The other day I got to thinking about my past cars – yes, I’ve lost track – and was wondering which was that one car that I used to have which I truly regret selling. I got quite depressed so I stopped and started thinking of something else. This happens quite often actually.
Where was I? Oh yeah, anyway, what I got to thinking about was the one ‘gem’ that every car maker has in their stable of cars; sometimes it’s the unsung hero, sometimes it’s the one that most would sell a kidney for, and sometimes, just sometimes, it’s one that was never intended to be anything special, it just inexplicably became that way.
Of course the carmakers I’ve listed below make all kinds of cars and other vehicles, but somewhere in their stable is that ‘one’, that gem. Here’s what I think they are. Oh yeah, one very important thing to note of these cars listed below, I’ve seen them right here in Malaysia. Yes, they’re out there!
1) BMW – Let’s face it, when it comes to producing ‘drivers cars’, it’s hard to ignore the Bavarians who at one time produced the “Ultimate Driving Machine”. While that was later changed to “Sheer Driving Pleasure”, back when they were UDMs though, BMW produced some remarkable cars, but perhaps none more so than the BMW E30 M3 Evolution.
With its 2-door body configuration and flared wheel arches, in stock-standard form it produced 220bhp, and the later model with a 2.5-litre engine called the ‘Sport Evolution” produced a whopping 238bhp. Only 600 units of that last model – the Evolution 3 – were ever made, making them highly sought after. Those performance figures may not be all that impressive today, but back in the early 80’s, they were nothing short of biblical. And just look at it!
2) Peugeot – There’s a famous quote from an equally famous motoring journo who once said, “If I wanted a fine meal I’d go to a French restaurant, but if I wanted a fine car, I’d not look for one in France” or something to that effect. I guess said journo forgot about this little gem, the Peugeot 205 GTi.
Available with either a 1.6 or 1.9 engine, this was the car that set the benchmark for all would be GTi’s in future. Three decades on and it’s still regarded as one of the best GTi cars ever produced. Peugeot has since come out with many other hot-hatches, but none have managed to encapsulate and enrapture a true petrol-head as much as the original.
3) Mercedes-Benz – So we’re back in Germany, and while BMW seemed to be running away with the lion’s share of snagging petrol-heads with their lethal alpha-numeric demons, Merc were not about to be left behind. The three-pointed star did produce something to challenge the dominance of the M3 and it was called the Merc 190E 2.5-16 Cosworth.
Appearing in 1988 and replacing the 2.3 version, this 2.5-litre, 16-valve winged beast was able to produce 204bhp right out of the box, sprint from 0-100km/h in under 7sec and top out at over 230km/h. Again, in 1988 this was unheard of for ‘road cars’. Even back in ’88 it was predicted that this model would be a ‘future classic’. How right they were.
4) Toyota – Ok, so apart from the 2000GT – the first million dollar Japanese classic – which is well beyond the reach of many, not only because of its price but also its rarity, there is one that resides somewhere well below that price bracket. It has many names; Levin, Trueno, Sprinter, etc. but many know it by its alpha-numeric name, AE86. ‘Hachi-roku’ as its colloquially known (the numbers 8 & 6 in Japanese), was just another 2-door coupe produced by Toyota in the 80’s, with a very revvy 1600cc engine which sent power to the rear wheels. I recall when these were going for as little as RM10k at one point in the used car market, and then disaster struck.
The savagely popular ‘Initial D’ series and movie, in which this car was the star, caused prices to skyrocket overnight. Coupled with the increasing popularity with the crowd in the ‘drifting’ scene, the ’86 soon became one of the most sought after old-skool Japanese cars both locally and overseas.
5) Datsun – Yes, before it became known as ‘Nissan’, the Datsun car company embarked on a mission to produce its own sports car. Unashamedly taking styling cues from cars from that era like the Corvette Stingray and even the Jaguar E-Type, Datsun produced the 240Z. Powered by a simple 2.4-litre, longitudinally-mounted, in-line 6-cylinder engine and manual gearbox, it was a remarkable effort for something from 1970. Even the subsequent 260Z and 280Z failed to live-up to the immense popularity of the original ‘Z’ car.
Examples in pristine condition are being sold for incredible prices these days. Nissan now has the 370Z and the 350Z before that, but everyone remembers the original ‘Zee-car’ with reverence till this day.
6) Honda – Could it be anything other than the NSX? When you have someone like the late, great Ayrton Senna personally testing the prototype model and making his recommendations on how to improve the handling, how can it not be great? Add to that the flair and panache of Italian design studio Pininfarina who penned the design, couple that with a simply superb naturally-aspirated, mid-mounted 3.0-litre V6 engine sending 270bhp to the rear wheels, all packaged in a lightweight all-aluminium body, and what you get is what many consider the most perfect car in the world. Do remember, this was a whole quarter century ago! Honda got this one spot-on perfect with the first try.
7) Alfa Romeo – This one will be tricky and I may get a lot of hate mail for it, because when it comes to car enthusiasts, NONE are as passionate, loyal and sometimes downright belligerent, than fans (maybe disciples would be a better word to use) of the ‘cuore sportivo’. Alfa Romeo have produced some very noteworthy cars in their illustrious past, and while I can think of at least five off the top of my head that are more than worthy of being featured in this list, there’s only one that causes all, both Alfisti and non, to go ‘aahhh’, the Alfa Romeo GTV6.
Even saying its name, which is often simply slurred as ‘geedeeveesix’ is enough to cause palpitations among Alfa enthusiasts, but drive one and you’ll know what all the fuss is about. It’s not just the power from the glorious 2.5-litre V6 under the bulging bonnet that entices, it’s the sound too. Often hailed as “the best sounding engine ever made” the GTV6, born in 1980, was raced extensively and rallied as well. It still proudly carries on this racing heritage in many a classic car race series, both locally and abroad. With external proportions and styling that are spot-on perfect, the GTV6 is simply a magnificent car, and the only reason to watch ‘Octopussy’.
8) Mazda – Just like the Honda NSX above, this is the car that Mazda got absolutely right on the first try, the MX-5 or Miata. No one believed that Mazda could produce a roadster back in 1989, but they did, and this little car took the world by storm. Cheap, cheerful and powered by a simple 1.6-litre engine mated to a short-shifting 5-speed manual that sent drive to the rear wheels, it produced a humble 115bhp and 136Nm of torque, but it weighed less than 1000kg, making it a definite recipe for fun Sunday drives with the top down. I actually remember reading reports of people buying two at one go.
It was just a fun convertible, something very uncharacteristic from Mazda at the time, and the public simply fell in love with it. There have only been 2 full-model changes since the birth of the original 25-years ago, but a very strong global affinity for this car has ensured that first generation examples in pristine condition can still be seen plying our roads.
9) Ford – I know many of you will think I’m about to extol yet again the virtues of the TX3, but nay. The car that rules the this ‘hidden gems’ topic is the Ford Capri 1600 Mk1. Produced in 1969, and perhaps again like the 240Z above, taking styling cues from a Jag E-Type, the Capri was aimed squarely at those seeking something a lot sportier from what Ford had to offer during that time.
Its elongated bonnet housed a simple 1.6-litre engine – globally though there were about 13 different engines that would eventually be shoehorned under that bonnet, from 1300cc to 3400cc V6 monsters – and it was built from 1969 to 1974. Its relatively short production life and subsequent rarity have seen prices soar in recent years, but healthy examples can still be fortunately seen on our roads. And to think it was almost named a Ford Colt. Cool + Carefree = Capri. It’s an icon if there ever was one.
10) Proton – Wait, what? Seriously? Well, yes actually. Believe it or not, our own national carmaker had a gem of a car back in the late 90’s. The Satria GTi. It was more a Mitsubishi Colt of course, but with Lotus tuned ride and handling, a sweet revving 1.8-litre fuel-injected DOHC 16v engine mated to a slick shifting 5-speed manual gearbox. 138bhp right out of the crate and borderline untouchable on a tight track or mountain road, this car was simply awesome.
Recaro semi-bucket seats, aluminium gearshift knob, MOMO steering wheel, big alloy-wheels with sticky Michelin tyres were all stock-standard, all stitched into a small 2-door hatch. What a recipe for fun. It’s the only car that received glowing reports from overseas scribes and the ones still on our roads are still getting stolen, till this day. If that doesn’t say something about just how sought after this car still is, nothing does. Proton tried to relive the glory of the original Satria GTi with the Neo, but it didn’t even come close, sorry. Like the 205GTi from Peugeot, the Satria GTi is Proton’s gem, always will be.
[Photo source: Wiki]
