Car O'Clock

.. Last night I became a multi-millionaire

Waking up to a surprise email

I went to bed thinking about what I might do tomorrow. I might walk the dog, do some work, some shopping in the afternoon, write another article for my blog etc. Nothing too exciting, or unusual.

Then I woke up in the morning and, after checking my emails, made a surprising discovery. An African gentleman called General Ubato Jnr has generously offered to give me several million dollars All I had to do was send him my bank account details. I was about to send them to him when my wife suggested it just might be a scam. My hopes were immediately dashed, but it did set me thinking about what cars I might buy if I became filthy rich overnight.

The cars I would buy if I was loaded

I’ve been tackling this imaginary scenario all my life and you’d think I would have it down pat by now. But no, it seems to change with every passing day. A mere mention of a specific car in a magazine or viewed on YouTube will have me having a major re-think in a few seconds. Even if I put to aside boring necessities, like the size of my imaginary budget, it isn’t easy to narrow it down.

What cars do rich young people buy?

Are you, say, an overpaid young footballer, rock star or a so-called YouTube ‘celebrity’? Then you are most likely to buy something low slung, flash and a bit OTT. Something like a Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari 488, or McLaren.

I know how incredibly capable all these cars are (in the right hands), but like wearing the latest fashion clothes, they come with an unspoken upper age limit. They are the automotive equivalent of super skinny jeans – you need to acknowledge when you look a bit too old to be seen in them.

What cars do rich older people buy?

Not being young or rich, I’d pass on the usual hypercars. Instead, my collection would include my lifelong automotive dream machines, a wide mix of classics and a few modern cars for the sake of practicality. Before compiling my shortlist though, I had a gander at what my fellow millionaires bought when they went car shopping.

Example 1: Gordon Murray’s cars

Now here’s a bloke whose opinion I value. He’s designed multiple F1 winners, successful Le Mans cars, and the legendary McLaren F1 road car, the Rocket, the new TVR and much more.

He has recently been on a car buying spree and one of his favourite themes is that his cars should be small and light (we’ll forget he purchased a Ferrari 308GT4 too!). Among the most recent additions include a Hillman Imp, Ford Escort Mk1 modified to his dream specs, a Cortina GT, and Alfa Romeo 1600 Zagato. Existing gems include a couple of Lotus Elan’s, a ‘Frog Eye’ Austin Healey Sprite and a delectable Abarth 1000SP. Now that’s what I call a thought-provoking selection of cars.

Example 2: Jay Leno’s cars

If you know cars you’ll be aware Jay is a total car nut. He also has the wherewithal to buy whatever takes his fancy. His steam cars, electric cars, supercars and plenty of wonderful oddballs tell me he lets his heart makes all the decisions. Like a Tatra T87, Cord 810, Citroen SM, 1963 Chrysler Gas Turbine, 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado FWD, hot rods…the list goes on and on. The man just can’t have enough cars, whatever they are.

Both Gordon Murray and Jay Leno buy what inspires or tickles their fancy, which is something I can relate to. There’s no theme to my Top 10, it’s just a selection of lust-worthy cars I’d love to own.

My Top 10 cars

1. 1964 Porsche 904 – road and race
   

2. 1957 Maserati A6GCS  – fast, beautiful & for competing in Mille Miglia etc.
   
   

3. 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlante – ultimate 1930s thoroughbred
   
   

4. 1936 Cord 812 sedan – so advanced and quite useable, apparently
   
   

5. 1959 Ferrari 250 SWB – my favourite Ferrari
   
   

6. 1965 Abarth Simca 1300 – always loved these
   
   

7. 2019 Ruf SCR – my current fave mega-Porsche
   
   

8. BMW i3 – fun shopping machine
   
   

9. 2019 BMW i8 – everyday sports car
   

10. Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo Touring – a wagon that’s more fun than an SUV
    
    

I can’t believe I managed to keep it down to just 10 cars. All chosen allow me to be entertained with a unique driving experience for a variety of occasions, from everyday driving to competing in historic racing events. Naturally, I might allow myself to change or expand my car collection on a whim because my daydreaming budget is unlimited and always generous. Lucky me.