Tim Suddard wrote: The Élan and Alfa Spyder are very high on my list too. I had an early Corvair, but don't think I have ever driven a second gen car. The Porsche 911 definitely and supposedly Ferrari 275 GTB should be on the list according to an owner I know.
Tim Did you ever get to drive Per's GTV back when he had it? I prefer the GTV over the Spider, due to the stiffness thing.
I like all of the suggestions thus far. I'd add Jag E-Types to the list with this qualification: I don't think they are that great in the handling department, but a well-sorted one is one of the nicest touring cars out there. They were way ahead of their time in many ways and still feel great on long trips, higher speeds, etc..
I have never driven an E-type, but my dad has an XK-120 and it makes great noises and looks fantastic. it does not handle all that well though. there seems to be a huge handleing improvement going from the 50s into the 60s and early 70s.
Carl Heideman wrote: I like all of the suggestions thus far. I'd add Jag E-Types to the list with this qualification: I don't think they are that great in the handling department, but a well-sorted one is one of the nicest touring cars out there. They were way ahead of their time in many ways and still feel great on long trips, higher speeds, etc..
Agree on the E Type. A little spindly in the corners with surprisingly crappy disk brakes, but otherwise a pretty special drive. Super nice motor & a sweet cruiser, you'll never feel underpowered in todays traffic.
My vote for best driver goes to a 246 Dino (I have sadly not driven an Alfa yet). The steering's accurate, the brakes are quite good & the suspension is downright supple. The car drives light & snappy with a throaty noise from 12" behind your head only adds to the joy. I think it's a fantastic car to blast around the back roads.
Depends on how you define classic. If you are talking 60s and earlier I would go with Lotus Elan. If you are talking classic cars as in any cars that are over 30 years old that changes everything.
As the former owner of a couple of dozen Alfas, I second the GTV over the Spider. There's just something special about them.
In reply to Dashpot:
The E type is definitely the car to be seen in even if it wasn't the best handling. I remember reading a report comparing a Dino with a Fiero GT and the Fiero won hands down in the handling department. But I know which one of the two I'd rather own.
TR8owner wrote: In reply to Dashpot: The E type is definitely the car to be seen in even if it wasn't the best handling. I remember reading a report comparing a Dino with a Fiero GT and the Fiero won hands down in the handling department. But I know which one of the two I'd rather own.
If we are talking all cars 30 years and older most cars from the 80s that have any sporting pretenses at all will be better handling and driving. AE86, MR2, 300ZX, Starion, C4 Corvette, 944, 924, 928, SA22 and FC RX7s, etc.
However most Americans seem to only define classic cars as 73 and earlier. I don't but I said Elan to match the era these people are talking about. If we inluded up until 1985 idk what I would pick. Probably RX7 or a 944.
In reply to kanaric:
This had been sort of a grey area. But I think the FIA now defines a "classic" as being 25 or more years old. Many of the vintage rallies and tours now use the FIA standard. I know Rich and Jean Taylor of Vintage Rallies recently changed from a 40 year requirement to the FIA standard. So if that's used as a guideline it does open it up to eighties era cars. And there are a lot of good ones.
But personally I still have a hard time thinking of an '89 Vette as a classic. But that's just me only because I'm a geezer and think a classic has to be something built before 1975. 
TR8owner wrote: In reply to Dashpot: The E type is definitely the car to be seen in even if it wasn't the best handling. I remember reading a report comparing a Dino with a Fiero GT and the Fiero won hands down in the handling department. But I know which one of the two I'd rather own.
Please no 80's or magazine racing. The Jag & Dino are cars of the 60's that have a sense of occasion & feel special to drive. Maybe someday the Fiero GT will be considered a classic but I wouldn't put it there yet.
In reply to Dashpot: "Agree on the E Type. A little spindly in the corners with surprisingly crappy disk brakes"
E Type disk brakes are excellent when they are all functioning. They behave as you describe when they need maintenance. It's very common to see seized calipers, especially in the rear since they are very hard to bleed and therefore never get bled. Glazed rotors and pads also seem to be fairly common. We've had customer E-Types with as many as 5 or 6 of the 8 pistons seized. The brake pedal can be rock-hard and feel good, but brakes like that won't stop the car car very well.
We did a case study of this in a story in CMS several years ago. An E-Type with some of these brake issues did 60-0 in somewhere over 200 feet. We serviced the stock brakes, repaired two seized caliper pistons, and got the stopping distance down to 130 feet. We then went to a Wilwood big brake kit on the front and got it down another 10 feet. For comparison, new Jaguar F-Types take about 105 feet and Lotus Elises are generally rated around 105-110.
In reply to Carl Heideman:
Good point, my impressions were based on a sample of one each. These are collector cars that don't see that many miles, so things like stiff shifters & clutches are the norm. I still welcome the opportunity to drive them whenever the chance comes up, flaws and all.
Dad had a '72 V-12 XKE roadster. Made great noises, had excellent brakes, 1980's Porsche good, but the steering was too light, too much boost in the power steering department maybe. The Alfa Spider is an okay handling car, GTV is pretty great.
Let's say we cut thing off at 1979. So we have: 1. Lotus Élan or Europa 2. Alfa GTV 3. Mini Cooper S 4. Porsche 911 5 Jaguar XKE 6. At least one Ferrari
What else?
As I mentioned earlier, MB 230, 250 or 280 SL Pagoda. Preferably '71 280 SL. I think if we're including the Jag, we should include the Benz as well because they're similar in concept: 2-seats, six cylinders with overhead cam(s), independent rear suspension (albeit a swing axle on the Benz), and they were each more of decent handling, comfortable boulevard cruiser than race car in stock form. Given the choice I'd pick the Benz in a heartbeat.
In reply to Carl Heideman: Carl,
Well put. The rear brakes on my Mark X were seized up when I bought it. Also the accordion section of the power brakes had air leak cracks as well. Especially since it had the slush box, if I hadn't repaired everything right away, it probably would have had trouble stopping in a city block.
We have decided this thread will form our cover story for the January issue. Any other nominations, before we start buttoning this up?
Late model Porsche 914; once you get used to the over-center clutch and brake pedals.
Handling, safety, and over-the-top fun !
Tim Suddard wrote: We have decided this thread will form our cover story for the January issue. Any other nominations, before we start buttoning this up?
Need a nice driving GTV to borrow? Love to see my car in your magazine again.
saab sonnet deserves some consideration
The Elan will set the bar for your test drives, for ever. If you keep it stock.
Get a drive in a Lotus Cortina and you are one with the twin cam and gear box. Without getting rained on.
TR7.
If the cutoff is 1979, I'd make a case for the 240Z to be on the list, and possibly the X1/9 - seriously, no power to speak of, but outstanding handling, which is a lot of what the driving experience is all about. I loved my 2002 back in the day, and it's the car that "made" BMW in the US, but given the choice, I'd take the Z.
Carl is right about the Jag brakes. I have the same Dunlop 4 wheel disc set up on several cars - MGA Twin Can race car, MGA Mk 2 coupe, and Jensen CV-8. It is an excellent system if it is maintained (like any braking system) but a poorly maintained one is going to be a pain and a hazard. The only flaw in the XKE brakes is that if you race them, you have a devil of a time getting rid of the heat on the rears, which are tucked up under the boot on the differential.
To our TR8 fan - I agree about the Dino, and do recall that Fiero comparison article - the Fiero bested the Dino in every aspect including acceleration. But if I had only bought the Dino I was offered years ago for $25K, I could have sold it and bought about 20 Fieros with the money! Instead, I bought the Fiero and had 20 years of fun with it (albeit in highly modified form).
I'd like to see some sort of plain roadster like an MGB, Triumph Spitfire, or Fiat 124 in the comparison. Something that may not be especially powerful or sophisticated, but just gives a good honest top down minimalist roadster experience. They're just plain fun.
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