Prologue Part 2: Choosing a Classic

In the previous few months before January, I'd been researching the good old Beetle, brushing up on my knowledge and keeping a mind as to what to expect, even selecting specific model years as the sort I would like to buy. However, my search for Beetle info brought other classic cars under my radar. These were the Ford Capri Mk.3, the Mini, the Series II Land Rover, the Volvo Amazon, and, of course, the Morris Minor. I ended up doing research on all these cars, and as the sale time for the Swift was looming, I started to shorten the list of possibilities one by one.

Firstly I discounted the Landy. While being a wonderful-looking vehicle in its own right, a true British classic, and having excellent carrying space, it would not have been the right car for me. The interior comfort is virtually non-existent. The fuel consumption is pretty heavy. They're slow and taxing to drive, even by 1960s standards. What's more, their reliability is notoriously patchy, and as such cost a lot to maintain, even if you do it yourself. I would also seldom have use for the off-roading capabilities of a 4x4.

Next went the Volvo Amazon. As far as I have read the Amazon is a brilliant car, and quite out of the ordinary. However, they are incredibly scarce these days, and as such are expensive when they come up for sale. I imagine parts would also be difficult and expensive to locate.

Third to go was the Mini. Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely fond of the Mini; show me a British classic car fan who isn't. However, I found out that getting a Mini of a similar vintage to a Minor, Beetle, Amazon or Series II Land Rover would be much more expensive than any of the former, and whilst I was not averse to getting a later Mini, it does make it that much less special. What's more I really wanted something rear-wheel drive, and I'm a big chap; 6ft 5" to be exact, and I also have friends and stuff to move sometimes, and a car the size of a Mini just wouldn't do in those situations.

Next off the list was the Capri. You might be surprised that I considered it at all, with the mk.3 being 20 years newer than the other cars on my shortlist. They also hold a questionable image with older generations (see Bodie and Doyle). However, I really like the way the Capri looks, especially in black. What's more, being a much more modern car than the others, it's faster, safer, better equipped and easier to get parts for. However, because of those same reasons, it's just not as special, or as good looking, as any of the others. I would also lose out on the free road tax.

Last to go was the Beetle. This one was a bit different, as it wasn't so much what was bad about the Beetle, but more of what the Minor has that the Beetle doesn't. As it turned out this was mainly value for money, Britishness, and looks. In the last 10 years or so, Beetles have got rather more scarce in Britain, so much so that it's not hard to find left hand drive imports for sale nowadays, and see rust-free Australian cars commanding big bucks. Whilst I could still afford a good early 70s Beetle, ones made before 1967 have slightly better styling, mainly round the headlights and bootlid, and as such are much more expensive. Minors are much cheaper and easier to find. In the looks department, it is obviously a subjective thing, but looking at the two cars side by side, the Beetle looks somewhat silly, whereas I see the Minor has elegant but strong British styling. What's more, the Minor is a British classic, and it really means something to own on in Britain, and conjures up a lot of positive feelings with people here. I'm not saying the Beetle is disliked in this country, far from it, but it just doesn't have the little bit extra that the Moggy has. Also, VW made a whopping 23 million Beetles, whereas only 1.5 million Minors were made, with 85% of them being exported, which makes the Moggy a much more exclusive motor. What's more, the Moggy has history in my own family, as it does in most British families. My grandparents had one, and my mum's first boyfriend drove one.

So, I made my choice, to get a Minor. I intensified my research and discovered that there are four main eras, if you will, of the Moggy in it's production time from 1948 through to 1971, and that they differ quite a bit through that time. I'll go into the history of the car a bit more in another post.

I quickly established that the version I wanted was the later Minor 1000, produced from 1962 through to the end of production in 1971. With these models, you benefit from the most powerful engine and best transmission the Moggy was equipped with, and proper flashing indicators instead of trafficators. Also, being that the majority of the Minors made were 1000 models, and that they are the newest Minors, they're a lot easier to find and cheaper to buy.

I then had to choose the bodyshape I wanted. The choice was between the 2-door and 4-door saloon, the convertible, the traveller estate, van and pickup. I discovered that vans and pickups, as well as being rare and expensive, are built on a separate chassis, as opposed to the standard monocoque construction of the other cars. This would make them heavier, slower and not as good in the handling department. Also, I have no need or use for a van or pickup, so they were discounted first. Next to go was the traveller, which despite being easier to find, is just as expensive, probably down to the lovely half-wood construction, which is both desirable and a pain in the arse when it rots away. For similar reasons the convertible went next. They command similar prices to travellers, and the roof would no doubt cause me some hassle. Also, I think they look a bit silly. That left me to choose between the 2-door and 4-door saloons. You might think that the 4-door would be the obvious choice, but I don't really like the way it makes the car look. It makes the side of it look a bit fussy, and the monocoque has greater integrity when only two large bits of it can move instead of four. What's more, as on cars made to this day, the two door has longer front doors, and when you're 6ft 5" that really helps when you get in. What's more, I'd learned with my 5-door Swift that having back doors is not that useful when you hardly ever have more than one passenger.

So with my bodyshape narrowed down, I next chose an ideal colour scheme; black with a red interior. I even had an ideal year of production; 1967, for reasons mainly relating to music. With everything mapped out, I dived into the online world of pistonheads, autotrader, and car and classic.