By Dean Sprague
If you had to choose which British car is your favorite could you do it? What criteria or criterion would you use? Would it be quality, comfort, performance, sound, reliability, looks, open or closed, numbers produced…? It gets harder and harder the more I think about it but which one(s) would you choose?
For example, the Aston Martins DB 4 thru 6 well, even the earlier ones, they are all sex on wheels. Of course they have become “un-obtainium”, for me anyway. If I had any real vision say 40 or 45 years ago I might have held on the my fixed head DB 2/4 or any of my Jags for that matter, who knows?
On the other end of the spectrum, the little Sprigets (Sprites and Midgets) have a certain appeal especially the early Bug eyes. They are more than just cute; expressive might be a better term. Some say they actually speak to you. I don’t know about that but they are still relatively affordable, except maybe the Bug eye (its getting a little pricey). They have sturdy drivetrains, are easy to modify and fun to drive. Also, affordable parts for almost anything on the car can be easily acquired. Unfortunately, I am just too tall. I have to slouch just sit in them and am probably too old for continuous ingress and egress, forget about uninterrupted long term driving. Advil every four hours might not be enough.
There are hundreds of British offerings in-between the AC Bristol and the Wolseley. Of course when you think about the quintessential British LBC Austin Healey enters the mind of many. My favorite has always been the earlier 100 6 and 3000 (low riders). They are simple and rustic but hard to get in and out of and frankly part of their charm is their lack of sophistication. In addition to the antiquated internals they are hot when it’s hot and sometimes when it’s not and you are usually wet when it rains but, they have great lines from almost any angle and have the greatest exhaust note. My dad owned quite a few and loved them all but his 100 M Lemans was by far his favorite (one of 640 made I am told). He loved it more because of the monster torque and superior handling over the later 6 cylinder cars. He always said, “Healey’s outperform the MGs and Triumphs and only cost a bit more”. Of course cost argument may have been somewhat true back in the day but now it would require much more capital than an MG or Triumph if you want to own a good one, especially his old 100 M. The later 65 to 67 3000 MK llls in pristine condition command almost as much money as the legendary Jaguar E-Type. Combined with the high acquisition costs of a Healey and much higher performance of the Jaguar I will probably never own a Healey. Of course as you may know I am a Jaguar aficionado so my perspective could be bit jaded.
Another mark that I have always admired is Lotus. I have owned a couple and loved them. I think my favorites have always been the Elan roadster or the Elite coupe. Lotus makes some of the best handling cars in the world and there isn’t anything much better or more fun for club racing if you aspire to do that. They do require a maintenance commitment if you actually intend to drive one regularly but I think it’s worth it.
However if eclectic car types catch your fancy you might like the Morgan +4 or any Morgan for that matter. It’s like owning a T series MG on steroids. They are big time “old school” but great fun if open-air classic motoring is your thing. Also they are a good investment but finding a steal deal on one is like finding hen’s teeth!
Maybe your bent is more into “orphan” type cars. You know super limited cottage industry production or forgotten cars. Motor vehicles like TVR, Marcos, Daimler SP250 Dart, Alvis TD/TE/TF 21, Berkeley, Bond, Armstrong Siddeley, Lea Francis, Elva, Vauxhall Cresta, Jenson FF and Interceptor, Kieft, Ford Zepher, Consul and Zodiac, Bristol 401,407 and 411, HRG and so on. Some of these weren’t really low production but would be challenging to find a good one today. If one of these fills your dreams be certain most of the parts are already there and buy it for love and love only, depending on your selection return on investment (ROI) could be risky.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the most common of British cars. You know the marks that made British cars famous over here. In essence the cars we saw regularly growing up, drove through school or had friends who owned one. These are the MGs, Triumphs and such of the world. They are generally still quite affordable with the exception of some of the earliest offerings. I am sure while maybe not on your “bucket list” many would put one of these LBCs in their favorites category. For example a good MGB or TR6 makes a great driver and can be acquired for a relative bargain. Parts are also plentiful and inexpensive. They have what some might consider a contemporary appearance and can be driven on modern roads at relativity high speeds. Frankly I find them still quite attractive and desirable. Plus they can be modified easily to “Healey like” performance without sacrificing much reliability.
So which car would you pick? If I was pressed I don’t know if I could pick just one. Maybe that’s why I have owned so many different British offerings. Every car offers something unique or special that separates it from others. I must admit though if I were looking for a favorite classic British car today I would probably be a bit more pragmatic and probably lean toward windup side screens, heaters that work, air-conditioning that cools, seats you can sit in comfortably, bodies you can get in and out of easily and a somewhat waterproof cockpit. I am sure this shifting of values is just a product of my aging. I remember only looking for performance, handling and open motoring a few decades ago.
In reflection, I really enjoy my Jaguar XK-RS it does everything better and faster then I can even comprehend and it does it while providing enormous comfort. This may just be a product of my aging reaction time. However, I am sure this car doesn’t qualify as a classic British collector car, not yet anyway.
I am currently (still) restoring my 1964 Volvo 1800s. It was supposed to be my quest for a keeper club driver and maybe favorite classic (sort of British) car but as the project continues the jury is still out on this one. In the mean time I am currently driving my recently acquired 1971 MGB GT for club and daily use and occasionally drive my 1953 MGTD for the same.
You ask if I had to put a classic British car on my “bucket list” what would it be? Of course it would have to be something I could maybe still afford. That shortens the list considerably. I think it might be an another early XK Jaguar, another E-Type or maybe a nice Jaguar 3.8 S, or maybe something a little more affordable like a TVR 2500 M… sure I can decide, can you?