Out of the common British roadsters from the '60s I have to declare that the Sunbeam Alpine is the prettiest of the crew. It also has the added benefit of being less common than an MGB or Triumph TR (or Spitfire) or Jensen Healey on the street, so if rarity, cool factor, and beauty are important to your classic British roadster choice...get an Alpine. Find this 1967 Sunbeam Alpine offered for $9250 in Gardena, CA via craigslist.
Back in the day, my old man owned and daily drove an MG TD. It probably wasn't the best idea because my dad treats mechanical machines the same way that you might treat a discarded N95 mask found outside a tuberculosis ward-- two parts curiosity mixed with a healthy dose of fear. The end result was a car that needed to be given to a mechanic who demanded a royal ransom for a set of piston return springs and six quarts of synthetic clutch lubricant. Despite this family history, I've always had a soft spot for the early pre-war styled MG T-type. This next example is a perfect father-son restoration project which could make it three generations of terrible mechanical reliability if I do this right. Find this 1953 MG TD offered for $5,900 in Southington, CT. Tip from BarbPaddles.
The Christian feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th, (the word Epiphany comes from the ancient Greek work Τheophaneia meaning "vision of God") and is a commemoration of the three Magi visiting the infant Jesus. Around here we celebrate the Epiphany by posting 3 cars, one for each of the magi -- first up from the East is Gaspar and his gift was myrrh, which is an oil that was used in embalming before burial...which is what happened to Renaissance Cars after they launched an all electric sports car called the Tropica Roadster. It was an interesting car at a time when all electric cars were mostly home built machines, but it didn't sell well and fell into an early grave. Luckily for fans of cars with boat interiors, there is one for sale on craigslist. Find this 1995 Tropica Roadster offered for $19000 in St Augustine, FL via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
There is a fine line between a car that is rare because its manufacturer limited the production of vehicles (because of exclusivity) and those cars that are rare because they were total crap when first released or have all rusted into oblivion..and this next car straddles that fine line like a cowboy riding a 2D horse....because Peugeot built 1.6 million examples of the 204 model, but I just don't have the foggiest how many ragtops made it to the US of A...but I have never seen on in the flesh. Find this 1968 Peugeot 204 Roadster offered for $10,900 in Chicago, IL via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
You've got a wide range of cars when searching in the $5k-7k range. All manner of newish and used up economy cars and light SUVs are clustered across craigslist like a minefield of bad decisions and penalty box driving experiences...but SOMETIMES you find something that stands out like a black onyx in the bottom of a cesspit. Find this 2003 BMW Z4 Roadster offered for $6900 in Los Gatos, CA via craigslist.
This next car is a tribute to all those Datsuns that've gotten Ford V8s shoved into their engine compartments, because a swap cool the first time you see one, but sorta lame the 50th time. And I've got to admit that I don't think I've seen a Datsun 510 powertrain shoved into Model T...have you? Find this 1927 Ford T-Bucket Roadster offered for $10,700 in Washington, MI via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
There was a time when V8 powered Sunbeam Tigers could be found for the price of this next basic inline-4 powered Alpine...but we can't dwell in the past like a bunch of Neanderthals...right? Anyway, I still love a good manual gearbox equipped sportster with a basic overhead valve powered 4-cylinder. Find this 1965 Sunbeam Alpine IV offered for $12,990 in Sonoma, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
Five large won't get you much in an almost "new" car these days, even the worst offending snoozfest Kia Stinker is worth something over $10k when the warranty is still intact. But a 15 year old BMW with 150k miles sends shivers down the spines of anyone who pays for maintenance...but the asking price is stupidly low...so buy it, and when the first thing breaks, just leave it on the side of the road. Find this 2003 BMW Z4 offered for $5,800 near Cincinnati, OH via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.
The SPL311 generation Fairlady was the final version of the little ragtop as the sports car in the Nissan/Datsun lineup and in 1970 it was replaced by the 240Z. The Datsun Roadster might not have been as rugged as the tractor powered MGB or as sexy as Alfa's Spider, but it offered a compromise between looks, durability, reliability, price and sportiness that was hard to beat. And today's example has a boost of under-hood reliability that makes it particularly cool. Find this 1969 Datsun Roadster offered for $4,300 in Chico, CA via craigslist. Tip from Terry.
Whenever I see a Shelby Cobra driving on the street, I instantly assume it is a kit car...not that there is anything wrong with that, just that I'm probably dismissing the few real Cobras that might not be sitting in museums or climate controlled garages. In a similar fashion, I also smile when I see a cool hot-rodded Ford Model T, mostly oblivious to the fact that you can buy a 1927 Track-T Roadster starter kit for $3,500...and in all likelihood, most Model Ts you see are indeed kit cars. Like this 1927 Track T Roadster offered for $15,000 in Denver, CO. Tip from Rock On!
In 1954 the sole importer of Porsche cars into the USA was a guy named Max Hoffman, who managed to convince Porsche to offer a low option version of the 356 roadster with a cut down windshield and a thirst for speed. Years later and a 356 Speedster is worth more than small village near Salzburg, but you can still get Speedster style if you are willing to drive something from the wild side. Like this 1969 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia offered for $2,500 in Phoenix, AZ. Tip from FuelTruck.
Find this 1987 Eva Beva Roadster here on eBay offered for $10,900 buy-it-now or make-offer located in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada.
Despite (or perhaps in spite of) the terrible weather on the island, classic 2-seat roadster for the masses was pioneered and beaten to death by the British. You could get an MG, Triumph, Austin-Healey, Jensen Healey, Jaguar, Lotus, Aston Martin -- the list goes on, but there was another island nation that started producing cars without tops and I'm not talking about Malta. Find this 1969 Datsun 2000 Roadster here on eBay bidding for $3,550 with 2 days to go, located in Derry, NH.
I really hate to rub it in...well, that's not entirely true, because I love spreading this around like mayonnaise on the world's largest submarine sandwich -- but as the rest of the country wallows in snow/sleet/ice we denizens of Southern California tool around in our climate control free roadsters...because it is so bloody expensive that we can't afford a nice car. Find this 1927 Ford Model T Roadster offered for $12,500 in Winchester, CA via craigslist. Tip from Rock On!
Singer Motors Limited was founded in 1874 as a bicycle building business out of Coventry, England -- but it wasn't until the 20th century that founder George Singer began making motorized 2-wheel, 3-wheel, and finally, 4-wheeled vehicles. Fast forward a few years, and it was taken-over and run into the ground by the Rootes Group, but not before they built a few cool cars like the 4AD Roadster. Find this 1954 Singer 4AD Roadster here on eBay bidding for $3,650 with a few days to go, located in Willoughby, OH.
1960's Datsun Sports Roadsters have always caught my attention. In the day, you could pick between numerous roadster offerings from the likes of MG, Triumph, Fiat, & Alfa Romeo, to name a few, but the Datsun was special. Maybe it's because Datsuns were somewhat elusive and that gave it an air of mystery. Regardless, the thought of touring in one through tree-lined roads in full fall foliage is tempting. Find this 1964 Datsun SPL310 Fairlady for sale in Phoenix, AZ for $2,900 OBO via craigslist.
A custom Lotus Europa roadster sounds like a terrible idea. The structural rigidity likely isn't changed much because the Europa used a fiberglass body glued to a boxed-steel backbone chassis, but aesthetically, there are many ways to fail miserably. Somehow, the builder of this thing managed to pull it off and build a good looking custom. Find this 1970 Lotus Europa S2 Roadster here on eBay bidding for $7,300 reserve-not-met located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Tip from Hugh.