Shall We play a game.
Why the reference? Well I think the 80’s may play a large part in the answer.
Let us talk Gentlemen’s express, the Grand Touring car. I think this best suited to the Classic Forum as it’s very much non Motorsports related, in fact being suited to autocross should almost be an exclusionary criteria. I want to look at GT cars with the emphasis on just that ‘Grand’ and ‘Touring’ Not cars that would be great at devouring long distances in, but cars that will do that in comfort AND style. Cars that James Bond, Harry Hart, John Steed or Simon Templar would step out of. Not something that Jason Bourne would hijack or Sam (DeNiro in Ronin) would use as a getaway or Frank Bullitt would chase down the bad guy in. While this latter group are all admirable hero’s I’m focusing on the style set here. No sports cars, no Q cars, no Muscle cars, no Hyper sedans, no Luxury boats. True GT cars only. Next proviso, can be bought in good DD able condition for $15K and can have all known weaknesses and PM done so the all in price (labor farmed out) is under $20K. Not cars that can be bought for $19,999.99 with 500 hours in the garage and a full workshop to fix up and get running. The kind of car you average time stressed parent and grandparent could run without ending up divorced and or bankrupt.
As we’re talking GT’s that can eat miles in comfort yet still be entertaining on the twisties I think we can safely include two as well as three pedal transport here.
My own rules have outlawed many great cars including:
Mustang, Challenger as Muscle cars
Audi UR Quattro, yes it’s 2 doors, but it’s more M3 than 635
350Z and Miata PRHT as sports cars
BMW M3’s and Audi S4’s are Super Sedans etc.
E39 540 as a Luxo Sedan
Datsun 240Z, possibly the best Japanese car after a 1.6L NA Miata, but too much E type, not enough XJS
Anything with an Aston badge on the bonnet
Bentley Mulsanne Turbo is 2 extra doors away from making the list.
Porsche 944 S2 and Turbo are Sports cars. Ditto 996 911’s and all 986/7/81 cars
Corvettes are sports cars.
Viper. I said cars you’d be happy crossing the continent in!
What does that leave us with? (alphabetical order so as not to imply favoritism)
Alfa GTV 6. Dangerously close to sports cars, but I’ll allow it.
BMW 840?
BMW E34 635 variants
Citroen Maserati (SM) may make the Bi Turbo look common in comparison, may not exist in the price range at all in running driving reliable condition.
Ford Capri, stick with me here. Mid 80’s Euro 2.8injection model. A bit too blue collar, but I like them and I work for Ford so I had to find a way to sneak them in!
Jaguar XJS
Jaguar XK8 (X100, probably not an KXR and little chance of an X150)
Maserati Coupe/4200GT – could be pushing it here with this one.
Maserati BiTurbo, the unicorn of the bunch. Finding one not in the ‘$20xx’ fodder category is slim pickings.
Mercedes R107 SL
Mercedes R129 SL
MGB and MGC GT. Yes these are closer to sports cars, the drop tops definitely get lumped in with the sports cars, but the Coupes just look so damn good as GT cars. The notsoTRIUMPHant GT6 does not make my list
Nissan 300ZX I have to include it here as I can’t think of a reason to exclude it, it just doesn’t hit my buttons. I just don’t see a smartly dressed gentlemen stepping out of one. Dangerously close to a Japanese Mustang.
Porsche. Early 80’s 8vavle 928. Could give the Maserati’s and the Citroen a run for their money in the most expensive to fix stakes.
Toyota Supra, Again, like the Datsun it sort of belongs here. The A80 series may not be in the price range due to the F&F crowd, but I think the prior A70 series cars are nicer to look at. Again dangerously close to a Japanese Mustang.
Volvo P1800 ES, well it’s good enough for Simon Templar so it’s good enough for my list. Got to give the Val Kilmer C70 a pass though.
Thoughts? Comments? You have to be nuts? What about? How could you possibly have forgotten? How could you possibly have included? Nice but will self-destruct on the test drive? Perfect, it’s are reliable as gravity?
And to end, just because you can't have a thread like this with no pics.
