Every car guy has two fantasy lists of cars/trucks/racers/bikes we want to own if we had unlimited space and an even more unlimited budget. The first is the conventional roster, containing the usual suspects: perhaps a Ferrari 250 GTO, the world’s rarest Corvette, this or that Duesenberg, some Cobras, a pristine supercharged ’57 T-Bird, a Gullwing ‘Benz, the Hemi ‘Cuda convertible, McLaren F1, blah blah.
What I’d like to share with you is The Other List. The one I more often keep to myself. You know, the one with all the weird stuff on it, that you may or may not want your car club buds to know about, because if they did, they’d pepper you with a lot of “Why in hell would you want that?” Here’s a few from my Other List:
• My dad’s ’34 Ford three-window coupe (shown up top here)
• Or his black ’46 Ford Tudor (shown just above, with my actual dad!)
• Citroen 2CV – Don’t ask. I have no idea
• VW Beetle – An old air-cooled one. Because I never have
• ’55-57 Chevy Nomad – My idea of Sport and Utility
• ’67 Mini-Cooper S – So small. So quick. So cool
• ’68 Mustang GT 390 4-speed– Just like the one McQueen drove in Bullitt
• ’49 Dodge WM300 Power Wagon – A 4,000 pound anvil with 4-wheel drive
• Any car Mario Andretti has ever raced
• Cadillac V-16 – don’t care what year or model
• Isotta Fraschini – I just love saying the name. Same goes for Hispano Suiza
• CSX2000 – The first Shelby Cobra prototype
• ’32 Ford highboy rat rod (I know, I hate the term, but you know what I mean) with a flathead, no mufflers, old airplane seats, and an illegally low ride height
• ’72 Lincoln Continental Mark IV — to go along with my ’57 Continental Mk II
• ‘27 Bugatti 35 – One of the coolest race cars ever
• A Checker Taxi
• ’72 DeTomaso Pantera Group IV racer
• Anything Jay Leno is tired of
• Mercedes G55 AMG – Nothing like a brick with horsepower
• Retired GM engineer Jay Eitel’s Jaguar V-12-powered ’67 Corvair (no typo). The one with the engine in the front.
• ’63 Studebaker Avanti – preferably the one my neighbor let rot in his driveway for 30 years and wouldn’t sell to me. You know, the factory supercharged one Andy Granatelli owned. Which my neighbor ultimately had towed out of his driveway for $2000.
• A Gurney Eagle. Any Gurney Eagle (but the ’67 V-12 F1 car would be first choice.)
• James Bond DB5…
• …Or a Batmobile
• ’70 DeTomaso Mangusta – I know their engineering is marginal. But so gorgeous
• So-Cal Speed Shop Chapouris-built traditionally styled ’32 Ford hi-boy, one that’s really pretty. (for when parts fall off the ratty one)
• ‘53 Siata 208S – take one look at it and you’ll understand why
• ‘57 Stanguellini Formula Junior – the prettiest front-engined formula cars produced by man.
24 Hours of LeMans, France, 1969.
Jacky Ickx/Jackie Oliver in their winning Gulf GT40 car.
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• Ford GT40 chassis #1075 – the Gulf-liveried GT that won Le Mans back to back in 1968 and ’69
• ‘63 Ghia 6.4L – Italian style and Chrysler V-8 power. If it was good enough for Frank, Dean, Sammy, and Lucy, it’s good enough for me
• A Ford woody — Prefer a 46-48 Merc, but won’t be choosy
• Late 60s/early ‘70s Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser – If not, a first-gen Bronco will be just ducky
• A Tucker
• A Ford Model A
• ’70 Porsche 911S – The one McQueen drove in Le Mans
• ’56 Ford F-100 (with an SVT Lightning powertrain and chassis) – Kim K’s fabulous butt has nothing on these fenders
• Fiat Jolly Beachwagon – for my imaginary beach house. Or a Meyers Manx dune buggy, for the same imaginary beach house.
• The one and only Phantom Corsair
• Any car I’ve owned but been stupid enough to sell, especially my ’71 Olds 442. Given the chance, I won’t make that mistake again.
What’s on your Other List?