The idea of being spoiled for choice
12/26/2020
It's Christmas, a special year 2020 is coming to an end. The vacation money remained in the bank account and yet you got a year older. You could well come up with the idea of doing something good for yourself and making a new purchase in preparation for the next coronavirus spring.
A convertible would be a great thing. Not sensible, but nice and airy. The choice is huge. Even if you only use an online platform that offers old and new cars and set a very precisely defined financial budget (in this case +/- 30,000), you will be offered a wonderfully wide selection.
Our small selection gives an insight into the current market environment. How about a Lotus Elise S Club Racer from 2010, for example, with 136 hp and only 56,000 km on the clock? A classic of the future, you can almost be sure of that, and yellow to boot! And definitely the right car for sporty cornering.
Those looking for a little more horsepower might be happy with the BMW Z4 M Roadster from 2007. Here, a whopping 343 hp tugs at the rear axle and the 82,900 km on the speedometer hardly hurt the car. The red color matches the hot engine.
Speaking of hot. From the south comes the Alfa Romeo Spider 2.0 Veloce, one of the last with chrome bumpers and the beautiful fastback rear end. It is powered by a two-liter twin-cylinder engine with 128 hp. The Alfa has 58,240 km on the clock and also has a veteran's license.
The Triumph TR6 from 1970 has a similar character, but completely different origins. With its six-cylinder engine, it exudes great music and a convertible can hardly be much more open. The fact that it is right-hand drive will not bother Anglophile classic car fans, but the fact that it is red and not "British racing green" might.
The gnarled MG TD from 1950 also comes from England. As a US import, it has the steering wheel on the left and with its relatively primitive technology and free-standing fenders, it still breathes the spirit of the pre-war era. A time machine par excellence.
The Mazda RX7 Turbo from 1989 is much more modern and yet more exotic. Under its hood is a rotary engine that delivers a whopping 200 hp thanks to turbocharging. The fact that it has had the same owner for the last 30 years gives it even more distinction.
The Innocenti Spider S from 1963 is also extremely rare: only 2074 examples are said to have been built. The technology comes from the Austin-Healey Sprite, the elegant shape from Tom Tjaarda. It was built by Osi and should certainly have a chance at the local Concours.
Too old? Then perhaps it should be the other extreme, a barely run-in Abarth 124 Spider from 2017? 170 turbo horsepower can be manually translated into the right speed for the rear axle. The matt black hood is reminiscent of the famous rally cars of the early 1970s from the same company, although it is well known that a Mazda MX-5 is (partly) hidden under the Abarth/Fiat bodywork. The red rev counter is reminiscent of Maranello and looks great.
And last but not least: The VW Beetle 1303 Cabriolet from 1979 in the unusual color "turquoise metallic". With a Beetle, you can be sure of sympathy points. 50 hp is not much, but the Wolfsburg is not heavy and the main thing is that the boxer engine purrs in the rear. The 60 km/h limit is not annoying and even the 30 km/h zone is fun.
Nine cars of very different colors and charisma. They are all characters and you could dream of any of them. Now there just needs to be a free space in the garage ...
