One Million Pound Car list

What cars would you buy if you had a million pounds to spend on cars? The question came up over lunch last Sunday, prompted by a discussion on the recent large wins on the Euro millions. You would think it would be an easy question to answer but then I realised that many of my dream cars for example the Mclaren F1, Ferrari 275 Nart Spyder or Alfa 2900 would cost considerably more than that even in today's recessionary climate.



Obviously you could blow the whole lot on a slightly used Bugatti Veyron, but I reckon most car enthusiasts secretly desire to own a collection of cars so dropping the whole lot on one car would not really be the thing to do (and a Veyron is not really the most practical single car to own). So over the the course of this week I have been mulling over what I would do if I was given £1 million to spend on cars, the only other fantasy rules I gave myself were that the list could not include any cars that I currently or previously have owned so the Daytona which would otherwise be a shoe in for the list is excluded. The other rule was at least one car had to be a practical everyday proposition with a decent sized boot and 4 proper seats.


So without further ado here is my list, prices are estimates on current market value.


1. Ferrari 288 GTO (Estimated Market value £325,000)

The definition of a modern vs classic Ferrari is a bit vague, but if there is one car that fills both briefs it's the beautiful 288. The shape is inspired by (but shares very few panels with) the 308 but with an added dose of muscule. The shape is also a lot more subtle than the F40 and the Daytona seats and AC make the car a lot more civilised long distance companion than its more famous successor. With 278 made the 288 is also much rarer than the F40 (1400ish) which followed it
Despite being 25 years old the twin turbo V8 and light weight kevlar panels still has huge performance with a power to weight ratio superior to a 430 and not far short of a 430 Scuderia. What more can a supercar need?


2. Ferrari 458 Italia (Probably £190,000 by the time it is specced)

If the 288GTO is a modern classic then the 458 is the definition of the modern supercar. Hi-tech and great to look at. It is kind of surprising to think that the basic mid engined Ferrari now has around around 160bhp more than the 288. It is the first new Ferrari that has really floated my boat since the 550 which leads me onto...


3. Ferrari 550 Maranello (£40,000ish)

With the Daytona excluded from the list its spirtual successor the 550 Maranello had to be in the list. A wonderful GT car able to crush continents in a single day, that is still great fun in the twisty sections (If I remember rightly it was a two time winner of the Autocar best handling car test and scored 99/100 in the 1996 ur Performance Car magazine car of the year test). Many people critizied the looks when it was launched but I have always thought it had fantastic proportions and is a more suitable size for European roads than the current 599. With many examples available for well under £50,000 it is turning into the performance bargain or would you rather have a BMW 335i? (The car shown in the picture is the rare 550 Barchetta version)


4. Porsche 356 (£60,000est)

The idea of owning a hot rod has always appealled to me, the trouble always being that most hot rods are based on cars that have no interest to me. However I have always been a fan of the Porsche 356 and with the growing craze of the so called outlaw 356, I can finally see a car I would like to own and modify without it being sniffed at by other owners (try that with a Ferrari).


5. Maserati Quattroporte (£90,000)

Bit of a tough one this, which car should fill the practical brief. Objectively the Porsche Panamera should be it, fast room for four, big boot.However for practicality with style nothing with four doors can beat the Maserati er four door, and the cherry on top has to be that a few of the more learned motoring journalists rate the big Maser as nicer to drive.


6. 1966 Ford Mustang GT Fastback (25,000est)

For many the iconic mustang is the 67 GT390 driven by Steve MacQueen in Bullit. Personally I prefer the looks of the original 65/66 cars. The Shelby versions make big money, but I would probably go for a more basic model then tweak it a bit to get it to the car I want.


7. Porsche 911 2.4s (£70,000)

This list would not be complete without a 911 in it (and as I have not completed the purchase of the 3.2 described in my previous blog they are all eligible). Money no object the 911 for me would probably be a 2.4S, probably the best looking 911 and a lot cheaper to buy than the iconic 2.7 Carrera RS. Perhaps I would look for a tatty one then restore it with some wider ST wheel arches.


8. Alfa Romeo Giulia GTC (£30,000)


So far the list has lacked a convertible, and as a subscriber to the theory that convertibles don't need to be hugely powerful (not to mention a Ferrari 365GTS would have blown more than half the budget) the little 1600cc Alfa is a great looking rare (100 made) and super desirable little car.


9. Maserati Bora 4.7 (£50,000)

With two mid engined Italian exotics already in the list do I need a third one? Well probably not but when I was a young child my favourite matchbox car was always my silver Maserati Bora (which I "resprayed" red with a marker pen), so for no other reason than it was a childhood fantasy it makes the list.


10 BMW M635CSI (£15,000ish)

Another childhood fantasy car, although I was a little older (but probably not any wiser). The shark like 6 series was the coupe of the eighties for me and very very cool. I remember nagging my Dad to buy one, which he probably thought about for 30 seconds then brought another 928 or SL. Many are full of rust today but a good one with the all improtant M power engine can easily command £15K.


11 Iso Grifo GL series 1 (£100,000)

I've discussed the Grifo before in my blog on Daytona rivals, but it is worth mentioning again as a a wonderful old school GT combining Italian styling with American V8 Grunt. prices are variable but £100k for a series 1 (open headlight) car with a small block V8 seems about right at the moment.


Well there you have it, well almost. The total spend on the above list is £995,000, I could spend the last £5,000 on a very nice Peugeot 205GTI or perhaps a Lancia Fulvia in need of a little TLC but to be honest the above 11 cars are more than enough for me. Anyone have any other suggestions.