PCH, Italy Versus Britain Redux: 1963 Alfa Romeo or 1946 Triumph?

In 1963, an Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint coupe sold new in the United States for $5,895. That was $1,200 more than a '63 Stingray with the optional 360-horse L84 engine. So you gotta figure this '63 Alfa Romeo 2600 (go here if the ad disappears) for just $1,900 is the mother of all steals- I mean, what's an L84 Corvette worth these days? You'll be laughing at all those Alfa drivers with wimpy four-bangers under the hood, because this car has a wild DOHC inline six with three sidedraft carburetors. Just pause and contemplate that for a second: a 45-year-old Italian car with an engine family that's been extinct since 1968 and three finicky carburetors for you to try (and fail) to synchronize! This one will need some work before you can even get to that part, however, because "car has a lot of rust hood,doors, rockers" and "the int. is dust but all." We're not sure quite what to make of that last statement, but we're pretty sure it's not good news. The engine is still there and the seller claims to have the carburetors and steering wheel, so you can feel certain that you'd have at least 45% of the parts you'd need to get this machine back into glorious driving condition.

With Britain in ruins from fighting those goddamn Huns and nothing but economic gloom promised for the next decade or so, what did the Triumph Motor Company decide to build in 1946? That's right, a seriously cool-looking sports car, with an aluminum body stamped using the same presses that made Mosquito bomber components. Let the Germans build depressing, clattery little insectoid rides in their bombed-out factories; the British were going first-class all the way in their rubble-strewn assembly plants! You figure that not many '46 Triumph Roadsters were built, so your dream of owning one could never come true... until now! Here's one (go here if the ad disappears) for a mere $3,800! Just in case you can't tell from the photos, the seller wants you to know that it "needs a full restoration." The seller also states that the car is "missing some parts but well worth the effort to restore," and there's no arguing with at least half of that statement. How hard can '46 Triumph parts be to find, anyway? Come on, be an optimist- they're out there somewhere; perhaps there's a warehouse in Uttar Pradesh with everything you'll need, for just a few rupees! The aluminum body means some of the car won't have rust, and you'll be able to remedy that 34.4-second 0-60 time (!) by simply dropping in a Triumph V8 out of a Stag (please oh please, somebody buy this car and do that swap!).