Weekend Quickies - Sunday, July 17, 2011

1986 Merkur XR4Ti - It could have been a contender... The Merkur XR4Ti was a relatively fast, nice handling, uniquely styled European coupe that was let down by a lot of stupid little problems. There were a number of small engineering flaws that happened when the car was being re-engineered for the US market. It was sold at Lincoln / Mercury dealerships, and they didn't seem real enthusiastic about selling them or - especially - repairing them. Also, for some reason, many (most?) Americans found the name tough to pronounce.

Like most of the older cars we love, many of the cars initial flaws have been cured by the owners and the aftermarket.

This is a very nice, low mileage, unmodified Merkur. It has just 62,000 miles and has had some recent work done to it.

A Merkur XR4Ti is a unique alternative to an older BMW, Audi, Saab or Volvo.

Located in Skokie, IL, click here to see the eBay listing.

1974 Alfa Romeo Berlina 2000 - The Berlina is a sport sedan with the accent on "sport". It is everything you expect from an old Alfa Romeo, just wrapped in a boxy 4 door body instead of a coupe or convertible body.

This car has just 89,000 miles on it. It originally belonged to an Alfa Romeo employee. It was repainted "a few years ago".

Located in Denver, CO, click here to see the eBay listing.

1968 Arkley - Here's something you don't see very often in the US (or anywhere, for that matter). The Arkley body was designed and manufactured by John Britten Garages of London. It is based on an AH Sprite / MG Midget platform.

The Arkley retains the Spridget center section, which makes the car more structurally sound and rigid than many fiberglass kit cars.

It's estimated that 1000 or so Arkleys were sold. Most were sold as kits, but it was possible to buy a completed car from the factory.

This car is LHD and looks to be in good condition.

Located north of Denver, CO, click here to see the eBay listing.

Arkleys have a loyal following and there is quite a bit written about them. Click here to see a site dedicated to Arkley cars.