http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 67
MODERN
CLASSICS
Our cars
Hookedon
Classics
From city cars to sports cars, meet the
models that tempted nine Auto Express
staffers to part with their own money
ICANrememberitveryclearly:
tuningintoTopGearonBBC2way
backin2001,toseeTiffNeedell
hurlingaTrophyYellowMGZR,a
TrophyBlueZSandaSolarRedZT
aroundPembreycircuit.Itwasthe
luridredZTthatleftalasting
impression,andthe12-year-old
meknewIjusthadtohaveone.
Rollon18yearsandI’vebought
one–onlyafewmonthsago.With
just64,000milesontheclock,a
fullservicehistoryandallthe
originaldealerplatesandstickers,
it’sapeach.Itisn’tfast–thelusty
2.5-litreV6onlypushesout158bhp
–butthat’snotimportant.It’srare
too;whendidyoulastseeone?
IBOUGHTmyMercspontaneously.Icouldn’treallyafford
itandIhadnogaragetokeepitin,butIcouldn’tsayno.
Sure,thelacquerispeelingoffinplaces,theheadlining
isheldupbythesunvisors,thedriver’sseatbolsterlooks
likeit’sbeenclawedanditdoesn’thaverearseats.But
it’samodelI’vealwayslovedandit’sageingbrilliantly.
Plusitwasmechanicallyrocksolid,hadonly60,000
milesandIgotitforjust£4,000backin2017.Sincethen
ithasn’tmissedabeat.Slippingbehindthewheelbrings
aninstantholidaymood.That’swhyit’soneofthebest
modernclassics,andwhyIplantokeepitforever.
BACKin1998,AutoExpressranaKaonitstestfleet,and
itwassimplybrilliant.Evenifwehadbeeninsupercarsall
day,itneverfeltlikeahardshiptobehandedtheKakeys.
SowhenIhadaspaceinmygarage,Istartedlooking
forone.ButIquicklydiscoveredtheyarealmostallrotten.
ThenIeventuallyfoundthisrust-freebasemodelwith
9,000milesontheclock.Isnappeditup,drowneditin
proofingwaxandwillkeepitforfuturegenerations.
MG ZT+160
Year: 2001 Owned:Twomonths
James Batchelor
Editor-at-large, Auto Express
Mercedes SL R129
Year: 1992 Owned:Twoyears
Vicky Parrott
Associateeditor,DrivingElectric
Ford Ka
Year: 2003 Owned:Twoyears
TomBarnard
Special Contributor
SMOOTHsix-cylinderenginesandrear-wheeldriveare
BMWtrademarks,butneitherisavailableinthelatest
1Series,makingitnodifferentfromanyotherhatch.
MyBMW130i,however,packsa3.0-litre,six-cylinder
engine,rear-wheeldriveandweightyhydraulicsteering.
Oldenoughtobelightandengagingtodrive,butnew
enoughtohaveBluetoothconnectivityandxenon
headlights,the130iticksmodernandclassicboxes.
BMW 130i
Year: 2006 Owned:Four years
Chris Lloyd
Editor,Buyacar
It was thelurid red ZT
that left alasting impression,
and the 12-year-old me knew
Ijust had to have one
Six-cylinder engines and rear-
wheel drive are BMW trademarks
Ieventually found this rust-free
base model and snapped it up