He said, she said: Top 10 chick magnet collector cars
1932 Ford hot rod
He said: Nothing displays your own unique personality better than a classically styled hot rod built off a Little Deuce Coupe chassis. So many choices to make: Billet or chrome? $20,000 paint job or rat rod? Whether you opt for a period-correct Flathead Ford V-8, drop in a fire-breathing Chevy crate motor, or build it with something even more exotic (A 12-cylinder Ferrari motor? A Lexus V-8?), hot rods are the very definition of cool.
She said: But they all look the same. Which catalog did you order yours from?
1936-1937 Cord 810/812
He said: The technological tour de force that is the Cord 810/812 is bound to impress today, just as it did when it was introduced at the 1935 New York Auto Show. The front-wheel-drive design with independent suspension makes the car sit lower than its contemporaries and the optional supercharger gave the Cord 812 plenty of power. With pop-up headlights and sleek styling by famed designer Gordon Beuhrig, the “coffin-nose” Cord is a rarity − a car that was truly ahead of its time.
She said: They didn’t call it the “coffin nose” Cord for nothing, geezer. You need to rev up your bucket list a bit.
1955-1962 MGA
He said: A tweed cap, string-back leather driving gloves and an MGA form an irresistible trio for motoring. Never mind the eccentricities of MG’s first post-war design, like the absence of external door handles and its not-quite-watertight cabin, as they just contribute to the experience. While its BMC B-Series four-cylinder engine displaces only 1489cc (in later series cars, it was expanded to 1588cc and then 1622cc), the MGA offers superior handling that outreaches its powerplant. Few other cars offer such a feeling of being connected to the road than an MGA.
She said: Is that Sherlock Holmes hat supposed to protect you from the rain? Because it doesn’t look like those flimsy side curtains thingies will.
1962-1968 Shelby Cobra
He said: This is the quintessential best-of-both-worlds ’60s sports car, a lightweight British roadster fitted with a powerful American V-8. Whether yours is an earlier car powered by a small block 260 or 289 or one of the later big block 427’s, there are few more visceral experiences than getting behind the wheel of a Cobra and heading out on the track. One of the most prized collectibles of its era, prices start around half a million and go up from there. It’s no wonder there are so many replicas built to satisfy the rabid demand of Cobra fans everywhere.
She said: Is that a kit car? Because it looks like one.
1963-1965 Aston Martin DB5
He said: There is no classier collector car than a DB5, the perfect vehicle for showing the world that you’re a gentleman and scholar – and attracting attention from more discerning women. After all, this is the Bond car to end all Bond cars. Its 4-liter, six-cylinder engine is good for 282 horsepower, and fitted with triple sidedraft SU carbs it is as much a work of art as the DB5’s alloy body. A practical 2+2 grand tourer, a DB5 is still capable of holding its own with modern metal when it comes to gobbling up roads at triple-digit speeds.
She said: You are not Sean Connery, not even today’s old, cranky Sean Connery.
1968-1982 Chevy Corvette
He said: With the most audacious body ever to grace a factory production car, the C3 attracts attention like no other. While That ’70s ‘Vette saw declining horsepower and ballooning curb weight during its long production life, you don’t have to tell her if yours makes less than 200 horsepower. Certainly she will appreciate your good sense in snagging a collector car bargain, as nice mid-’70s C3’s can be easily had in the teens.
She said: Is that a gold chain you’re wearing?
1970-1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible
He said: These million-dollar muscle cars are among the rarest artifacts of Detroit’s glory days, with only a handful of the legendary 426-cubic-inch Hemi engines installed in convertibles. Good for 425 horsepower, the Hemi was an expensive option not really meant for the street. In one of Chrysler’s signature “High Impact” hues, like “Vitamin C,” “In-Violet” or “Lemon Twist,” she won’t be able to keep her eyes off you.
She said: You paid a million bucks for a Plymouth? And we can’t even do burnouts in it because its motor is so fragile?
1981-1982 DeLorean DMC-12
He said: This stainless wonder may be just a $35,000 collector car, but to its legions of fawning fans it’s priceless. With Gullwing-style doors and a sleek, Giugiaro-penned fuselage, there are few sports cars as immediately recognizable and even fewer sporting a French-built engine. Even factoring in its underwhelming performance and the inevitable round of flux capacitor jokes every time you stop for gas, a DeLorean is an attention-getter among the masses.
She said: So where do I rate in your life compared to your Star Wars memorabilia and comic book collection?
1984-1996 Ferrari Testarossa
He said: Certainly there are faster Ferraris, more beautiful Ferraris, more expensive Ferraris, and Ferraris with greater amounts of whatever it is you desire. But to those of us who came of age in the 1980s, the Testarossa will always be THE Ferrari. With a real 12-cylinder engine and those ridiculously long side strakes, this is a legitimately fast car that even looks fast standing still. Just make it red and throw in a Sammy Hagar cassette.
She said: Sorry, but even a Ferrari doesn’t make up for your fuchsia sportcoat. Please roll your sleeves down and go put on some socks.
1992-1998 McLaren F1
He said: Until the Bugatti Veyron came along in 2005, McLaren’s revolutionary, 231-mph F1 had enjoyed a long reign as the world’s fastest production car. Its carbon fiber body offers seating for three – one on each side of the driver – yet the car weighs an impossibly svelte 2,250 pounds. With a BMW-sourced 6.1-liter V-12 rated at 627 hp, the F1 can do 0-60 in 3.2 seconds, while eschewing such modern-day supercar features like traction control, forced induction and all-wheel-drive.
She said: No, I don’t think it’s cool that your best friend and I can both ride in the car with you on a “McLaren double date.”
