Category Archives: Modern Classic

Fiat, Modern Classic

1985 Fiat Ritmo 130TC Abarth

Every since the original Volkswagen Golf GTI appeared on the scene, the automotive landscape has never been the same. The hot hatchback took over where the roadster left off in the 1970s, and cars such as the Mini Cooper S, current Volkswagen GTI and Fiat 500 Abarth offer motorists big fun in small packages. One of my favorite hot hatchbacks of the 1980s is a bit of a dark horse. The Fiat Ritmo, or Strada as it was known here in North America, didn't exactly set the sales charts on fire. That could possibly be attributed to the fact that they weren't the most attractive or well built vehicles. Another reason could be the mere fact that Fiat omitted their hot version from the lineup here, namely the 105TC, 125TC and finally, the 130TC that we see here. The 130TC was a dual carb little monster, capable of 60 mph from a standstill in about seven and a half seconds from its twin cam, 2.0 liter 128 horsepower four cylinder engine. This very original example is for sale in Potenza on the Italian Adriatic coast.

1985 Fiat Ritmo 130TC Abarth

Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130TC, 1985, 2000cc, 89,000km, red over black interior. Black and gray plate, in original condition and perfect shape. Original exhaust and wheels, new brakes, new reconditioned carburetors, new fuel pump, new belt. Ready to immediately use. Enrolled in the ASI, beautiful and fitted with certificate of historical importance.

As with most Italian cars, red suits this Ritmo Abarth. The asking price of over $11,000 USD is a hard figure to swallow when the best, most original Strada here in the US may bring $2,000 to $3,000. But, for those intrepid enthusiasts, there is a lot of interesting machinery that is now legal to import stateside, this fiery little hatchback being one of them.

-Paul

Lamborghini, Modern Classic

2004 Lamborghini Gallardo

In the fourteen years since the Volkswagen Group has taken over ownership of Lamborghini, we have seen this marque transform from a financially troubled low volume sports car manufacturer to a stable producer of high end, aggressive supercars that successfully combine Italian flair and German sensibility. As a follow on to the Diablo’s successor, the Murciélago, Lamborghini introduced a smaller, V10 powered sports car called the Gallardo. Less expensive than its larger V12 powered sibling, the Gallardo has been the most produced vehicle in Lamborghini history, hitting the 10,000 mark in 2010. With the Gallardo having been around now for a few years, used examples are readily available. While still expensive, you can find clean, lower mileage examples well under $100,000, which isn’t too bad for such a flamboyant vehicle with all-wheel drive capability. This example for sale in Atlanta has the standard six speed manual gearbox and has covered just over 40,000 miles, which begs the question, are these new Lamborghinis built to last?

2004 Lamborghini Gallardo

Very clean 2004 Lamborghini Gallardo. It comes with a highly desirable color combination of silver exterior with ebony interior.

There have been stories of wealthy enthusiasts using these new all-wheel drive Lamborghinis as daily drivers, such as rally driver Jon Olsson of Sweden. At a little over $80,000, we are in the same price territory as the recently revised Porsche 911. Is it worth taking a chance on such an exotic, even if it has Audi DNA built into it? If I was in a position to do so, I would pull the trigger on this car. As the French would say, vive la différence.

-Paul

Lancia, Modern Classic

1991 Lancia Delta Integrale 16V

One of the cars at the top of my wish list to import is the Lancia Delta Integrale. With earlier models of this rally legend legal to import, I am now awaiting the day when the later Evo models will be welcomed within US borders. While this Integrale is not an Evo nor 25 years old, it already resides in North America and is a remarkably well kept, low mileage example. Those enthusiasts living in Canada or for any US enthusiast who may be able to figure out how to federalize this car should take note.

1991 Lancia Delta Integrale 16V

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I am offering one of the best 100% factory original 1991 Lancia Delta Integrale 16V with 28,413 original miles. Yes, twenty eight thousand original miles since new! This is a rare numbers matching 1991 Lancia Delta Integrale, the 6 time World Rally Champion and was stored in a private collection and still looks as new today. Lancia won more rallies with the Delta Integrale than any other car!

Here are some highlights: The actual mileage on this Integrale is 28,413 original miles or 48,000 km. No rips, tears, cuts, or any other imperfections in the factory Recaro leather seats, door panels and dashboard - brand spanking new! Non-smoker and was never smoked in by anyone else. There is an original Sony Lancia stereo.

MOTOR: 2.0 inline 4 cylinder, 16 valve, 210 horsepower.

TRANSMISSION: 5-speed transmission. The transmission shifts perfectly in every gear.

BODY: 100% rust free, all metal! This Lancia Delta Integrale has the factory original paint and was never in any accident or collision whatsoever. All original factory shell panels, no aftermarket parts whatosever. Perfect floors, rocker panels, trunk, etc. Look at the detailed photos.

EXHAUST SYSTEM: Factory exhaust system front to back.

WHEELS/TIRES: Factory original, OZ Racing wheels will be bead blasted and refinished in any color you choose.

INTERIOR: All original, factory Recaro leather interior. What can I say? Again, let the photos speak for themselves!

I am sure I forgot to mention other stuff that was done, please ask me any questions that you have.

WHY I BOUGHT IT?

To the best of my knowledge and from the Integrale I have ever seen, this is the best unmolested original 1991 Lancia Delta Integrale 16V, just the engine compartment alone speaks volumes of its condition. No black tar or black paint to cover up the flaws like all the others I have seen. It is as the day it came out of the factory.

WHY AM I SELLING IT?

I bought an Aston Martin and need to sell some of my precious toys. The asking price is very reasonable, after all, you are buying as new, lowest mileage, unmolested Integrale that should be a part of a rally collection.

TITLE/SHIPPING

This 1991 Lancia Delta Integrale comes with a clean Canadian title. I will assist the buyer in shipping and can arrange delivery to the USA/Canada or anywhere in the world at the buyer's expense. I encourage you to come and see this Integrale for yourself. I do not want to mislead anyone to its condition and my standards may be different than yours.

These early 90s, pre Evo Integrales tend average around $15,000 to $20,000 USD for examples in decent nick with under 100,000 miles. I would go out on a limb and say that given this Integrale is one of a few in North America, the asking price is worth it, given you will be avoiding shipping and customs fees. A tempting piece of (currently) forbidden fruit for US enthusiasts, but if you have a place to store this until it's legal in 2016, this would be a great investment and a fun piece of performance motoring history.

-Paul

Lancia, Modern Classic

1984 Lancia A112 Abarth

The Lancia A112 was an offshoot of the Autobianchi A112, itself a derivative of the Fiat 127. Under both manufacturer umbrellas, the A112 was given the Abarth treatment. This 1984 model represents the end of the model run, as the last Abarth A112 was produced in 1986. With 70 horsepower in a package not much larger than an original Mini Cooper, fun times ensued. This example for sale in the Netherlands has about 60,000 miles on the clock and has been fairly well preserved.

1984 Lancia A112 Abarth

While little in terms of a description is provided, this does look to be a rather unmolested example. These are great little cars and a good option for those seeking something just a little bit larger and more powerful than the Fiat 500 but with more of the "what's it" factor than Minis and small VW hatchbacks of the same era.

-Paul

Alfa Romeo, Modern Classic

1987 Alfa Romeo Milano Gold

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On a visit to New York City a few months ago, I was wandering around the East Village and stumbled across a red Alfa Romeo Milano parked inauspiciously on the street. It's a testament to Alfisti in the US that you still see these distinctive sport sedans on the roads today, 17 years after Alfa Romeo abandoned this market. With a rear-mounted gearbox, inboard rear brakes and near perfect weight distribution, these kind of technical highlights are few and far between in modern day sedans. This non-sunroof Milano Gold for sale in Ohio is one of the best I've seen on the market in the last few years.

1987 Alfa Romeo Milano Gold

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For sale is a beautifully maintained and conditioned Alfa Romeo Milano gold version. I am the original owner and purchased the car at Alfa of Columbus. It was serviced by the Alfa dealer while they were still being imported. Since then the car has been driven less than 2,000 miles during the last 20 years. The paint is all original with the exception of the hood which had some acid rain spots before we took delivery. The numbers match, of course, and everything is original with the exception of the tires, brakes, water pump, battery, and exhaust system. The water pump, battery, and exhaust system were replaced a month ago by an Alfa expert in the Columbus area. More than $3,500 was spent bringing these parts back to were they need to be. We have the invoice for these repairs.

We had a walnut Momo steering wheel and matching gear shift knob installed when we purchased the car and still have the original leather wheel and shift knob. We also have the complete shop manual which comes in very handy. Included is a fitted Evolution car cover which has a couple of stains on the lower edge but is in otherwise great condition.

The car runs as strong as the day it was purchased and has to be one of the best examples of this model in the United States. The only reason for selling it is we just purchased an MG TF and have no room for another car. The only problem I can find on the body is a small paint chip and a small bubble on the right rear wheel well which I tried to show in one of the photographs. If I had noticed the chip earlier and touched it up, the bubbling wouldn't have occurred.

This is the last of the Duetta based cars Alfa brought into the US and had the famous deDion rear end with Watts linkage. It allows the car to handle very predictably and runs well going down the road. The car is very well-balanced as Alfa even placed the fuel tank in the center of the chassis for even weight distribution and protection in the event of a crash. (This ain't no stinkin' Pinto!) The rear disk brakes are also mounted inboard, near the transmission and differential for weight reasons. The Italians understand weight distribution in their automobiles. We have placed a reasonable reserve on this automobile as you will not find a better example anywhere. If you are an Alfisti, you know how fun this car is to drive with the wonderful V6 sounds and solid-shifting rear-mounted 5-speed transmission.

This car leaves little to be desired. The paint is exemplary, the upholstery is unblemished and all the maintenance required has been squared away. Quite simply, this is the best Milano you can buy. While the Gold is the base trim level, it is still well equipped for its age. Most Milanos in good nick will trade hands for around $5,000 to $7,000, but I suspect this example will bring closer to $10,000.

-Paul

Ferrari, Modern Classic

1988 Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet

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A Ferrari for under $30,000 sure is tempting, but is it a smart buy? This 1988 Mondial Cabriolet is certainly attractive at $24,000. While it looks fairly straight, are there potential maintenance pitfalls afoot? The seller describes this Mondial as being mechanically solid, although it was the victim of a minor fender bender at one point.

1988 Ferrari Mondial Convertible

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This is a really nice car in excellent condition. Great paintwork (original except for right fender and bumper). There was a small accident 2 years ago that resulted in right fender damage as well as bumper and right fog light. No frame damage. The car runs very strong and shifts perfectly. It even goes into 2nd gear when cold which is a rarity with 328/308 and Mondial. The interior is almost factory new as well as the top. A new back window was installed about 4 months ago as the old was not clear and cracked. The top is perfect.

The air blows cold and everything works as it should. Heat cold etc. Brakes excellent tires excellent motor and drive excellent. Not sure when belts were changed but had them all checked with ferrari mechanic and he said they were in great condition. Everyone has a different idea when Ferrari belts should be changed. This is a chance to own a very nice Mondial at an incredibly low price. I just don't have time to drive it. The milage is low and this car is something that you can drive anywhere. A real head turner. These cars are starting to really go up in value.

As usual, while this car may only cost $24,000 to purchase, one could theoretically spend almost half that price embarking on a variety of maintenance items this car may need over the next few years. If I was in the position to have a second car, however, I'd certainly kick the tires on this car. Black works well with the slightly awkward proportions of the four seat Mondial and cosmetically, it looks rather good. If anything else, a solid starting point to fix up an average example of this open top Ferrari into an exceptional one.

-Paul

Lancia, Modern Classic

1987 Lancia Delta 1.6 HF Turbo

With the hot versions of Lancia’s Delta now approaching the 25 year mark, this World Rally Champion is perhaps one of the most tempting Italian forbidden fruits to import to the US. While most are familiar with the four-wheel drive versions, Lancia produced a Delta HF with a smaller 1.6 liter turbocharged engine and front-wheel drive, as we see with this example for sale near Potenza, Italy. These lesser Deltas can be distinguished mainly via their lack of 4WD badging on the rear decklid and lack of air intakes on the hood.

1987 Lancia Delta HF 1.6 Turbo

Rare Lancia Delta HF Turbo 1.6, 1987, dark gray metallic, all original and never modified or messed up. uniproprietario to date, paid as an additional sheet of 19,600,000 lire, 122,000 km, original keys, double keys, book vouchers and canceled the original additional sheet certifies that the car is uniproprietario. Alloy wheels, electric windows, and the rare alcantara Recaro interior. Excellent mechanically, timing belt recently replaced, the rear seats as new, no one ever stood up. Prices are soaring on these cars.

At about $6,300 USD with around 75,000 miles on the clock, this is a rather inexpensive way to get behind the wheel of one of these rally icons. Everything on this example appears to be in good order, from the straight body panels to the unmarred interior. Granted, you don’t get the thrill of all-wheel drive, but the lack of the extra drive axles may provide some reprieve from maintenance down the line.

-Paul

Alfa Romeo, Modern Classic

1982 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint Veloce

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One of Alfa Romeo's most successful models was one which never saw the light of day here in the US market: the Alfasud. Constructed at a new factory in the south of Italy as part of a labor agreement with the Italian government, this compact car was quite a departure for Alfa Romeo, as it featured front-wheel drive and a horizontally opposed four cylinder engine. I've never seen one on these shores, but this one for sale in Switzerland is quite appealing, given it is a two door Sprint version and has the more aesthetically pleasing earlier bumpers.

1982 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Sprint Veloce

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Rare, very beautiful Alfasud Sprint Veloce 1.5, 120,000 km, 95 hp, first hand, runs perfect, no rust. New timing belt replaced, five original steel wheels with small hubcaps are included.

Notorious for their poor build quality and rust issues as a result of crude Russian steel used during manufacture, it amazes me that the seller is asking almost $16,000 USD. Good, clean Spiders can be had for less, and there a multitude of other modern classics out there which offer more bang for the buck. If this car was for sale at just under half of the asking price, it would start to look a bit more appealing, given its condition.

-Paul

Ferrari, Modern Classic

1984 Ferrari 400i

For most enthusiasts in the market for a Ferrari, the 400i and 412 are probably way down at the bottom of the want list. Even with a V12 and four seat practicality, they never made a splash here in the US, mainly because they weren't sold here new. Many of these coupes were fitted with a GM 3 speed automatic, but this example for sale in Ontario has the desirable 5-speed gearbox and looks very up to date in gray over red leather.

1984 Ferrari 400i

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1984 Ferrari 400i with the rare and highly desirable 5 speed manual transmission, in the classic color combination of Grigio Ferro Metallic, with red leather interior in very good condition. There are no rips or tears in the leather, and in general the leather looks very clean and nice. The original red carpets in good condition, black dash, mostly original factory paint, very clean California car, 74,200 miles from new, fully documented history file, very strong engine, starts and runs very well, the manual transmission shifts very well, fresh TRX tires, clean Ontario title, 0-60 in 6.1 seconds, top speed 155MPH, This car is marked as both 400GT and 400i on its factory build late. It is titled under its Ferrari chassis number 50679. Its VIN number is ZFFEB07000050679. The Ebay system does not recognize the actual VIN of a 400GT, so it won't allow me to list it as a 1984. This car was imported to California from France and we have the DOT certification documents. These 400i Ferraris have been undervalued partly because most of them were automatics. The manual transmission completely transforms the car. Running it through the gears is a joy. It pulls strong and hard in every gear. It is a fabulous high speed highway cruiser, it handles very well with crisp turn-in and high cornering ability. 90 percent of the performace of a Daytona for 10 percent of the price. Half of the price of the next cheapest V12 Ferrari. Prices are rising, now is the time to invest. I invite you to please inspect this car before bidding to satisfy yourself as to its condition. This car is available to be viewed by serious bidders in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. If you would like to take delivery in Buffalo New York please call me for more information.

It's hard to say whether 400i and 412 models are rising; they have seemed rather flat in recent years. The manual transmission certainly makes this V12 tourer more desirable for serious enthusiasts. With mileage approaching 75,000, prospective buyers should be prepared to spend about $25,000 to $35,000 for such an example with a documented history.

-Paul

Maserati, Modern Classic

2005 Maserati Quattroporte

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It has been a decade since the return of Maserati to the United States; consequently values of earlier models like the Coupe, Spyder and Quattroporte, have dropped into reasonable territory. The Quattroporte is about the closest thing you can currently get to a four door Ferrari, as this executive saloon shares it's Ferrari-based 4.2 liter V8 engine. With an arresting exhaust note and classic Italian coachwork inside, this isn't your everyday luxury vehicle. Here is a Quattroporte for sale in Florida with under 20,000 miles that looks rather sharp in dark metallic blue.

2005 Maserati Quattroporte

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This 2005 Maserati Quattroporte has the power reclining rear seats and comfort package, has 66% clutch life left, and is in impeccable condition with only 19k miles! As expected from a highline Maserati Quattroporte, this vehicle is in impeccable exterior, interior, and mechanical condition and is fully loaded with:

- Rear Climate Controls
- Rear Reclining and Power Seats
- Super Low Miles: 19k miles and the clutch has already been replaced once, which means that it has a lot of life left: Over 66% remaining as verified by a Maserati mechanic!
- Navigation System
- 19" Ball-Polished upgraded wheels wrapped in Continental tires
- Two-tone custom ordered blue and tan interior
- Sunroof

WARRANTY: Each vehicle we sell comes with a 7 day warranty guaranteeing against major defects. We also offer extended warranties at a very reasonable cost from Royal Warranty Administration. Rest assured, this vehicle comes with a clean Autocheck/Carfax with service history. This vehicle was acquired directly from a private seller.

Condition: We are committed to selling only the finest pre-owned vehicles, and this Maserati is no exception. With all used vehicles there are signs of wear, but this Maserati has been maintained so well that there are no defects to note save for minor wear and chips on the bumpers! If you are looking for an incredible deal on a loaded 2005 Maserati Quattroporte, you won't find a better value nor better condition than this mint condition executive sedan. This Maserati also comes with all floor mats, all weather floor mats, two remote keys, spare tire and tool kit. We have a clear title in hand for the new owner.

It is tempting to think that you could own such an exotic vehicle for the price of a new BMW 3 series, but be forewarned that these early examples with their paddle shifted gearbox have been known to be rather cranky around town when in automatic mode. Also, a clutch replacement will run around $2,000 to $3,000, depending on who performs the work. Time will tell just how well these newer Maseratis hold up as compared to the Biturbos of the 1980s, but so far, they are proving to be a marked improvement over their forebears.

-Paul