August

Yes it’s an Alfa Romeo which means it carries around a reputation of being temperamental and high maintenance. But all that seems rather trivial when you consider the beautiful lines of a body other car makers can only dream of designing. This one’s the top of the range V6 in the right colour with a 6 speed manual box and it’s being auctioned this week.

It may not be fun stuck behind one of these on the drive to your summer holiday destination but retro caravans are very popular right now. It’s not surprising, really, as anything vintage is hot and the humble caravan is a practical proposition...especially in Auckland. These two are being auctioned at Turners right now.

This tiny Daihatsu Copen looks a bit like a toddler’s shoe and weighs about the same, but you can’t deny that it’s cute and it’s quite rare, too. There can’t be too many better examples around than this one and it’s being auctioned on Wednesday (24th Aug) at Turners Tauranga.

Last year we wrote about a 1993 Toyota Hilux that had travelled 1.2 million kilometres with its first owner behind the wheel. It caused a bit of a stir and was covered by various TV and print media. It’s not often you come across a vehicle with over a million kms on the clock...unless you look in the truck section of the Turners website, that is.

I reckon you won’t get more fun, driving pleasure and thrilling performance for less money than this 2001 Renault Sport Clio 172. It may look like Nana’s shopping basket on the outside but under the unassuming skin is one of the all-time greatest French hot hatches. This one is being auctioned at Turners Christchurch on Thursday.

This 2010 Mercedes Sprinter ambulance is being retired from duty with just under 500,000kms on the clock and I bet it could tell a few stories if it could talk. It would be safe to say that a few lives were saved in this ambulance, and a few lost, too. And while many of those kilometres were racked up helping people in need there were probably also visits to people with haemorrhoids, hiccups and head colds, too.

Most retired fire engines that come up for sale aren’t exactly the most practical vehicles to park in your driveway or on the street outside your house. But this 1980 Jeep J20 is just about the right size and the auction estimate may cause a few grown-up six year olds to spontaneously combust with excitement.

It seems a shame for an icon such as this Citroen DS to be scrapped but maybe that’s its destiny if no one steps up to tackle the damage inflicted by a side impact. In these days of cars filled with clever gadgets and innovative engineering it’s a good time to reflect on a car that was truly ahead of its time. And maybe it will inspire somebody to save this one.