Posts Tagged ‘german’

Manual Luxury – 1983 BMW 733i 5-speed

February 11, 2014

There’s something perversely appealing about a luxury car with a manual transmission. Most large luxury sedans are much better suited to automatics, with their larger, more powerful engines and most other features enjoying some level of automation. But if you like a shot of sport in your luxury sedan, there are not that many options. When the BMW 7-series was outgrowing the legacy of the E3 Bavaria, and/or BMW was still a sporty car brand, you could find cars like this 1983 BMW 733i 5-speed, now for sale in Scottsdale, AZ for $2650.

1983 BMW 733i 5 speed front

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Classy Glassy – 1975 Bradley GT

February 10, 2014

At the lower end of the hobby, you can end up with a lot of sellers conveying the first impression of their cars with only one picture. It’s kind of like if the local news anchor wore a formal shirt and jacket, but shorts underneath, only now since news anchors don’t sit behind a desk, your impression of him would be spoiled right away. Blathering aside, you don’t want to overlook every car just because of the listing quality – remember, we all used to find cars via 4-line ads in the local papers, and somehow that worked out. As mentioned in the past, Bradleys and other VW-based kit cars are appealing in a certain way – due to the ubiquity of the platform and the engine, it should be fairly straightforward to modify these for surprising performance that matches (or exceeds, if it’s a Faux-gatti, Faux-TD or similar) the looks. And to underscore the point, this 1975 Bradley GT, for sale for $2000 in Wellston, OH, has a bunch of upgrades to do just that. Thanks to reader Rich G. for sending in this suggestion.

1975 Bradley GT right rear

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Anti-2002 – 1972 Opel Manta

February 7, 2014

So yeah, BMW 2002s are taking off in value. And sure, they’re nice cars with an iconic design, but the general enthusiasm around them would suggest they’re the only cars in their category, when in fact, they aren’t. And what’s more is, if you look around a little, you can find some affordable alternatives from manufacturers in Italy, England, and Japan. So if you’re feeling a little left out on the current collector-car price explosion, don’t – there are plenty of options still out there, and some arguably more attractive than the 2002. Here’s one of those alternatives – this 1972 Opel Manta, for sale for $1200 in Pueblo, CO.

1972 Opel Manta front

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