BACKGROUND:
It's really liberating sometimes just to throw away common sense and buy a car just for the fun of it or at least dream of doing it. Throw away the cares about resale, running costs and what other people think and dream of owning what really cranks your tractor…
1955-62 MGA
Why? Flick through CarPoint and there is always a good selection of cherished MGAs. They are that sort of car, people love them to bits, enjoy them, then move on. The MGA doesn't really do anything special, after all there is only a 1.5 or 1.6 pushrod engine, but they sing away, handle beautifully and stop well if they have the later disc brakes. There are no door handles, just pull strings inside, and boot space is minimal. There are no side windows, just bolt-on side curtains for when it rains, and if it hasn't been thrashed or crashed, they are amazingly tight for an open car. If Santa left me one of the last MGA Mk II examples with the horizontal tail lights and recessed grille, I would be a happy camper and so would you.
Prices start at around $15,000 but better to allow around $25,000 for a good one.
2004 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER
Why? Take a step back and the PT Cruiser is no more than a Chrysler Neon with a funny body that looks like the result of an illicit liaison between an old Ford Prefect and Morris Minor. Yet driving one is fun but only if it is a manual. It puts a smile on your face like no other $19,990 white goods special while it does the job of most small SUVs. If life must include delivering “meals on wheels” or taking the kids to basketball, then why not do it with a bit of attitude. It has a reasonable turn of speed, average fuel economy for a 2lt hatch and swallows plenty of kit. Get a near new one with plenty of warranty left for well under $30,000.
2001-03 FORD MUSTANG COBRA COUPE
Why? Tickford did a great job of re-engineering the old Mustang for the local market and provided Australia's only opportunity of buying a factory-backed right hand drive US muscle car. To those who would say it was one chance too many, I would say they don't know what they are missing. There are not many powerful modern cars that can excite you if you stick to the 100 km/h speed limit but this Mustang is one of them. I recall several thrilling rural drives with its V8 Supercar roar echoing around the valleys, nose rising and falling with the throttle and tail neatly stepping out under power at speeds that won't get you locked up. It was at least as entertaining as the E-type Jaguar I once owned and I knew I would reach home in time for dinner, something I could never bet on in an old classic. Convertible owners ask silly money but the coupe which is a tighter and better car from the driver's seat should start from around $50,000.
2000 HSV VTII GTS 300
Why? It is only now that you can't get the amazing Callaway 300kW engine anymore that the penny has dropped just how special it was. The engine alone would cost well over $20,000 today to replace and that means the rest of the car in a used example will only cost you $20,000 under a typical selling price of around $40,000. I recall holding this amazing beast on a deserted Northern Territory road at maximum speed through a long sweeper. It just felt unflappable and unbreakable no matter what you threw at it. No wonder it is Australia's most successful showroom racer since the GT-HO Phase III and A9X Torana. In every way, it is the true successor to the GT-HO even if it doesn't have a Ford badge. When a top GT-HO Phase III will now top $300,000, the GTS is worth pocket money by comparison but is every bit as good. This is a car you would drive Santa from Hobart to Darwin for the fun of it and knock a couple of days off his trip back to the North Pole.
2002-2004 HONDA S2000 ROADSTER
Why? I can't stand the S2000's pseudo-race car electronic dash when it is not a race car. And the way its rear end squirms under extreme cornering can be scary, yet I would love an S2000 just the same. The stiff High X-bone body structure is what you would expect of Honda and for a sports car that has been around for seven years, it still looks remarkably fresh. But let's cut to the chase. None of this matters if you have ever experienced the S2000 when the VTEC does its stuff, lights up the engine and then boosts it all the way to 9000 rpm. It reminds me of that amazing psychedelic sequence in 2001: A Space Odyssey. One minute it's like driving an old Civic, seconds later it crosses into another dimension and the roller coaster begins. Please Santa, could you make mine one of the later 2002 models with the glass rear window hood starting from just under $50,000.
1995-2002 RANGE ROVER HSE 4.6 WAGON
Why? So it's politically incorrect, thirsty and British, which means gremlins from start to finish that even broke the will of BMW. Yet I have always wanted one and always will. When it first came out in 1995, I took a group of Russian visitors on a wild, slippery drive in the filthiest of weather through the Australian Alps. As the stereo sublimely pumped out Enigma, the lusty V8 punched its way through whatever came its way and the air suspension just swallowed creeks, bogs and holes as if they were not there. Through the translator, one of my guests said that this was the best argument for capitalism he had ever seen. He was right of course as good old capitalist market forces could deliver one to your chimney for as little as $30,000!
2001 RENAULT CLIO SPORT
Why? Nissan Australia was caught off guard when it first unleashed this clever little roller skate. The smart money already knew that a 124kW 2lt engine in such a tiny hatchback body was a winner especially the rare and more bespoke first Clio Sport of which only 85 were sold There was something very cheeky and individual about its style before Renault applied its corporate face and veneer to later models. The interior with its multiple hues of blue and wonderfully tactile finishes and surfaces was new to Australians. The suede leather steering wheel and sporty buckets presented in leather and alcantara were sources of further delight. It had the all the best qualities of a Christmas present from a favourite aunt who knew exactly what was needed to keep you engrossed for hours. And like all good Christmas presents, it is just as delightful four years later even if it is slightly used but slightly more affordable in the low $20,000 range.
1999-2001 PORSCHE BOXTER S
Why? No wish list would be complete without at least one Porsche and the first Boxster S is about as pure as it gets at our $80,000 upper limit. One of the best parts about living in one of Australia's coastal regions is to wait until everyone is sitting down to their evening meal on a scorching summer's day, slip out on the empty roads and head to the beach in an open car to catch the day's first drop in temperature. After a refreshing swim, you head back inland and let the cooling night breeze dry you off. If you have never done this, you haven't lived and there is no better car to do it in than the Porsche Boxster S. It is one of the few truly satisfying driver's cars that doesn't demand so much of you that you can't share the day's events with your passenger. When the getting there is even better than being there, this is one Christmas present where if Santa says jump, it's worth jumping.
2003-05 NISSAN GU PATROL ST COIL CAB/CHASSIS
Why? Not everyone defines a Christmas dream in terms of luxury or sports cars. The chance to get off the beaten track with a tinny (boat or beer) or a pop top camper trailer is as good as it gets for many Australians. There is one vehicle that is unique in the way it can make this happen. The Nissan Patrol cab-chassis combines the heavy duty ruggedness of similar Land Rover and Toyota Land Cruiser models with enough refinement and style to lift it above a mere work tool. So often owned by an adventurer who understands and exploits the extra margin it offers over a typical one tonne ute, it caters to a particular lifestyle and self-starter work ethic. The 2003 diesel upgrade with its intercooler is the one to have with prices starting in the low $40,000 range. One for a bush Christmas!
1999 MERCEDES-BENZ W220 S430
Why? After Mercedes-Benz turned their flagship S-class into a bank vault, the W220 series marked a welcome return to the swift, agile limousine formula that first defined the S-class. Its styling may be a little too generic when it can be hard to pick from scaled-down lesser models but that subtlety is part of its appeal. It doesn't scream silly money or ostentatious wealth but there is enough elegance and space to transport you and your friends in style. When it is a showcase for Mercedes-Benz technology, it comes with every safety and convenience feature known to man. At 1885kg, it needs every one of the V8's 205kW so it will slurp premium unleaded - after all, this is only a dream Christmas present. Or from $75,000, can it afford to be real?