As proof that you can sell any kind of car in the coastal states, even if in limited numbers, there’s a not-insignificant supply of Rovers (primarily P6 sedans) living in northern California. Every so often, one pops up for sale as a reminder that these are significant cars, taking much inspiration from Citroen’s DS, and adding some of their own ingenuity. If seeing these cost-no-object innovative manufacturers (like Lancia, Saab, and Alfa) die out doesn’t make you just a little sad, you should probably remove this page from your bookmarks and shut your browser down. You can find this 1968 Rover P6 2000TC (that’s twin carb, not twin cam) for sale for $3000 in Sacramento, CA.
Archive for March, 2014
Anti-Neue Klasse – 1968 Rover 2000TC
March 12, 2014Tipo 119 – 1984 (ish) Alfa Romeo Alfa Sei Quadrifoglio d’Oro
March 12, 2014Recent listings on eBay, albeit for 5-figure prices, inspired a quick little trip to Europe to see what’s available there in the way of the Alfa 6. Alfa’s first six-cylinder car since the inline 6 2600 of the 1960s, the Alfa 6 was merely related to the Alfetta platform cars, but with a front-mounted transmission (making it the only rear-wheel-drive V6 Alfa Romeo with a front-mounted transmission). It did use the same front torsion bar, rear de Dion set up that contributed greatly to the roadholding and balance of the Alfetta range. Of the roughly 12,000 cars produced, less than 2000 were built with the fuel-injected 2.5-liter V6, which had an output of 156hp. Intended as Alfa’s response to family-size BMW, Peugeot and Mercedes sedans, you can find this 1984 Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 Quadrifoglio Oro for sale for €2800 ($3890 at the current exchange rate), somewhere in Belgium.
Alert! Alert! – 1959 Toyopet Crown Custom Wagon
March 11, 2014The warning is coming a little late, but if there had been a warning in 1958 about Toyota’s first tentative step in the American swimming pool, what would the Big 3 have said? “So you’re telling me this pipsqueak manufacturer from Japan that made milling machines, has a car that looks like our 2/3-scale European Vauxhalls, Opels, and Fords (which by the way, nobody is buying), and can’t even build a V8 or an automatic transmission is going to dominate the world market in 50 years? What kind of pills are you taking, boy?” So you can’t entirely blame them for being surprised when ten years later, the Corona experienced an astronomic sales climb that forced them to think seriously about small cars. Or should have (instead, we got Pintos, Vegas, and Chevettes). Check out one of Toyota’s earliest forays, this 1959 Toyopet Crown Custom wagon, for sale with bidding at $3550 and just over one day left to go, in Moreno Valley, CA.


