Auto Express – August 20, 2019

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