Christmas is a time for giving, and in this month’s Motorcar Meanderings Chris Bucknall shares his top tips for giving your petrolhead the best Christmas yet
I am a nightmare to buy presents for. Well I’m not, it’s just that everything I really, really want is way out of Mrs Bucknall’s budget. (Having said that, she did recently buy a beautiful pair of shoes from Grand Prix Originals for my birthday – perfect.) But if on Christmas morning, funds permitting, she wanted to overwhelm me with child-like present-opening joy, then she need look no further than the back of Octane magazine (you’ll find them under the coffee table in the kitchen, darling).
Forget watches, humidors and flying lessons, a motorcar is the ultimate gift of love. I remember my father once buying my mother a Porsche 928 for Christmas. She had always hankered after one. Early on Christmas morning we tip-toed out of the house, pushed it from the garage across the drive to the front door, and tied a red bow on the bonnet. She was nice to him for the whole of January, and possibly even early February too. But if they haven’t banged on for years about a particular model, what to buy your loved one? Here are my top tips for a seriously happy Christmas.
For her…
The obvious choice here is also probably the best. The Mercedes 280SL ‘Pagoda’ oozes grace and style, effortlessly balancing a bold and purposeful presence with elegant, uncomplicated lines. Where its British rival, the E-Type, was all flash and phallus, the 280SL retained a certain dignity in the face of the sexual revolution. John Lennon must have cut quite a dash in his as he cruised past the Mods and Minis on the Kings Road back in the day. And, unusually for a convertible, it looked every bit as good with the roof up – or ‘on’ rather, as it came not with an infuriatingly leaky, fiddly canvas roof, but a proper clip-on hard top (whose design inspired the ‘Pagoda’ moniker). This made it eminently drivable throughout the year. The 280SL never made pretentions about being a sports car, but its 2.8 litre straight six was powerful enough to drive quickly as opposed to fast. Just slide the auto box into D, sit back and enjoy one of the finest rides money can buy (around £6,000 then, £75,000-£100,000 now).
But if that doesn’t float your other half’s boat, other options include the achingly pretty Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider (from the mid 50s to mid 60s), a Ferrari 246 Dino GTS, or if she prefers a little more meat on the bones, how about a 60s Ford Mustang 289 Fastback?
For him…
Would you really buy a car for a man? I mean without already knowing exactly which model, variant and colour he wanted? I thought not. But let’s imagine for a moment you would – how would you choose? Actually, it might be easier than you think. Forget the obvious brands – Ferrari, Aston, Porsche, etc. If he hasn’t already made it abundantly clear that he wants one of these then you might need to think outside the box. (If you are reading this, darling, and just in case you missed any of the little hints I’ve dropped over the years – a 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS in blue or red with tan hide will do nicely.)
So how about a Series 1 Range Rover? Having been rotting away in dusty barns for years, they are now being dragged out and restored to their former glory. This 1970s icon is now not only super-cool, with a little work on the suspension to counter the body roll they’re also surprisingly fun to drive. The 3.5 litre V8 makes a great noise and while they are minnows compared to the gargantuan modern iterations, they are seriously practical. In the same vein, a Series 1 Land Rover (with folding screen and canvas roof) will turn the plumpest of City boys into a rugged explorer at weekends.
But if you really want to fill your man with joy this Christmas, reassuring him that you still see him as a young and thrusting racer, buy him an Ariel Atom. This stripped-out, back-to-basics little rocket is intoxicating, taking the 6am Sunday morning blast to a whole new level. It has no doors, no roof, and not even any body panels. In fact it’s so basic you actually need to wear a helmet (which could be from the kids). And if that doesn’t bring a smile as wide as the Cheddar Gorge this Christmas morning then, alas, I fear nothing will.
Happy Christmas!
Image credit: Ariel Motor Company
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