Even on a chilly Monday morning, Southend-on-Sea's two-mile-long promenade is a place where attentions are snap-quick and show-offs wildly competitive. Palm trees meet chippies and quaint, multi-coloured beach huts sit next to the Modernist water features that represent the latest of this Essex seaside town's amusements. Vying for the attention of Southenders and off-season tourists, our two brightly-coloured convertibles join a surprising number of classic cars cruising down the strip.
A Guards Red Porsche cabriolet still might not yet be the sort of image a coin-pushing slot-gamer would appreciate. Its £39,000 list price back in 1989, some £5000 more than an already pricey 944 S2, has stubborn connotations of flashy wealth that, even with a decade behind it in the budget section of the classified ads, it hasn't shaken off entirely. Still, it glides along with utter self-assurance and, against the white SUVs and wheelieing 'bikers, carries an elegance that is increasingly endearing.
The Mazda RX-7 burbles along with an overt attitude, more ready to take on rivalling distractions. Its piercing white paintwork is difficult to miss, and, while some might be double-checking if the 944 is a Porsche, many others will be wondering what on earth this other 1980s whizz-bang is at all. Costing £24,000 in 1989, the RX-7 Turbo II convertible wasn't so eye-wateringly expensive, but today it's a much rarer sight than its German rival and carries with it a sort of prestige of curiosity not to mention today's blossoming appeal of the Japanese modern classic.
この記事は Classic & Sports Car の September 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は Classic & Sports Car の September 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
