Our reach might always be outside of our grasp, and that’s very true with automobiles. There are plenty of cars out there you could afford to buy, but keeping it running would be another story. That doesn’t mean you don’t still want them. Which cars would you be tempted to buy even if for now you could just say you owned one?
Somewhere I read a story from a man who has owned a Ferrari 365GTC/4 since new. He said, “It’s great to drive when it’s running right and great to look at, but in the fifty-odd years I’ve had it I’ve spent a lot of time looking at it.” Indeed, his tale includes lots of headaches and money spent on every mile it’s covered. It’s a great car, but as a functioning motor vehicle, not so much. There are plenty of cars like that. Unlike that Ferrari, many are quite affordable, and they’d make great objects to put on your driveway to make the neighbors swoon and even raise property values on your street, but you couldn’t swing to driving it every day, if at all. What would be your choices?
To me, a perfect example would have to be a Series 3 Jaguar XJ6 or 12, or really any XJ before the boxy XJ40. My aesthetics might be forever stuck in the past, but it’s still the most beautiful four-door sedan ever built. Thanks to appearances in things like The Equalizer, LA Law and Whitesnake videos, it will still be considered a desirable, aspirational car to almost anyone who lays eyes on it.
These are typically dirt cheap, especially if they aren’t running. This V-12 one here sold on BaT for less than $2000, listed as “running” but no transmission. Again, the definition of “running” with these kinds of things is different than a “normal” car.
Honestly, even if they are fully functioning, they ride well but aren’t fast or quiet at all by modern standards. Besides, the risk of breakdown or a sudden under-hood barbecue is always there, and it likely won’t stay running for long. Don’t even talk about putting a Chevy small block under the hood; I’d rather let it sit as a paperweight than give it a Camaro motor.
No, I’d like to own one, just look out each morning and watch the dew collect on that sculpted, tapering hood. I might want to drain the oil first to keep the driveway stain-free. Some might put the equally cheap-and-tragic Jaguar XJS in as a choice. I’ve personally never been a fan of this sort-of-early-seventies-Mustang-looking thing, but I guarantee the Amazon delivery lady one day would say, “You have such a pretty car.”
Another one that can be bought for used Altima money but requires the equivalent of a monthly lease payment on a new Mercedes to keep running would be a BMW 850i. From the moment I saw that Alec Baldwin’s infamous character in Glengarry Glen Ross had one, the Munich firm’s uber-coupe from the early nineties has always remained an unattainable object. “You know why, mister? ‘Cause you drove a Hyundai to get here tonight and I drove an eighty-thousand-dollar BMW.”
Our Mercedes Streeter is always looking for a “cheap, running example” of an early 8-series, and has said that our Thomas Hundal “knows a guy” who speaks highly of his. My response to this is a simple no. Actually, it’s hell no, I am rather certain that Thomas’s friend sinks massive sums of cash into his and can wrench like nobody’s business with huge blocks of time in his hands. On the other hand, our Mercedes Streeter seems afraid to drive my old E61 wagon much (wise decision), and if she’s cautious about running a 20-year-old six-cylinder BMW, then maintaining a 35-year-old one with what amounts to essentially two full 5-series drivetrains under the hood would be a mistake.
A “running” example will likely only stay that way for a few weeks before it nickel-and-dimes you, or more likely 1000 and 2000 dollars you even if you fix it yourself. Besides, even in the period when the reviews of the 8 series were a bit less-than-stellar, many Bimmerheads considered it to be a bit too big, too heavy, and lacking driver focus.
To be honest, Mercedes Streeter would get far, far more enjoyment out of Matt’s manual E39 530i; a much more reliable and fun-to-drive BMW. Still, I get it: it’s not the same as having an 850 in your driveway, running or not. I want one, too, dammit.
How about you? What car would you buy (or have bought) even though you know you couldn’t take care of it properly until the elusive “some day” when you’re left a large sum of cash?
Top graphic image: Beverly Hills Car Club
Anything German.
Not just German, but any used European car.
Fair. I almost included Jaguar specifically, but your point applies.
Not necessarily, I remember my Super Beetle being pretty cheap to keep going
At this point, I consider those Brazilian.
I don’t think they built Supers down there
Fair point. Looks like they only did the flat windshield version for the duration.
My 2011 328i has needed a new battery (six years ago, $150) and a hatch release switch (last week, $12) as my sole out of pocket “repairs” in the 15 years I have owned it. It got brakes on BMW’s dime under the 4yr maintenance warranty. Otherwise, fluids, filters, and tires, none of which are particularly expensive. I will put that car up against a Camry for running costs any day. My 2011 128i has needed a bit more, but not much more.
My ’04 Volvo V70 lived up to the European reputation though. None of my Saabs did, or any of my VWs or other BMWs or Volvos. Or my Alfa Spider for that matter.
If your battery is six years old, you’re probably on the verge of needing another new one, but your point is made – it’s been reliable.
My guess is you take better than average care of it.
You didn’t mention the miles on it, but at 15 years old, I’d have to imagine the nickel-and-diming is just around the corner.
The first one lasted nine years, I am not worried about it. And even then, it only died because because one of my idiot housemates unplugged the battery tender over the winter and it went stone dead for months. Probably would still be fine. Might even have been able to revive it, but I couldn’t be bothered after nine years.
And no, properly maintained cars don’t “nickel and dime” you, including BMWs. The N51/2 e9x/e8x cars simply don’t have that many common issues to start with.
Porsche 718 Boxsters are aging into a purchasable range and are appealing as an uber-Miata. Panameras similarly. But I know me. I’m not willing to pay for that upkeep.
Those XJ6s are beautiful. I’d probably lower my risk and go for a late year XJ8 to get that old Jaguar character in a more modern vehicle.
The one in your top shot, a 928, and mine is in storage until I can wrench on it myself. I already have the tools and workshop manual, I just need a house with a garage.
I’m not willing to pay stealership rates, the local Porsche dealer quoted me nearly $5k CAD for a front-of-engine service. I also didn’t have a great experience with nearest 928 specialist, so it’s parked.
I considered a late model Giulia TI as my new daily. Priced right, sized right, and specs are right.
Then I visited the forums and learned the joys of dealing with Alfa’s in the US.
This is my answer, I love the way they look, which is good because I’d look at it every time I walked past it to get in my Civic. Met a guy last month or so that just bought a Stelvio Quadrofoglio that was his dream car, it was already making it’s third trip back to the dealer because the Check Engine light was back on. He’d had the car for weeks.
Carvanna has a handful of Giulias for 35-60K for sale, which I could probably make happen; but we all know that’s just the start of the wallet drain. They sure are pretty though.
Around 2022 or 23, I was looking for the next toy. Porsche 944 was high on the list of curiosities.
I found a 1987 944 Turbo that looked in really good shape, a 3″ binder of receipts going back to the factory delivery and a photo of the original owner in Germany to pick it up. Various maintenance, rebuilds, etc. It was more than I wanted to spend but a couple grand more for such a good example seemed worth it.
Then months later a local shop charged $2k worth of assorted crap they said it needed. I balked at the alignment for $500 but whatever. I thought I was good to go.
I took it to another local well-known shop for something, I forget, but they sent photos of all kinds of assorted items needing addressing. Balance shaft was a biggie, but the air-oil separator ended up being the final straw. None to be found in the USA, they ordered from Germany. Who sent the unit for an NA, not a turbo.
$5k later I decided this is not the car for me. I doubted I’d be able to keep up with it.
You took the idea right out of my mouth – E31 BMW. Especially the CSi.
Lamborghini Espada S2. It was $23k in great shape, but the scheduled maintenance alone ultimately convinced me to not be stupid.
Jaguar E-Type V12
There are so many that I want but could not afford the rare parts:
Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer
Steyr Puch Mercedes Puch 230 GE
Unimog 404
Fiat Panda
Saab Sonett
I don’t really lust after cars that are known for not running well or being reliable. I guess I’ll say G-Wagon since they are pretty damn cool, but even a $50k used one is gonna nickel and dime you to death. I’m really glad I got a Raptor with that money instead.
Land Rover Discovery Series I or Series II. I’m a fairly competent mechanic, but I know from my old neighbor who has two that they will drain your wallet, time, and patience. I love them, but I’m not committed to jumping on that landmine when I already have a Jeep TJ that takes enough of my money and time.
A few months ago I found a 1994 SL600 in cocaine white with a blue roof for only $12k. I almost bought it until I realized that it could be $12k a year to keep it on the road and that’s not in my wheelhouse.
I will own a proper V12 someday
Maserati GranTurismo – My goodness is it compelling at sub-20k, but boy does that terrify me, especially the cam variator issues.
L322 – I want to experience the brilliance espoused by many, but I am NOT willing to re-buy the car in repairs every 18 months
E60 M5 – Peak internal combustion super sedan, peak BMW unreliability and repair costs.
The E60 M5 mightily tempts me. That V10 sounds incredible and I’m actually a fan of the body shape. It certainly fits the bill in terms of repair costs easily exceeding purchase price.
I owned an XJS. I’m a little irritated that the photo is of what I consider the very ugliest version, but that’s subjective. Repairs weren’t cheap but they weren’t disastrously expensive. Also subjective, I guess. The real danger with them is the temptation to buy everything Mobeck Tekniske makes for it. The real obstacle is that everyone that knows how to work on them is retiring or passing away. My mechanic had no legs and lived in his barn/shop. I can’t imagine he’s still keeping these things running in Dallas.
No legs? And I thought an arm and a leg was expensive. LOL
When I was in jr. high in the ’70s I was in love with the Triumph TR6. I would like one now but not practical and too many horror stories of British sports cars. Plus just about anything from Land Rover.
A bit cliche but a 996 911. Owning a 957 Cayenne for awhile gave me an appreciation for just how deep the engineering goes on a Porsche, but also a healthy respect for how fast even basic maintenance bills add up. Everything I’ve read (and my Cayenne experience) leads me to believe they’re generally pretty well made but that off chance you wind up with bore scoring or an IMS failure, or the coolant pipes that require an engine out service is just too much for my wallet at this point.
Kinda stole my thunder with the XJ, though mine would have to be a Series I. And, yeah, hell no to the Chevy engine swap; it may be more reliable, but reliability is obviously not the point.
Smog testing here in California has been a big barrier to a lot of stuff that I like that’s theoretically affordable to buy. I can do my own maintenance to keep most older stuff running well enough, but when an old car here has to pass smog, it often means taking it to a shop with an open checkbook to get it through, and forget trying to run anything not originally sold in the US market. The new Leno’s Law exemptions would never have helped me with my old ’87 Saab, but it does give me hope that I may one day be able to taste some other previously forbidden fruit, top of the list being a grey market E23 745i. That would have fallen into the “cheap to buy, too expensive to own” category before, but maybe not if smog isn’t a concern.
A 745i would be sweet! I had an ’83 533i with an M30 for awhile and it was awesome, I imagine the 745i would be similar since it shared a lot with the e28 iirc. I actually met someone in Montana of all the random places (years ago, like 2004) who had a 745i. I imagine the turbo adds some maintenance and complexity, but honestly the ’80s BMWs are generally pretty well made cars that are fairly easy to DIY, having owned 2.
None, I’m pretty handy with anything mechanic and only drive for fun, so fuel costs doesn’t matter.
Or an 1980s army surplus Hummer maybe, would be fun to try (but not really a must), but I guess the diesel cost is pretty extreme.
Ive considered many that I could buy but not afford to fix- 733i manual, Maserati Cabri Corsa, Boxster, Mk III Supra Turbo
But the one that I could get now, and still tempts me, is a Nissan 300ZX (the 90s one that shares headlights with a lambo). It checks all the boxes of a car I have yet to get- turbo, removable top of sorts, 90s, has an aftermarket, and general knowledge base. But dear sweet baby jesus, the turbos? Sure, that wont be my own personal black hole. There must be some reason these havent gone the way of the supra, RX7, and Skyline.
Those are super cool, it might be millenial car guy heresy but I actually kinda think they look cooler than the MKIV Supra-and definitely have a better interior. Came close to one a little before Covid, an NA car in that cool pale yellow they offered, even talked to the owner but it was almost an hour a way annnnddd I kind of needed a more practical car since it was my only one but it’s on my list of cars I kind of regret not just going for it on.
Even NA that motor is pretty sweet, my brother had an Infiniti J30 in high school which had the same engine. To your point I do think that Nissan stuff isn’t as well made as Toyota or Mazda. Nineties Nissans are great but everybody I knew with one seemed to just have more fiddly little problems than Hondas or Toyotas. Otoh for all we know if it wasn’t for Fast and the Furious the MKIV supra might be going for the same price as Nissan 300ZX TT.
I think the lagging values are mostly a product of living in the Skyline’s shadow. The V6 is harder to get 4-digit horsepower from, it’s probably harder to maintain/modify (4 cams, 2 heads, 2 exhaust headers, 3 intake plenums), and it doesn’t have a bunch of race wins under its belt. It is, by all means, a civilized road car, and the fanboys don’t find that sufficiently inspiring. I think the car is absolutely worth the effort if your goal isn’t a drag strip dominator, a dyno queen or a track weapon.
Anything Alfa with a carb. Fortunately they all rusted into oblivion by now.
I could afford an RX-8 if I sold my daily, but I couldn’t afford to daily an RX-8. Besides, I can’t see the point in a 21st-century 4-seater as anything but a daily.
I’ll probably grab an SA/FB when I save up the cash for a second car, it’ll probably only take another 3 or 4 unprecedented economic disasters before I can put together the savings for one in rolling-project state.
I WFH home these days so I’ve definitely been wondering if I could get away with an RX8 as my only car. Unfortunately clean ones actually go for kind of a lot now and you know sooner than later they’re still going to need major service and that’s on top of abysmal gas mileage.
The fun thing about rotary engines is that by the time you give up on searching for a specialist in your area, you’ve become the foremost specialist in your area.
Lol no doubt. Maybe it’s heresy but I was actually doing some googling the other day trying to figure out if there are any engine swaps you can do that preserve the character of the car but wouldn’t be as fussy as the rotary.
Honestly, the least fussy thing you can do to the RX8 is upgrade the Renesis, careful trimming of the rat’s nest and a safe (rich) tune goes a looong way in making that engine more reliable. It’s the final word in rotaries, with the best metallurgy, the most advanced porting and the best fuel control, but it battles with complex vacuum/emissions systems, a razor-thin margin of the stock fuel map and the oil injection on a strict diet, giving it a little breathing room supposedly makes it quite robust, other than the fuel economy and occasional labor-only-you-can-perform (especially once it’s modified and the mechanic can’t just follow the factory manual anymore).
As great as they are and I’ve driven an RX7 and RX8 and I do think those motors are great, with a richer tune it does kinda chafe me to have something with the characteristics of a high revving 4 cylinder but the gas mileage of a v8…still it is tempting
To be fair, 230hp is a raunchy output for any naturally-aspirated inline 4, and due to the 6-port design it should still get substantially better city fuel economy than any rx-7. But I think the best way to get a non-rotary RX-8 at this point is to either get an NC3 Miata, with its 7000+rpm inline-4 and a shared chassis, or get a GR86 with very similar power and packaging to the RX
Apparently the Chevron station in my neighborhood is the place to go. There are always between four and six Mazda RXes of various vintages in their service area.
I bet they sell E85 and just the right brand of premix
When I was active duty stationed in Colorado, I came across a lovely pre-owned silver blue Saab 900 Turbo. I came close to buying it – but that night I had horrible flashbacks to my years running ancient Volvo 140 Series cars and dealing with their evergreen needs.
That’s when I decided to get the new and super reliable Mercury Tracer, née Mazda 323/Ford Laser instead.
Oh, the list! Your lede image of the 928 was spot on, as it is the first car I thought of. Bravo! Of course the BMW 840 will land on many lists, as you mentioned.
I’ll add modern Maserati’s to that list. So much expensive deliciousness!
VWs with the VR6 are also hanging out there, with some 10-20 year old Audi S and RS models keeping them company.
I think most things European and glamorous. Especially post-DaimlerChrysler merger Mercedes cars. Or anything that uses hydraulics where electrics would do.
The other thing would be rare versions of common cars, like some of the rare Shelby Dodge variants. I actually inquired about a CSX-VNT once before backing out because I realized I couldn’t care for it.
A Rivian R1T would make a nice driveway ornament. But there’s just so much going on underneath with the air suspension. Plus the tire bill, and they’re not particularly efficient for an EV. But darn do they look cool. Maybe an R2 is in the future with lower running costs and much of the same swagger.
I’m waiting for the R3T, but only if they offer it in a 2-door, which they probably won’t.