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5 collector cars to put in your garage this week

In this week’s Market Finds we’ve found the perfect ride for everywhere from the racetrack, to the beach, to the McDonald’s drive-through. See if you can figure out which is which.

The Esprit of Essex-tacy 

Kicking off this week’s Market Finds is this painfully cool Lotus Esprit Turbo Essex from 1982. Seriously, why don’t more cars have chrome decals and a Panasonic tape deck with full EQ controls mounted to the headliner? With just under 8,000 miles on the clock, clearly the previous owner couldn’t handle the hoards of women (and probably a fair few men) chasing after this sub-zero Monaco Blue Esprit during every drive. If you’re shopping for a new supercar, then just buy this Lotus from L’Art de L’Automobile instead, but be prepared for your significant other to leave you for your car. 

 

Dark Olive Royalty

With a V10 initially intended for Formula One mounted to its carbon fibre monocoque and connected to a manual gearbox, the Carrera GT is considered by many to be the pinnacle of analogue supercar design. What better way then to make green great again than with this PTS Dark Olive Metallic example. Having recently undergone a full-engine out major service at OPC Reading and a full respray at a Porsche approved bodyshop, the 28,000 miles on the clock should only encourage the next owner to pile on a few more. The combination of this car’s gorgeous Ascot Brown interior with the sound of that wailing V10 has us struggling to think of a better ride for a European road trip this summer.

 

Beach bucket of joy


If our weekend in Sardinia surrounded by spiaggine left you with a serious case of FOMO, then fret not because we have found the perfect beach car for you. This 1977 Fiat 126 takes the Citreon Mehari’s outfit and wears it better, and of all the cars in Market Finds this week, we think you'd have by far the most fun in this yellow Italian beach bucket. Top speed? Who cares. Horsepower? No clue. We guarantee that from behind the wheel of this 126, the spec sheet will be the last thing on your mind. That said, if one were to perhaps swap a Ducati Multistrada engine into this beach car we wouldn’t be opposed. 

 

Miracle Miura

Arguably the supercar that started it all, the Miura was the definition of extreme at the time of its launch both in terms of looks and performance, and of all the Miuras made, the SVJs were the most manic of the lot. This 1972 Miura SVJ is as rare as they come, being one of the last Miuras to be converted to SVJ specification in-house at Lamborghini before delivery to the customer as a new car, and crucially it has the documentation to prove it. SVJs set themselves apart with fixed perspex-covered headlamps, long-range driving headlamps, riveted-in vents at the front and rear wings, riveted-in bonnet vents instead of slats, and straight-through exhausts with four tailpipes as well as a host of other modifications. The Miura was already an achingly-beautiful car, but this lower, rivet-studded SVJ is verging on the explicit.

 

Packs a punch

If Ronald McDonald were to spec an Aston Martin, it would likely end up like the car you see above. But don’t let the Happy Meal-themed interior fool you, this 1987 Vantage features the desirable X-Pack, meaning four Weber carbs, Cosworth pistons, larger inlet ports, and higher lift camshafts. What results is a power output in the region of 410 to 420 bhp, still more than potent enough today, and just as startling in 80s as the Sunburst Yellow paint. What’s more, this Vantage features a set of extraordinarily stunning Ronal wheels, and underwent a full body-off restoration by Aston Martin Works just 120 miles ago in 2012 to the tune of £350,000. Clearly the Big Mac business is booming.