It’s hard to be an enthusiast and see the ridiculous prices that have consumed the classic car market and not feel a little sad. But sometimes there’s a reminder that not everything is about money.
You can also make a very expensive retro-rocket mod with a small amount of cash (okay.
That affirmation comes from Top Gear’s latest video, which sees the David Brown Automotive Mini Remastered Oselli Edition take on the Caterham 170R and the Tipo 184. The Mini is not cheap but the Mini’s are much more affordable than the Mini.
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Caterham Seven 170R weighs in at an astonishing 970 lbs (440kg). Because it is so light, the three-cylinder Suzuki 660 cc turbocharged engine can only produce 83 HP (84 PS/62kW) and just 86 Lb-ft (175 Nm).
The Tipo 184, meanwhile, is spiritually similar to the Caterham in that it is intended to replicate a classic race car (an Alfa Romeo Tipo 158, in this case). Sold as a kit car, it’s based on a 1998-2001 1.8-liter NB Mazda Miata, so power will depend on the quality of your donor car, but the engine was capable of 140 hp (141 PS/104 kW) when new.
Finally, the DBA Mini Oselli is more of a restomod than a kit car, and it’s powered by a 1,420 cc engine with twin carbs that churns out 125 hp (126 PS/93 kW) and 113 lb-ft (153 Nm) of torque. The real kicker, though, is that it costs as much as £108,000 ($145,757 USD), considerably more than the other cars cost together. A turnkey Caterham 170 costs upwards of £25,000 ($33,740) while the Tipo 184 costs £17,700 ($23,885) plus the donor car.
Although the out-and-out pace isn’t really the point of any of these cars, it still feels good to know that spending cash isn’t the only way to win a race.
