The concept of a British roadster as a daily driver has more or less disappeared from our roads. And while the remaining cars are often restored, collector-quality examples, there are still driver-quality ones out there that more closely resemble what you might have chosen as your fun driver before the Miata showed up. And aside from pleasing the patina fiends, and people who say it’s only original once, there’s something fun in seeing a car that’s not perfect, and there’s almost a more nostalgic sense from seeing a car in the state it would have been as a 15-year-old used car instead of one that’s showroom new. A great example of this is this 1972 Triumph Spitfire for sale with bidding at $2550, no reserve, and only 2 hours left to go in Cicero, NY.
Better than a Messerschmitt – 1972 Triumph Spitfire
August 20, 2014Thoroughly Modern Auntie – 1968 Rover P6 2000TC
August 20, 2014If you’re a fan of obscure cars, you can’t possibly miss out on the British car industry. No other country seems to support such a diverse industry of low-volume car manufacturers, rebuilders, and restorers. And of course there was a tremendous diversity of manufacturers there through most of the last century, from Armstrong Siddeley to Lea Francis to Sunbeam, Rover, and Triumph. Some of their cars were very traditional, like the Morris Marina and Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, and others were very advanced, like the Rover P6. While they can’t take credit for incorporating all the advanced safety features, they did pick and choose from some good sources like Citroen. Check out this 1968 Rover P6 2000TC for sale with bidding at $1225 and just under 4 days left to go in Saint Helens, OR.
I Go, Yu Go, We All Scream For… Oh. – 1986 Yugo GV
August 19, 2014So the Yugo was a big national scandal, scam, or something. In the light of crazy inflation in the early 1980s, and lingering fuel economy awareness from the 1970s crises, manufacturers perceived a demand for small, bargain basement cars, such that you could buy a new Yugo or Hyundai for the price of a used Honda or VW. And hey, what was good enough for Comrade Miroslav or Jay Park should be just fine for Earl too, right? These ultimate throwaway cars have for the most part disappeared from our roads, and while the Excel was a boring cheap heap, the Yugo actually had a little fun built in that makes them appeal to the same folks crazy enough to love Fiat 128s and X1/9s. Check out this 1986 Yugo GV for sale with bidding at $1780 and 6 days left to go in El Cajon, CA.


