Under-appreciated classics

I also agree with about the Jensen Healy, but the one I really want is the Jensen GT. A club member had one and traded it for a Miata after 20 plus years of ownership. I never knew it was for sale or I would have snapped it up!

I wold love to have a GT to match my roadster. I'd paint them both the same color etc!

I love a post that sticks around for a while. really lets you think about the subject. As I mentioned earlier, a lot of the under appreciated classics I like are under appreciated for a reason, but you have to love them, just for the fact that the idea of the car reached that critical mass where production became a reality. I'd love a Lotus Eclat, the Peugot Mi16, Gineta's in general, the AC Greyhound, dot dot dot. The Jensen is pretty cool. What was the coupe they made, the CV or something, thats cool, too. There was a Jensen Healey GT on Ebay a while ago, but it was pretty well eaten up. Interesting concept. How about the Elanbulance?

I'll second the OP's suggestion for the 320i. You can get a running car for under $1000 and a very nice example for less than $3000, I love the way they feel and look. I'm biased, I bought one for my first car in high school and have had it ever since.

I was at a cool car show today, the CF Benefit Show in Lahaska PA...I think this was the 7th year for this show...about 300 cars turned out...I showed mine too, just to support the cause. But the reason I'm posting in this thread is I saw this Daimler Griffith and talked a long time to the owner. I'd like to dig deeper into knowing this car but just googling turned up nothing except a site that doesn't seem to work.

Is there a website you guys could recommend for me to learn more about these cars? I'll search in books later this week. Here's the one from the show:

http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/540/index.ehtml

There was an issue of Classic Motorsports with a nice profile on them, but I can't seem to find which issue now. It's early and I haven't had enough coffee.

Thanks, Trevor. That's more than I found. Thanks also to, Tim. I will be finding whatever I can/you guys steer me toward.

I'd like to read anything technical about that motor, Daimler designed 2.5 liter hemi. The owner above told me he totally redid the motor, though it has an excellent head design; he increased compression ratio from std. 8 or 9:1 to I think he said 12:1, along with custom made valves, Mahle coasted pistons, custom titanium rods, etc. so he said it was a lot more powerful and he used to race it hard until recently...he also has other serious racecars. When I saw the motor I thought it was one of the old Chrysler designed hemis, not knowing this Daimler motor ever existed.

Nah, the motor is a really interesting design, but wholly unrelated to any other motor. If memory serves the designer had been a motorcycle engineer.

Edit: Sept. 06 issue. Still available in the store.

There's also a review in last month's Hemmings Sports & exotic cars, a profile of an owner and his Daimler. Its the model pictured, the P250 I think, I'm not sure if thats the same model you are referring to, but it is the same engine I think.

I will chime in on my favorites: TR8. Just wait they will be the next Sunbeam Tiger. Fiat 124 Coupe: Still looking for a 124 AC coupe. They are great cars. Porsche 912/912e: There is not a cheaper to own Porsche car. Porsche 944: Another nice cheap Porsche no one likes. I do also like the Martini 924's so consider me a bit touched in the head. I agree with like the 107 chassis Mercedes SLC's. These are nice cars. A few years ago they sold a works rally car for under 20 grand which has to be the best deal ever for a factory Mercedes Benz race car. Lancia Beta Zagato: At 3 grand these are incredible deals. They had issues but they are interesting and if cared for not terrible cars. Volvo P1800: The Saint drove one! A dealat 12k for a nice one.

<img src="" alt="" />Wow, great to see some love for Fiat 850's and 128's. I'm currently stuffing an Abarth 1050cc into my Fiat 850 Special (sedan), really looking forward to hitting the road in it.

I also have the only (as far as I know) 2-litre 6-cylinder Bond Equipe GT in Australia - can't believe these cars sell for about half the price of a Triumph Vitesse, on which they are based! Much more love required in the automotive world for this kind of British curiosity...cars like this will never be made again. Long ways to go before mine hits the road again though!

That's fantastic, degruch! Where on earth did you find it?

Hi Luke...I found it in a wreckers yard about 100kms north of Adelaide (erm...the middle of nowhere South Australia, for those not familiar with the territory). I was fossicking for bits for another car and saw it in the corner of the yard...came home with more than I bargained for! The owner of the yard could not give me any history of the car, so not sure how it made it all the way down here.

I can't believe that this thread has gone on for three pages without mention of one of the most underappreciated classics of all time, at least to the general public. It's a fairly decent looking car for its market segment, been campaigned with great success everywhere from road racing to drag racing to circle track, but non-car guys would never understand why anyone would want one even though they're over 30 years old now.

I'm speaking, of course, about the Ford Pinto.

Never thought of that. And I've had 3 of them in the past. The last one I bought for $200 put $300 into it, drove it a year and sold it for $800. I thought at the time they handled better than anything else I've driven but that was before I drove European sports cars. At least better than anything else in the price range.

I have to agree the Japanese imports (excluding the Z's) are in bulk pretty un-appreciated despite their good design characteristics. Those being lite weight and RWD!

I have to agree the Japanese imports (excluding the Z's) are in bulk pretty un-appreciated despite their good design characteristics. Those being lite weight and RWD!

British Fords don't get enough attention.

Anglia Zepher Cortina

I am a former Cortina GT and Lotus Cortina owner. Wish I still had them both.

Steve