Lancia Montecarlo 2000

You don’t often see a totally rot-free Italian classic, but here’s an Alfa Romeo that you could eat your dinner off. Get behind the wheel of this beauty and you will be grinning ear to ear as if you were cruising through the French Riviera. Charmingly original, subtly upgraded and, crucially, all in one piece. You can keep your Lamborghini Miuras and Ferrari 250s.

Speaking of the French Riviera, nothing conjures images of glamour and prestige quite so pungently as Monte Carlo, which gave its name to my equally estimable Lancia. I will hear not a word about rust, because it has been repainted and shines like a diamond. The seller has even included a video of it being driven in anger; watch that and tell me you’ve won.

It’s a great sound, sure, but I would be more concerned about the flurry of cables hanging out of the dashboard. Besides, I can’t tell if it’s supposed to be that colour or if the poor thing has been left out in the sun for too long. Meanwhile, my 1962 Giulia’s paint is as creamy as its twin-cam motor and complemented fantastically by its red vinyl upholstery.

That’s just where the stereo was – obviously removed because it drowned out Lancia’s stunning 2.0-litre twin-cam motor. And with styling as categorically 1970s as this, it could only be painted brown.

More likely it was removed because of an electrical malfunction. And I think my garden fence is a prettier colour than that. Not even Pininfarina could save it. There’s a reason why car fans are excited about the planned revival of the Lancia brand, and it’s drop-dead gorgeous cars like this. James, please see reason.

JW JW

Monte Carlo is known for its casino, so I’ll take a gamble on that Lancia.