Porsche 356 Speedster vs Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Already there
The Porsche Speedster has reached iconic status, particularly in America. With its pure Bauhaus looks, club racing provenance and James Dean connection the Speedster is in huge demand. A total of 4300 were produced so they are rare - and although not that quick, lightweight construction and nimble responses make every drive in a Speedster an event. Prices currently start at £80,000 plus
For: looks, build quality, driving enjoyment
Against: not quick, rust, mechanical fragility

On the up
So why is the gorgeous Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce still only half the price of the Speedster? Good ones are on the up but can be had from £40,000 and only 2300 of the early 750 series were constructed. The problem is that 7000 Normale versions were built in the 750 series and further 16,000 in the later 101 series, in both 1300cc and 1600cc guises. No matter, a Veloce spec Alfa in either Sprint (coupe) or Spider configuration, are beautiful lightweight machines with engines that make the Speedsters pushrod old lump seem like a tractor. With stiffer springs they have more predictable handling than the notorious 356 and their beautiful, finned aluminium brakes are a work of art. Importantly the earlier 750 Series cars are made of good steel not the later Russian rubbish. If you don’t want to spend Veloce money, find a Normale for about £15,000 and have one of the specialists tweak it to 120bhp.
For: Looks, engine, handling, brakes
Against: Rust, fragile interior trim

Ferrari Dino vs Maserati Bora

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The small Dino, never badged a Ferrari, is one of the most beautiful shapes penned by Pininfarina. It was the first road going mid-engined Ferrari. Initially, the V6 derived from the F1/F2 racing engine was in 2-litre guise as the Dino 206 GT, of which just 144 were built, followed by the 2.4-litre 246 coupe (2609 built) and GTS Spyder (1274). With sublime handling and 145mph top speed the baby Ferrari went as well as it looked. But, as with most Italian cars of the late Sixties and early ‘70s the Dino suffered poor build quality and terrible rust problems. Prices have hit £150,000.
For: Looks, handling, useful size
Against: Rust, build quality, ventilation

On the way up
The Maserati Bora (1971-1978) is a masterpiece of design from Giugiaro, and remains underrated and undervalued. This was Maser’s first mid-engine road car fitted at first with a 4.7-litre V8, later enlarged to 4.9-litres. Only 571 examples were produced and the Bora is a properly fast car more than capable of blowing the doors off a Dino. The Bora is actually competition for the Lamborghini Miura (which has jumped in value) but prices are so low as to make the comparison pointless. The Maser is refined and civilised with its Citroen sourced hydropneumatics and such niceties as air con, electric windows and hydraulically operated pedal box. The Maser can crack 165mph in comfort and style and you can find a good one for just £30,000!
For: Looks, refinement, performance
Against: hydropneumatics from Citroen, weight, US spec bumpers

Bentley R Type Continental vs Bentley Continental

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If you like the idea of saying, “I drive a Bentley Continental” you’d better to get your hands on about £300K, and quickly. The Bentley Continental Sports Saloon, to use its correct nomenclature, was produced by HJ Mulliner between 1952 and 1957 with just 207 examples constructed. Vastly expensive then, the elegant all aluminium coupes were only afforded by potentates and wealthy playboys. Engine size went up from 4.5-litre to 4.9-lites as the owners weighed the lightweight performance cars with heavy seats, automatic transmission and air-conditioning. Capable of 119mph with relaxed cruising at the ton the Continental was the fastest four seater of the time. Values have risen hugely in the past few years and owners tend not to sell, even when £300,000 is offered.

For: Rarity, engineering, quality
Against: Size, no one wants to sell

On the way up
But you can also rightly say, “I drive a Bentley Continental” and spend nearer £30,000. Yes a turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 whacking out 2325bhp and an astonishing 415lb/ft of torque can be yours for saloon car money. Produced from 1991-2003 the elegant Continental coupe continued Bentley’s ‘fastest drawing room on wheels’ theme with the socking great Garrett turbo propelling the beast to 60mph in 6.6 seconds and on to 145mph. With all the modern luxury you would expect this very British and very handmade Bentley offers a great deal for affordable money. If you can find a Continental S model with turbo intercooler, you will have a very rare car: just 18 were built. The later, hotter Continental T had 4 inches cut out of its wheelbase and even more power and torque but it is too much of a footballer’s carriage for this magazine. Only about 1900 Continentals were constructed at Crewe.

For: Presence, performance, handmade luxury
Against: size, consumption, handmade foibles

Porsche 2.7RS vs Porsche 930 Turbo

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The Porsche 911 2.7RS is now in the silly money area. Prices, this month, are over £150K and will probably be nearer £200K by next week. Yes, they are probably the best 911s ever and certainly the sharpest and most responsive drivers’ car on the road. Although they are common 911s, only 1.360 RSs were produced in Touring trim and a mere 200 in Lightweight guise between 1972 and 1973. With 210bhp, mechanical fuel injection and low body weight, the 2.7-litre engine added useful amounts of torque to the previously peaky 2.4-litre engine offered by the concurrent S model. Many replicas have been produced so buyers have to be wary and the even more specialised 3-litre RS and RSR models are off the price charts although the unloved 1974 Carrera, with the same engine as the legendary 2.7 but with impact absorbing bumpers, is still affordable and in reality weighs virtually no more than the Touring RS

For: Legendary race provenance, performance, purity
Against: rust, fakery, race damage and wear

On the way up
The Monster Porsche 911 Turbo (or 930 Turbo as it is known in the States) was launched in 1974. With its flared wheelarches, wale tail and front air dam, the Turbo looked frightening sitting still and proved more frightening on the move. With its single great KKK turbocharger spooled up, the 3-litre flat six engine walloped out 260bhp, usually on the apex of a corner. Arguably the first fully sorted road going Turbo, the 930 ruled as the bad boy, although it was luxuriously equipped with air –con, electric windows and leather trim. Twice the price of a normal 911 the Turbo was the acceleration and autobahn king of the time. Just 284 of the first, raw 3-litres were produced, followed by 10,000 refined 3.3-litre Turbos from ’78-85. Early cars did with sloppy 4-speed gearboxes and the 917 derived brakes, which are expensive to maintain. But what a car! On the road the 930 is quieter and more refined than a normal 911, as the turbo quells the engine noise, the performance is shattering once the engine wakes up and it is an effective motorway cruiser if frightening on twisting country road. Prices start from under £20,000.

For: Outlandish looks, acceleration, high speed cruising
Against: Turbo lag, handling, expensive brakes

Lamborghini Miura vs Ferrari 512BB

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If you really want to make an entrance, arrive in a Lamborghini Miura. Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1966, the Marcello Ghandini styled bodywork with all its slates, grilles and spoilers screams speed and this is enhanced by the Miura’s hard-edged V12 engine chattering determinedly just aft of the driver’s ear. The car’s Rock Star looks showed up the conservative design of the Ferrari Daytona of the period and the Miura, especially in the hotter SV (fatter rear wheels and a claimed 385bhp) guise has increased in value to over £320,000 today. Just 764 were built until 1972, of which only 148 are SV with a one-off Jota rebuild. The mid-engine layout gives the Miura a good squat on twisting roads although the gearshift is ridiculously heavy and the cabin is like a sauna. The engine is wonderfully noisy but some women find it too much.

For: Flamboyance, performance, noise
Against: gearshift, heat, noise

On the way up
It is probably unfair to compare the later Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer, built from 1976-85 (it was previously the 365BB from ’74-’76) with the Miura because it is a later car. But the parameters still apply to both: flamboyant looks and a 12-cylinder engine to announce your arrival. The Ferrari’s Pininfarina styling is more subdued than the Lambos but it still looks the all-out sports car with its flat12 cylinder engine mounted amidships and big alloys and long snout alluding to its 175mph top speed. Only 929 512BBs were constructed and it was the Ferrari flagship of the time. The 4.9-litre flat 12 cylinder engine produces 340bhp but the Ferrari is a much more refined proposition than the Miura. The BB offers the same level of performance but in more comfort and you can be driving one for £80,000
For: Refinement, performance, the badge
Against: expensive to run, weight, some electrical gremlins

Ford Escort RS 1600 vs Audi Ur-quattro

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Rally cars are on the move as the market wakes up to their abilities and eligibility. But can you believe a Mk I recently sold for £89,500! OK, admittedly it was the 1972 Ford Escort RS 1600 that Bjorn Waldergard raced to victory in last year’s East Africa rally but that sort of money for a Dagenham Dustbin is extreme. Have you ever driven a Mk I Escort? They are terrible. Noisy, no handling, little performance, made of biscuit tins with all the looks of a breeze block, but, they can be, and have been, turned into world class rally weapons. Probably because they are light and simple. Built from 1970-74, they ran with the unexciting but bullet-proof 86bhp OHV engine as well as the DOHC BDA engine which, with 120bhp was rather more exciting. Obviously the works engines were much more powerful and the little Escort went on to be one of the most successful rally cars of all time. Only around 2300 were build.
For: Rally ability, reliability
Against: Looks, finish, badge

On the way up
‘Fire up the Quattro’ is the annoying line of the moment thanks to the television show Ashes to Ashes which stars a red quattro. But what a car the Audi quattro is. It revolutionised rallying in the early 1980s with its effective four-wheel drive system and powerful turbocharged five-cylinder engine. The original quattro was produced from 1980 to 1991 and 11,452 examples were produced. The warbling 2.1-litre turbo engine expanded to 2.2-litres with 20 valves pumping out 220bhp. This revolutionary car had Dr Ferdinand Piech’s fingerprints all over it (the engineer responsible for the Porsche 917) and the rally cars were developed to compete in the Group B series with the SWB S1, which produced a prodigious 550bhp. Roadgoing quattros in excellent condition can be found (occasionally) for around £20,000. They still make for sure-footed, high speed ground coverers.
For: ground breaking performance, tough, revolutionary
Against: Usually shagged, mini-cab interior, hard to find

Aston Martin DB5 vs E-type Jaguar

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The Aston Martin DB5 is the quintessential classic car and we all love it. Given a blank cheque it would be difficult to resist buying one, even if it was not finished in ubiquitous Silver Birch. DB5s are gorgeous to look at and make comfy grand tourers. They are rare, only 898 saloons produced, and they have always been reassuringly expensive. The trouble is, today, their prices have gone stratospheric. A nice, straight, well-restored example now costs £100,000 and that’s hoping the inherently flawed engine has been properly rebuilt to prevent it lunching itself. Re-engineered and improved BD5s that have been sorted out by Richard Williams, Nick Mee or the Aston Workshop are superb machines but are now north of £225,000. That’s a big cheque for a GT.
For: Looks, presence, quality
Against: heavy to drive, expensive in all areas

On the way up
The next most ubiquitous sports car has to be the Jaguar E-type. Beautiful, cheap, fast, dangerous, the E has it all. During the late 1960s and 1970s E-types dropped to banger status and were worth nothing. Things changed in the ‘80s and recently, E-types are being appreciated for their fabulous looks, great engines and superb road manners. Like the Aston, and pretty much all classics of the ‘60s, the E-type can do with re-engineering to make them perform at their best. With an army of specialists it is now possible to jettison all the cheap ‘n nasty original equipment ancillaries and make an E reliable and super to drive. But step beyond that point, say up to half the cost of a re-engineered DB5 and you will afford one of the greatest driving classics on the road. Specialists like Henry Pearman of Eagle Engineering, Derek Hood of J.D Classics and Peter Hugo of Racing Green Cars will build you an E-type that will make a DB5 feel like a lorry. Spanking new examples with improved engines, brakes, suspension, electrics, cooling and everything else can be had for under £100K. Cheap by Aston money.
For: delicious looks, performance, sophisticated road manners
Against: ubiquity, fragile bonnet

Pukka Pre-War motor cars vs Pre-War Specials

Already there
An often overheard comment in the pits is, “How come, when a vintage Bentley has the full chain saw treatment, chassis chopped, body torn off and engine swapped for a huge lump, it remains a vintage Bentley and not a Special?” That’s one of the quirks of the vintage and pre-war car movement. In general, most dealers agree that fast, sporting pre-war cars remain undervalued. A sporting vintage car with provenance is eligible for all the most desirable events and you will have to spend a whole lot more on a sports car of the Fifties and Sixties to generate a similar invitation list. That’s all well and good, but decent vintage cars still cost serious money. One of the best available is a Bentley 3 litre but they now cost a substantial £130,000 at least. This is less than a 41/2 and a lot less than a Bugatti, but still a substantial sum.
For: fun at legal speeds, great social scene
Against: can be a bit slow, always pack waterproofs

On the way up
For many years, effective giant killing ‘specials’ were rather looked down upon in vintage circle and, to be fair a lot of them were not pure vintage (pre-1930) but pre war (pre-1940). Things are changing. As the prices of relatively unchopped vintage cars continues to climb, decent specials look more of a bargain. A Riley or Alvis with cute boat tail or roadster bodywork and tweaked engine will nip away from a 3 litre Bentley on a track at a half the price. Smart and upmarket dealer, Fiskens, is offering the important Rivers Fletcher 1934 Alvis Speed 20 for £80,000. A snip when you look at the prices of the rest of the stock.
For: cost effective, simple
Against: Can be crude, not always accepted

AC Ace vs AC Aceca

Already there
For years prices of the AC Aces hovered around the £50K mark. Launched in 1953 the early cars had the asthmatic AC engine but things improved with the arrival of the lovely Bristol engine in ’56. In ’61 a Ruddspeed tuned Ford 2.6-litre engine gave the AC more poke but, today, the most valuable Aces have the 102bhp Bristol engine which, for a consideration, can be tweaked up to around 150bhp for serious historic racing and rallying performance. Aces are rare with only 723 constructed before Caroll Shelby had the idea of fitting a small block V8, creating the AC Cobra. A good Ace Bristol is now over £130,000.
For: great handling, elegant looks
Against: not that quick,not a Cobra

On the way up
“The roof goes down, so the price goes up,” is the old adage, quoted again by Simon Kidston. “ Don’t buy a fixed-head Aceca because it cost half. It will never approach the value of the open car,” he adds. That is clearly true, but a fixed head offers all sorts of advantages, especially if the car is to be used regularly and on historic rallies. It offers the obvious weather protection as well as lots of luggage space. An Aceca is probably not quite as good looking as the beautiful Ace (unlike an E-type FHC which is better resolved than the roadster) but it remains a pure ‘50s British sports car. Dealer Peter Byrne had a lovely AC Aceca for sale for a little over £30,000 on his website and he said he got more hits for that car than any other.
For: still affordable, the British Berlinetta
Against: Has a roof, is noisy

Alfa-Romeo GTA vs MGB

Already there
The lovely 105 Series Alfa Romeo Giulia was transformed into a proper road-racing car with the launch of the GTA version in 1956. With lightweight ally (and later glassfibre panels) stripped interior and beautiful alloy wheels the Alfas were very successful in 1300cc, 1600cc twin spark guises (we won’t go into the pure race GTAms here). The fragile GTA was always rare with 439 1300s and 447 1600s constructed. Values start at over £50,000 for a straight road going GTA and upwards of £85,000 for an Auto Delta racer. Bank on about 160bhp from the 1600cc engines.
For: Light, quick, responsive
Against: fragile, lots of fakes about

On the way up
For the same sort of horsepower and equally good track performance a properly prepared MGB can be had for about £20,000. An MGB! The ubiquitous, bobble hat sports car? Yes. A well-prepared MGB makes a very effective racing car. Balanced, torquey, reliable and fun to drive an MGB is no longer just a budget entry. Our man Tony Dron really rates them and a surprising number of seasoned racers (Rowan Atkinson for example) are now enjoying them at endurance circuits like Spa where the MGBs put in lap times equal to that of the other sleeper, the Ford Mustang.
For: tough, effective, fun to drive
Against: its an MGB!