no particular order, here is the Bureau of Trade's shortlist of classics you should never think twice about owning:
The MGB GT:
In contrast with the well-known MG Midget (history's answer to the Miata), the MGB GT has a large stature, a wider stance, and fixed hardtop, giving it a sophisticated, even academic look. Like a science professor...but in a porno. Designed by the prestigious Italian Pininfarina firm (they also contributed to some of the more iconic Lamborghinis and Ferraris but we won't hold that against them), GTs are widely availably in sterling condition, and won't cost you all of your sterling acquire one. Pip pip.
$9,999, available through Bureau of Trade
The BMW 2002:
Produced for just fifteen years from 1962 to 1977, the 2002 was the precursor to all of the so-called "ultimate driving machines" on the road today - but it endures as a pure distillation of many admirable BMW attributes: the clean shape (don't call it boxy unless you mean it as a compliment) and signature grille, and the first mass-produced turbo engine in Europe - the same peppy 1.5L engine that is equally famous for its durability. You're likely to find strong "survivors" in wide supply - models that haven't been augmented or adulterated from their original factory condition. Bitte.
$10,995, available through Bureau of Trade
The Merecedes SL:
For the money there is no finer, more durable, more attractive convertible on the market. When life (and wife) say it's time to buy that Prius, you won't be able to do it. You will dig in your heels and cry like a baby because someone else wants to get rid of a car that has never done anything but love you, honor you with its reliability, and made you the envy of every Joe Sebring and Johnny Outback at the valet stand. Ten grand will buy you a lifetime of contentment.
$9,295, available through Bureau of Trade.
Porsche 912:
Of two minds (and a single torn heart) though we are when it comes to Porsche, we decided to put the 912 on the list for being - and we're not kidding here - insanely fuel efficient. That's right. The smallish (for a Porsche) four-cylinder 1582 cc engine enabled it to hit 30mpg (some claim even higher). It was considered an entry-level model, and the barrier to entry is still low enough to make it an attractive option. We've noticed a sharp uptick in the price of 912s in the last few years, so now is the time to buy.
$10,750, available through Bureau of Trade.
International Harvester Scout II:
We believe that the inclusion of a fuel efficient Porsche entitles us to include a gas-guzzling SUV. Fortunately it's a beaut. Produced in Fort Wayne, Indiana by International Harvester, the sturdy Scout II was designed to compete with the Willys Jeep, Toyota FJ Cruiser, and Ford Bronco (each lovely in their own right). At 3500 lbs, the Scout II weighs as much as three-and-a-half Porsche 912's, but it's big and brawny enough to bring friends who (with enough goading) can chip in for gas.
$5,555, available through Bureau of Trade
Honda Civic (CVCC):
The classic economy car is now simply a classic. California's higher emissions standards meant that Honda could only sell cars in the state outfitted with the CVCC engine - an efficient, omnivorous engine that could handle the broader but more limited mix of petrol products available during the 1973 oil crisis. Pristine examples of of the CVCC hatchback aren't easy to come by today, but if you get your hands on one, you'll feel smug without the smog.
$5,375, available through Bureau of Trade
No comments:
Post a Comment