Whilst there I bought a copy of a classic car magazine, to while away the minutes drinking my beer.. honest.. that and the fact I am a bit of a classic car enthusiast to say the least (well, I own one so that counts towards a lot!)
Jovially chatting to my partner whilst sat enjoying aforementioned beer I invented a new pub drinking game. Ingredients: set of friends around a table, one drink (each - unless that is you are very strapped for cash), a classic car magazine and a dollop of imagination. All not too hard to come by (except, for some people, the latter).
Now, invent an imaginary lottery winner budget to spend on a car or cars and get leafing through the copy of the magazine with imagination running wild. What would you buy?
I was set a budget of £33,300.
Here's my choice:
Let's just take an imaginary walk through of my new garage shall we? I must first add the caveat that I already have a 1962 Daimler SP250, in my opinion the finest British sportscar to come out of the 60s (but then I'm biased - me and everybody else that has sat in it and heard that V8 engiune roar!). So, really, I am a very hard man to please and this would simply be icing on an already tasty cake.
First up is a maroon 3.4 litre Jaguar S Type. Made in the year I was born, in possibly the best colour for this car (but see later!). This is an entirely useable car that if you won the lottery you could quite happily drive the length of the country's motorways - even in the depth of the winter - to meetings in. Perfect.
Second up. Yet another 60s Jaguar saloon. An earlier Mk 2 this time. Reason? I just love the shape and this is the smaller engined 2.6 litre that would happily receive a 2.5 litre Daimler V8 engine in the bay (same engine as my SP250 sportscar but mated to a stronger gearbox). Light blue with a dark blue leather interior. And this currently for sale vehicle is a one owner, full service history, all logbooks etc!! Ministry of Defence car - basically had everything done as and when it needed it, very very low mielage for less than any medium sized brand new car. You've got to be joking. Perfect x 2.
Oh look, I've only spent £26,945.
Car number thr33. An early 1980s classic executive coupe. Opel Monza 3.0 litre, this one in a sexy dark metallic grey (way ahead of the trend for such colours in the late 90s) and at 42,000 with less miles on the clock than either of my two usual (much newer) road vehicles? I have fond memories of an old friend of mine from schooldays whose dad had one of these and we drove to Devon one summer in complete luxury - against my own dad owning a very luxurious Rover SD1at the same time. And all with two doors and a slinky coupe back! £3,950. Done.
Perfect x 3.
Last but very much not least I find myself with £2,405 to spend. A punt I must admit, but I would also have a Morris Oxford Series III. Though with only a couple of grand left I'd have to stump for this complete restoration wreck of a car with hours more to work on it.. but I can't honestly think of a better car to plonk my son in the passengers seat and drive to the local newspaper shop on a Saturday morning for the FT Weekend, parking outside the village coffee/ice cream shop and watching people admire such a great British legend. These - as Human League might say - are the Things That Dreams Are Made Of... I even have £455 quid left over for more wheatbeer (or maybe in a fit of madness and desperation 455 lottery tickets this weekend?).
..and all the time while writing this blog I've been listening to The Stone Roses drifitng up from down below singing Made of Stone, "sometimes Iiiii.i.i. fantasise..."
Perfect x 5
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