Mainstream has its justification, in normal life as well as when dealing with classic cars. But, let’s face it, the really exciting ones are those you rarely see on the road, which were designed in a technological offbeat, or went their own way of styling.
A Saab Sonett V4 or Renault’s elegant Floride are two good examples for my theory. Here the Swedish lightweight, with fibreglass bodywork, rallye genes and a funny V4 placed way out in front. And there, the Frua-designed Floride, a beautiful 1950s convertible – with hardtop, an utterly beautiful interior and a rear engine.
As different as these two models are, both are united by the unconditional will to have a mind of their own. In times of silver-grey company station wagons, optimised for resale value rather than joy, they are a real blessing…
