As the Rolling Stones sang, "you can't always get what you want."
A passion for British sports cars grew far beyond the capacity of income to support them. Family aunties, uncles and cousins provided the genetic connection to British cars but no particular mechanical expertise. As a result, sports cars purchased to meet the enthusiasm never rose far beyond the "entry car."
The previous sports cars were thus the "in lieu of the crusher" variety. There was the Triumph Spitfire with the hole in the bellhousing from the time the previous owner blew up the clutch. Or the MGB with a rear window so clouded up that it required top down driving, in December in Vermont, in order for it to pass state inspection. Or the Fiat Spider with its "coat of many colors" paint job, whose brakes failed on the Bolton Valley Mountain Road
Oh, well, they were all highly entertaining to drive year round. Here's some photos of ones in far better shape than mine.
Triumph Spitfire Mk I - 3 years of daily driving in Vermont and Massachusetts
Triumph Spitfire 1500 - 10 years of daily driving in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont
MG Midget - 9 years of daily driving in Vermont
MGB - 2 years of daily driving in Vermont
MGB - 4 years of daily driving in Maine
Fiat 124 Spider - 2 years of daily driving in Vermont
"The Land Rover is not a vehicle, it's a way of life."
