Bottom Of The Curve: 10k-mile 1984 Ferrari 400i Automatic

The Ferrari 400 series was never officially offered in the United States.

For a while, these were among the least expensive used Ferrari for sale. They are often found in average shape with little to no maintenance history. They are front-engine and frequently have automatic transmissions, lessening their value in the eyes of exotic sports car collectors.

Lately, I think that is starting to change. Not many were built, even fewer made it here thanks to the grey market, and the stark and angular shape is starting to grow on Pininfarina aficionados and general enthusiasts alike. Not to mention that eccentric French electronic music duo Daft Punk drove one across the desert in their movie.

I like these. They are really off-putting at first, especially the squinty turn indicators and weirdly tapered nose. You get the feeling Ferrari was intentionally trying to make it ugly because they knew it would not be perceived in the same way as their rear-engine sports cars. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and once one becomes comfortable with the concept of a more "everday" Ferrari, the styling of the 400 is quite striking and makes startlingly brilliant sense. In some ways, it allowed Pininfarina to breath new design language into Ferrari, even though the themes were mostly never repeated again. And the fact is, the proportions are handsome, the greenhouse large and inviting, the stance appropriate for a two-door coupe with rear seats.

This is an '84 400i, so it has some improvements over the 1976-1979 400, most notably Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, as well as some minor interior and exterior changes.

It looks great in black over black, although I would delete the red pinstripe if it does not damage the paint.

The seller is scant on details, but mentions the car seems to have never been in an accident and has only 10,800 miles on the clock. The unusually clean and orderly V12 engine compartment is convincing, however, and the interior looks just as good.

They say the engine starts, runs well and shifts smoothly.

If this is what it's being advertised as, it could be a decent snatch for a car whose value and at least appreciation will most likely climb in the coming years.

Find it here on ebay in Jupiter, Florida for a buy it now of $20,000 and the make an offer option. Hemmings CPI Value Guide estimates a 1984 400i in fair condition to be valued at $10,925, good condition at $17,625 and excellent condition at $29,250.

Do You Dare: 3,700-mile 1998 Dare DZ Spyder

Dare is a custom auto manufacturer based in the United Kingdom.

You're looking at one of their extremely limited production models.The seller states this is only one of 10 DZ models, the last convertible made, and the only DZ at all in the entire U.S.

There need to be more cars like this. The stats are impressive: 16-valve 4-cylinder Ford Ztec engine transversely mounted in the rear middle of the car, power to the rear wheels, four wheel disc brakes, 5-speed manual transmission, composite resin body with a steel tubeframe chassis, and a weight of only 1,477 lbs.

I have never driven one, nor will I probably ever. But there are a couple things one can deduce about this vehicle: 1) it accelerates superbly 2) handles superbly 3) is a whole lot of fun to drive.

Styling is pretty cool too. In the 1990s, designers for British car had a renaissance of sorts, when the hard angles of the 70s and 80s were out, and soft swoopy curves that British cars were famous for during the 50s and 60s were back in (this trend helped Jaguar cars look lovely once again).

How is this thing even here? U.S. customs only allows importation of vehicles 25 years and older. But the seller states it was issued a VIN by the Florida DMV, so it must be legitimate. The seller doesn't state whether it has a title. Since titles are transferable to any state, that's the key to making sure this can be registered and driven anywhere.

I have no idea what these cost when new, but this one is very close to new with only 3,700 miles on the clock. In addition, if to be believed, extremely few were made. This is not an everyday practical car (unless maybe in Southern California or Florida, where it is currently located), but it will turn heads on bright clear weekends.

Find it here on ebay in Zephyr Hills, Florida with a buy it now of $35,000.

COTC Exclusive Update: 733i Still Available!

1981 BMW 733i 5-speed is now available at a reduced asking price of $4,300.

• One-owner
• Rebuilt engine
• 185,097 miles
• Clean, straight body
• High-quality repaint in original color
• Re-upholstered driver's seat
• 5-speed manual transmission 

The vehicle is located in Seekonk, Massachusetts.

Please click here to send an inquiry about this vehicle.

See the original listing here.

California Clean: 74k-mile 1989 Volvo 760 Turbo

This '89 Volvo is being offered in the kind of condition you really only find in California: immaculate inside and out and rust free.

As a child of a middle class New England suburb, Volvo cars were everywhere. Parents and their (very privalaged) children alike drove sedan or wagon variants. But since these were mostly teenagers tooling around, and since New England has some of the most harsh and radical weather of any region in North America, the Volvos I'm used to are extremely beat.

It's examples like these that remind you what nice vehicles they were, especially in muted blue over grey leather.

The 760 was produced from 1982-1992. It was intended to replace the legendary 200-series, but was instead sold right alongside it. These had mostly four-cylinder engines, although a diesel-powered six was available. Styling is courtesy of Jan Wilsgaard and is a classic by now. Hard angles, an upright c-pillar, big clear headlamps and taillights. These helped earn Volvo the reputation as makers of boxy cars. Volvo has completely abandoned this look, so their older designs are gaining more and more favorable attention as time goes on. Hint: people love boxy cars.

The seller seems to imply they are the second owner, having acquired it from the original owner in July 2009 when it had only 64k miles on the clock.

They say they have all original documentation and service records since new, and also say they have done a number of things to the car since they acquired it.

Mechanically, they state the only known problems are a power window and cruise control not working. Cosmetically, they say it has a small crack in the windshield and the grille. Most importantly, there is no rust. Thank you, Southern California.

Find it here on ebay in Los Angeles, California.

Black, White and Red All Over: 25k-mile 1989 Shelby Dakota

With Carroll Shelby's passing this year, collector's are expecting renewed interest in any vehicle with his touch on it.

That would possibly include this limited production pickup.

Shelby took a standard size Dakota pickup and swapped the V6 out for 5.2-litre 8 cylinder powering the the rear wheels. While horsepower was only up to 175, torque increased to 270 ft·lb.

The seller says this example has only 24,995 miles on the odometer, but don't provide many other details besides mentioning it was kept in a climate controlled garage for the past 8 years. They do say it is in original condition, and it thankfully looks like it hasn't been hindered with tacky aftermarket mods.

Shelby also added some cosmetic touches like angled support pillars behind the cabin and cool gradient striping.

Only 1,500 were made in 1989 only. Although that's a very low number, Shelby has long been a household name and his Dakota was well publicized so collectors have always recognized its importance. As such, there are always examples of for sale of varying condition.

Find it here on ebay in Orange Park, Florida with a $12,500 buy it now and the make an offer option. The seller states they are also open to trades.

Pass The Petrol: 60k-mile 1980 Rover 3500 5-Speed

Here's something you don't see everyday. Only about 1,200 units were made for North America for one model year only. This one features the sunroof delete option.

The SD1 was the flagship Rover passenger car from 1976-1986. Over 300,000 were made. The stats are pretty impressive: four doors, rear hatchback, rear-wheel drive, and four, six, and eight cylinder engines.

By the time Rover was clear to import these to America, however, some changes were made. Larger and heavier bumpers as well as quad round fixed sealed-beam headlights were added to meet U.S. safety regulations (that apparently trumped even those of the socialist British state of the '70s). Fortunately, the only SD1 made for North America was essentially the top-of-the-line model in Europe, featuring a slightly detuned version of the V8. It produced only about 133 horsepower, astonishingly small for eight cylinders.

Thankfully, power was directed to the rear wheels, and manual transmissions were standard equipment.

Rover pulled the SD1 from North America in 1981 following weak sales.

The seller of this example seems to be an adoring fanatic and say they purchased it in 1993 with only 50k miles and have since put on only an additional 10k in the past 19 years. They say it has been meticulously maintained in that time period. Mechanically, they say the engine starts and runs fine with no vibrations or leaks.

Cosmetically, they say it received new paint from the previous owner, and has no rust except for one spot of bubbling near the window.

Although it was never a terribly fast or even overall impressive car at the time and is certainly not fast anymore, if you're looking for an SD1 already in the U.S. this could be the one to have, if the owner is as thorough as they claim. There just can't be many left, and surely very very few in this good shape.

Find it here on ebay in Lenexa, Kansas

Remember The Teuton: 1985 BMW 316 Baur TC

This is a very rare car. Both the engine and the roof treatment option were never offered in North America.

The body, however, is the classic and beloved E30 which we fortunately did get. It debuted in 1982 and lasted in some markets until 1994. The styling is brilliant. The car thoroughly improves on the E31, while still retaining core BMW themes. It's simple, but endlessly beguiling.The shape is relatively boxy, but up close each corner and edge is warmly curved like a fine gemstone. The fact that it was replaced by the totally different E36 only enchances the E30 in the eyes of fans and collectors

The 316 has a 1.6-litre inline four-cylinder SOHC piston engine that produced around 100 horsepower. This is no rocket ship. Thankfully, it's mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and powers the rear wheels. Fast? No. Sufficient, practical, and economical? Yes. Combined with the car's already demonstrable handling, the engine, tiny by today's standards, unthinkable for a BMW, is still passable. North Americans are already acquainted with the similar the 318, anyways.

To up the quaint Euro factor, this 316 featues a Baur top conversion. Baur had an extremely close relationship with BMW and other German automakers. While the conversion was still technically a custom aftermarket conversion, as it was performed after the car was made rather than during production, it was as close to a factory option as it gets, even being featured in some brochures from the era.

What differentiates the Baur from your ordinary convertible E30? A lot. The window frames and kept in place and a top cross bar is added for extra support. The canvas top peels back like a sardine can. When a car loses its roof to become a convertible, it also loses structural rigidity, causing more flexing and bending in the body. This then becomes noticeable in handling. The Baur attempts to rectify that problem with keeping some side and roof pillars intact. The result is the best of both worlds: some structural rigidity combined with the open air sensation.

Inside we have one of the best interiors from BMW. Oversized pre-airbag steering wheel, center console angled towards the driver, dark high grade plastics. And a pair of dice dangling from the rear view mirror.

The seller says this is a 1-owner car that was purchased new in Kohn, Germany before it traveled the world and then ended up in the Hamptons on Long Island in New York. If you're going to get a Baur, that's about a good a story as you might find. The seller says the car is not without some scratches but suggests it is otherwise sound, and has no rust, which is terrific. They list the odometer as reading 88,382 kilometers which converts to around 55,000 miles, very low.

The price for this wonderful slice of bratwurst? $18,990.

Find it here on ebay.

How We're Doing So Far: COTC Stats

Here at COTC we're interested in bringing our readers a variety of unique used automobiles on the web.

As editor in chief I typically aim for cars that are notable in some way, or just plain forgotten and in danger of becoming extinct soon. Currently, there is no real place where cars are being stored and cataloged. Our society has libaries of all the music, movies and books we create. But utilitarian consumer products just come and go.

Hopefully sites like this can inspire a trend in the opposite direction, because there are some surprising secrets still kept hidden in cars from the past. COTC features cars that offered forward thinking technology when new and are still relevant today.

I also like cars that are a bargain. Let's face it - autmobiles are the worst investments we make, so the smaller the initial price point, the better. And this especially goes for older cars, which typicallg have so many detrimental factors to contend with.

So how are we doing on variety?

Not looking too bad, and mostly pretty balanced. The most cars we spotlight are of German origin, coming in at 26%. The next was, rather surprisingly, American at 20%. Coming in at a close third were Japanese cars at 19%. The rest were all under 10%: British, French and Swedish tied, then Canadian.

As for price?

The clear majority of COTC cars are priced under $5,000. This is a good thing. Currently, there is no new car on the market below that. 99.9% of the used cars out there should be a bargain.

So there you have it. I hope COTC is delivering what it set out to do. Here's to many more fun car classifieds floating out there in cyberspace.

Any questions, comments or suggestions welcome.

-Sam

Little Gem: 1981 Toyota Starlet

The Starlet was a rear-wheel drive subcompact car offered by Toyota from 1978-1984. The KP61 Starlet was the only Starlet ever offered in the U.S.

These would be Ford Fiesta terriotory were it not for power being directed to the rear wheels, which is pretty cool. This was before the global auto industry colluded to make the majority of their cars with inferior (and cheaper) front-wheel drive.

Styling is classic early 80s Rising Sun. No space is wasted. The shape uses as little metal as possible to lower production costs and weight and heighten fuel efficiency. The aftermarket matte black flared fenders and black center alloys are very cool and tasteful.

Speaking of efficiency, the seller says they purchased it in 2007 from a Japanese businessman living in the U.S. who used it as his daily driver. I love frugal Japanese businessmen.

The seller says they have since used it as a daily driver themselves, but have added a whole host of practical upgrades.

A bunch of flaws are also listed. This car is far from perfect. It wears a peeling low-grade re-spray, and has rust.

That said, they seem to imply the car is running and driving. It also has the stock Starlet engine, a plus or a minus depending on your need for speed.

I think the car really deserves a thorough restoration.

Find it here on ebay in Long Beach, California.

Never This Nice: 1987 Acura Integra LS 5 Speed

By the late 80s, Japanese auto manufacturers had mastered the creation of relatively simple, affordable, reliable and moderately attractive entry-level front-wheel drive economy cars. You wanted these over a Chevy Cavalier any day of the week.

This Acura is a great example of such.

Firstly, you never see these on the roads anymore, at least not here in the Northeast, where older cars are a rarer sight as harsh winters take a toll. When you do see them, they are in tatters, if even on the road at all. In California, with a warm dry climate just an ocean away from Japan, these may be commonplace. But not in New England.

The Acura story is mildly intriguing. Honda started it in 1986 for North America only. Just as Ford and General Motors notoriously cross-sold identical platforms under different brands, Honda used some Honda platforms for their Acura cars. The idea was to sell vehicles based straight off their Honda lineup for cost efficiency but charge the customer slightly more. Since upscale, upwardly mobile tastes were all the rage then, U.S. car consumers bought into it, and other automakers like Toyota followed suit (with the creation of Lexus in 1989). But to avoid seeming like a huge rip-off, the cars were given different and arguably better looking sheet metal than the average Honda, as well as different engines and more comfort features. When American automakers did this it was usually offensive. But Honda pulled off Acura quite well, mostly because they unveiled the flagship NSX sports car in 1989, a totally new and incredibly brilliant car under the Acura name to solidify the brand in the minds of Americans as serious makers of great products (they have yet to top the NSX, however).

This is a first-generation Integra from the early days of Acura. As such, it's nowhere near the level of luxury cars have today. Instead, you have a large greenhouse, minimal use of sheetmetal, and a stark, angular and hyper-functional but handsome interior in black plastic and cloth seats.

Under the hood is a "Browntop" 1.6-litre 4-cylinder DOHC fuel-injected 16-valve engine producing 113 horsepower. It is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.

So how is the ripoff factor stacking up? Mostly in the consumer's favor. The most comparable Honda offering would have been a first generation Civic Hatchback, which was smaller, but lighter and faster. Still, if you wanted more space but at the same high build quality, the Integra would make more sense.

The seller is a dealer and mentions the tires seem to have a lot of tread left. They list the mileage as 111,613, low for a 1987. They say the paint has a showroom shine, but I do notice a small chip or rust spot on the rear driver's side corner. Otherwise, this qualifies as a remarkable survivor that could be good to go for many more miles.

Find it here on ebay in Riverdale, New Jersey with a $4,750 buy it now but also entertaining offers.