Back to back: Wacky Imp or pretty Montecarlo?

• 

We could easily have fallen for one of the many lovely Land Rovers from Brightwells’ Leominster sale on next Friday the 28th of November and compare that to the Austin Champ in the same sale. The latter gave us some happy child memories, so why not?

Well. The two we did choose for our little back-to-back comparison are clearly more of a contrast to each other. But they are both cars we’d love to own ourselves and think they are good for tons of fun, with their engines in the back and lightweight concepts. Oh, and bot are still affordable too.

To start with the British product: a 1972 Hillman Imp that was built up replicating the style of the Alan Fraser rally cars of the 1960s. But this has a sting in its tail, quite literally. It is powered by a 120hp strong 1,100cc, 16-valves BMW motorcycle engine. The seller states: “It was built by a retired motor engineer who just cannot keep his hands still. Built only last year, the car uses a Clark Dawson conversion kit which makes the BMW engine look like it was always meant to be there. The conversion also makes use of a high quality Scott Macmillan wiring loom and Lotus Elan heavy duty drive couplings. The suspension has been polybushed and the car sits on Monte Carlo springs with Protech shock absorbers.” It’s MOTd and ready to go, too. And estimated at £4- to £6,000 it seems to us like the most fun you’ll be able to have from the whole sale.

But then there’s a 1978 Lancia Beta Montecarlo also. Believed to sell at £9- to £11,000, it may come at almost double the price, but what a little beauty it is. We can imagine Herbie falling in love with this pretty little thing! And this one doesn’t even come with the big American bumpers. It’s a series 1 car with the 2-litre twin-cam inline-four, good for 118bhp and a top speed of 120mph. From the seller’s blurb: “First registered in March 1978, XLM 972S has led a charmed life and would appear not to have been overworked, if the 69,642 miles showing on the speedometer is correct.” It comes with a spare set of twin 40 Dellorto carbs and manifold, four Volumex alloy wheels and a desirable 037 rally car twin headlamp grille conversion.” We are smitten. Are you?

(Words editor, pictures Brightwells)

Plaats een reactie...