“HOW many cars have you got, Guthrie?” asked a colleague the other day. She’d seen an Instagram post alluding to my ownership of what could be misconstrued as a fleet. “Three,” I replied, “and a motorcycle.”
Out of context it does sound decadent. But consider this: none of these machines cost more than three grand. My Saab 93 Viggen and VW Corrado each cost less than £2000. My partner's VW Lupo GTI cost just under £3000 and if we sold it tomorrow we’d get the same amount back, possibly more, having bought a clean specimen and treated it well.
To keep running costs within reasonable limits the three cars are never on the road at the same time. After five months of inactivity the Viggen has just been revived for winter. The main issue that emerged from having the radge Swede sitting in the driveway since May was seized handbrake shoes, a problem remedied with the application of a sledgehammer to the rear discs. The Corrado, being of an age and state to prohibit use when the roads are plastered in salt and constant rainwater, has been forced into hibernation.
Not for me the world of PCP or hire purchase. At such a lowly rung of the motoring ladder depreciation is miniscule verging on non-existent, and if you do your research you can have as much fun as if not more than those who choose to commit a large percentage of their monthly outgoings to car rental.
After all, newer doesn’t mean better. Improvements are negligible in the sector of the car market that all but the Richard Bransons of this world footer about in. Yes, modern vehicles come packed with all manner of technology, but do you really need a DAB radio? Wi-fi? A sensor to tell you when to change gear? A 2017 VW Golf will be more frugal than its 2007 equivalent, but it won’t be a demonstrably better car unless you measure quality in the number of gadgets a vehicle has (and if you’re reading this, it’s probably safe to assume you don’t). And it will cost you a lot more to "own".
For further reading I recommend a monthly magazine called Modern Classics. It's terrific. In its pages you won’t find a Hillman Imp buyers’ guide or a step-by-step upgrade for the drum brakes on a Frogeye Sprite. Instead, the October issue ran a group test of British GTs – the X150 Jaguar XKR, Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin DB9 – singled out the quite lovely Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo as a smart investment and lamented the passing of the antique dealer’s load lugger of choice, the Volvo 240GLT (now there’s an estate car). If it’s sporty thrills you’re after (and who isn’t?) the editor bigged up the charms of the Citroen Saxo VTS, a snip at three grand for a good example.
This is and will always be my kind of motoring, mainly because it allows me to splash the cash on my numerous other obsessions without sacrificing fun behind the wheel. How many cars have I got? Frankly, not enough.
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