Auto Express – August 20, 2019

(nextflipdebug5) #1

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
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