The Original Hatchback: 1951 Frazer Vagabond

Basically a start-up automaker following WWII, Kaiser-Frazer was one of the few American automakers to offer consumers a forward looking, modern portfolio of automobiles to usher in the new world. Bold, futuristic designs were their trademark. The fiberglass body and forward sliding doors of the Kaiser Darrin. The love-it-or-hate-it styling of the compact Henry J. The decadent supercharged Manhattan, the last four door convertible before the 1961 Lincoln Continental. The Vagabond- a surprisingly prescient family car that featured luxury and utility with its unique clam shell rear opening hatch.

1951 Frazer Vagabond $5000

This particular model has some floor rust , but unlike most of the cars we write about in this blog, these can probably be fixed pretty well. These cars have big tough frames with lots of places to weld to, so get out your wire welder. This one has the big straight 6 motor and the manual transmission with an original interior. Said to run well (and presumably drives too) this is a unique piece for the money.

We have seen these cars in person. It has just enough "Woody" flavor for our tastes with a great heavy precision of the clamshell operation.

Way-East Anglia: 1947 Anglia Tourer

The Anglia is a Ford product built for the British market in the U.K. Production started in the dark days of WWII. Designed as basic transportation for the masses, the car was sold in multiple configurations: the Saloon, the Roadster and the Tourer. The latter two were built in Australia.

1947 Anglia Tourer $7500

This solid looking tourer project showed up in the American heartland. The original motor is missing but the seller says he knows of a proper spare available.

The original motor in this car was a 933cc Inline 4 unit. Cheap, ungainly and unloved in period, they went on to be a popular base for hot rods and drag racers. Most of the cars in the United States have undoubtedly been modified, making this original unrestored Tourer an interesting find.

Best Bertone: 1964 Alfa 2600 Sprint

1964 Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint Coupe

These iconic Giugiaro-designed cars have been neglected too long, and it's nice to see a concours level car for sale. Good ones are rare...for a lot of reasons. Wear-item parts can be pricey. 400 mm tires are only available from speciality tire houses and a couple hundred dollars each. Solex carbs can mystify.

Still, the design of this car has absolute purity and harmony. Unlike the Alfa GTV, which was derived from this basic design years later, this model exhibits better balance and proportion than its 4-cylinder cousin. The build quality is what one would expect from a boutique Italian automaker, not a major manufacturer. Carrozerria Bertone was eager to please Alfa with the quality of this car...one of the first major joint efforts between these two Italian powerhouses...and the results led to a decades-long relationship which produced some of the world's greatest cars.

This particular example, offered by Fantasy Junction near San Francisco, CA, is a well-known concours winner among Alfa Romeo enthusiasts. Fantasy Junction seems to deal in the best examples of Alfa Romeo in the world, and this one will surely sell quickly.

At a sale price of $55k, this car's restoration could not be repeated. It is a cheap way to acquire a wonderful and rare Italian Gran Turismo, and easy acceptance into any important gathering of unique cars.

Wow! O que é um grande Alfa Romeo para venda

License to Steal: 1960 Fiat 1100

What can we possibly say about Fiat 1100's that has not been covered in any of our other posts? Only that this one is clearly about as Distress Sale as they come, and the fishing price starts at a reasonable $1000. Our bet is you can knock a zero off that price and steal this old girl.

 1960 Fiat 1100

Seller is claiming that this is an unfinished restoration. Could that be fresh paint under all that dust?

Flat Wrong: 1964 Lancia Flavia RHD

Finding a Flavia in the U.S. is a rare enough feat, let alone a Right Hand Drive variant. This one in Washington State is a barnfind that runs but does not drive. The underside shows no rust, and the interior and chrome trim looks complete and in good condition.

1964 Lancia Flavia $6000

These Pininfarina-designed coupes are elegant and attractive, evocative of a smaller scale Ferrari 250 GTE. However, the Flavia-specific flat four will not be confused with a Ferrari. Performance is not very impressive, and the overall driving experience is not as rewarding as that of it's Lancia brother, the Fulvia.

Don't let the Right Hand Drive configuration turn you off from American road use. It is generally a lot easier to drive a RHD car on American roads than a LHD car on U.K. roads. Just remember, the shift gate does not change sides...1st gear is still in the same place no matter which side the wheel is on!

If you can get past the RHD, and don't mind doing the requisite hydraulic brake work for barnfind Lancias, the price is fair if the is car proves to be solid.

Dun Rovin':1960 Rover 3 Litre

1960 Rover 3 Litre $3500 OBO

This ones a runner, and has already been reduced by $1000. The seller claims 29k original miles. The perfect heavy cruiser for your next British Car Field Day.

One Man's Opinion: 1963 Corvair Monza Spyder

As evidence that one man can change history, consider the case of Ralph Nader and the Corvair. How would we now be valuing these innovative, European styled cars had Mr. Nader kept his opinions to himself?

1963 Corvair Monza Spyder

My guess is that we'd be looking at America's Porsche: an all-aluminum, mid engined flat six with clean European lines and Chevrolet reliability. Sounds pretty good.

This car pretty much embodies everything that I would want in a Corvair. Its a first series body, with the cleanest and purest lines. It's white with red guts- always a sexy combo. But most importantly it is the Monza Spyder variant, with the 150 hp Turbocharged flat six and four speed manual transmission.

This one is a no-brainer. The asking price is almost an insult to the memory of a car whose legacy was tainted by one man's opinion.