The Top Italian Investment Cars (and the Worst)

People really like lists, and the pleasure of a great “best of” is only surpassed by a really creative “worst of.” That’s why I was intrigued by the “Eight Best Italian Sports Cars (for the First-time Collector”) list that just appeared on Keith Martin’s highly respected Sports Car Market website.

I’m a former Italian car owner myself, treasuring (and restoring) a ‘76 Alfa-Romeo Spider that ultimately broke my heart with its fickle mechanicals. I now pass them wistfully.

Martin is a long-time warts-and-all judge of classic cars, and his evaluations, both online and in print, make entertaining and informative reading. He has a particular eye for what cars are worth in an ever-shifting market The new list highlights such eminent collectibles as the very pretty 1964-1966 Alfa-Romeo Giulia Spider Veloce ($40,000 to $52,000) and its ancestor, the more angular ‘71-‘74 1750/2000 Spider (very affordable at $6,750 to $13,000, but rust is a big problem); and the ‘74-‘79 Ferrari 308 GT4 (a Ferrari for the price of a Taurus, $20,000-$29,000). 

I’m not sure why the ‘99-‘04 Ferrari 360 Modena makes the “first-time” list, since it goes for a lofty $125,000 to $150,000, but more affordable choices include the ’69-’72 Fiat Dino Spider ($39,000 to $62,500); the exotic Intermeccanica Italia ($28,000 to $45,000, more for convertibles); ‘65-‘76 Lancia Fulvia Coupe ($11,000-$18,000) and ‘71-‘74 Pantera ($40,000-$65,000).

All these are investment-grade Italian cars that should appreciate more than other assets, as long as you don’t let them get wet.

One man’s meat and all that: The lad website AskMen.com also picked the Top 10 Italian cars (price no object this time), and put the Ferrari Enzo on top for its mix of Formula One racing technology and drivability. In second place was the Lamborghini Countach (“Some cars just weren’t meant to be tamed”) and in third, the much less rarefied Fiat 500.

It’s interesting to note that the same Countach that AskMen.com (which also offers a “Top 99 Women” list) put in second place also figures in the MSN “Worst-Ever Italian Cars” survey. It’s up there with the Maserati Biturbo (which was indeed very trouble-prone, but had a gorgeous leather interior); Fiat Strada (“a pig to drive, with a bouncy ride, steering that was both impossibly heavy and vague, and a gearchange action akin to Goldilocks stirring Daddy Bear’s salty porridge”), Lancia Beta (one I almost bought); and the Ferrari Mondial.

Italian cars can be an affair of the heart, so it’s not surprising the Countach inspires both lust and loathing. It’s possible to lose a ton of money on these lovely ladies, and the current market certainly dictates prudence. Look before you leap!