Journal: One Badge, Three Cars, For Life: What's In Your One-Marque Dream Garage?

One Badge, Three Cars, For Life: What’s In Your One-Marque Dream Garage?

By Alex Sobran
August 30, 2018

Photography by Afshin Behnia (Alfas), Hunter Kelley (BMWs), and Jenna Genio (Porsches)

Simple question, totally hypothetical: if you could choose just one marque—Porsche people can’t have the RS2 for instance—and pick just three cars from its history, and keep them for life (so don’t get cheeky and pick the most expensive and say “then I’d sell ‘em and buy X, Y, and Z), and the maintenance would be covered until your grandkids had grandkids: what would you pick?

A 600 Grosse flanked by a 300SL and a 190E Evo II would be high up on my list, but there’s nothing wrong with wanting three different model years of the Civic—the choices under the umbrella of one badge are vast. This is the kind of pass-the-time game you play with friends as you set off on too-long road trips for car shows that turn out to not be half as fun as the conversations on the way there, so let’s try it online: what three cars would you pick to fill out this particular iteration of the “dream garage?” If you’d like to explain your reasoning, even better. Going for three cars to do it all collectively? Or would you rather have a triplet of Carrera RSes in different colors? No wrong answers here, obviously.

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iancwilkinson@hotmail.com
iancwilkinson@hotmail.com
4 years ago

So tough, would have to be Alfa Romeo for me, Montreal, duetto and 2600 touring

Fat Clyde
Fat Clyde
4 years ago

Some eye opening replies to a pretty simple question 🙂 !

Anyway.
3 Porsche’s
Carrera GT
959
R2

Blackrabbit
Blackrabbit
4 years ago

Porsche 911 – G15 / Singer
Aston Martin DB5
Ferrari 250 GTO

Mohamed Wajid M
Mohamed Wajid M
4 years ago

Ferrari 288 GTO
Ferrari Enzo
Ferrari LaFerrari

Graham Dalley
Graham Dalley
4 years ago

this is actually a really tricky question if you think about it… no really, just go with me.
Three cars from one manufacturer for two generations of family all paid up, easy right?
Wrong!!!
my first thought was McLaren, an F1, obviously ! a 720S and a Senna. all beautiful cars and what a stable that would be however, if you factor in the practical side of life and given the brief, a petrol heads choice for sure but not the most practical and they are all essentially the same class of car.
So this got my furloughed grey matter thinking.
BMW.
E46 M3 GTR probably the best M3 they built fully committed drivers car, coupled with an X5 MSport version of course, a practical and quick family wagon tonnes of boot space takes 5 adults (just) perfect for family days out or nipping to Tesco for the weekly shopping. but the third car what to choose?, if you apply, practical, sports/ trackday/ supercar / classic, then I could go with an M1 but I’d probably go with a 1930’s Frazer Nash BMW 328…If governed by my head that is German engineering at its finest.
However if the choice was governed by my heart (and my wife had a say) its going to have to be Aston Martin! what I hear you cry AML? are you mad?
Well no not really as if all costs sans petrol was taken care of by our mysterious benefactor, then Astons make a classy choice
Practical: easy, DBX I’m gonna stick my neck out and say its probably the best looking (if you can an SUV thats “pretty”) SUV out there and its an Aston!!
Classic: DB5, c’mon everyone and his dog wants to be Bond, don’t they?
Super car: tricky choice this, I love the DB11 although the fact that its got a Mercedes Benz engine in it goes against the grain its like putting a Daimler-Benz DB605 engine (from a BF109) into a Spitfire!
So my final choice, I actually loved the Virage when it was announced back in 2011 and AML only made a few in an 18 month production run so its rare and desirable too, sitting, as it did between the DB9 ans DBS.
DBS photo from #FOS last year
DB5 photo from AML employee weekend 2015
Virage photo from AML employee weekend 2012

Joaquim Ramos
Joaquim Ramos
5 years ago

Porsche:

-Porsche 918 spyder;
-Singer 911;
-2018 Porsche cayenne turbo;

cburdett
cburdett
5 years ago

Well, these are in my garage(s).

1972 W111 280SE Convertible in Ice Blue with Navy top and interior
1985 W123 300CD in Ice Blue with Navy interior
1991 C126 560SEC in (you guessed it) Ice Blue with Navy interior

So, I guess I’ll go all-in on Merc.

streetmec
streetmec
5 years ago

1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale for everyday dashes – small so easy to park 🙂
1990 Alfa Romeo SZ for when I’m pissed with everybody
1956 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider for when I’m at peace with the world

Robert Wyland
Robert Wyland
5 years ago

Probably gonna get some laughs, but it’s my garage right?
Fiat
1. Fiat Dino (love that Ferrari engine)
2. Fiat 2300S ( stylish cruising)
3. Fiat Tipo Station Wagon s type
(brand new wagon , for rainy days and hauling crap)

Bennett Lamontagne
Bennett Lamontagne
6 years ago

1) 1974 2002 Turbo
2) 2016 M4 GTS
3) 2017 Alpina B5 Biturbo Touring (I’m gonna say it counts cause it’s a tuned BMW)

Sergio Mendez
Sergio Mendez
6 years ago

1) ’00 Tom’s Castrol Toyota Supra
2) ’83 Toyota Pickup
3) Toyota Land Cruiser (J40)

The MKIV generation Supra is my dream (and since we’re really dreaming) why not have it in my favorite spec: the 2000 JGTC racecar (I’m also dreaming that I would be allowed to drive this on the street as well). The pickup may seem odd, but more specifically I want the same 2WD ’83 pickup that was my father’s first brand-new vehicle purchase. Since I would like to keep it mostly stock, I’d modify the Land Cruiser to handle more off-road use. Although not the most exotic list here (far from it), the Supra and Pickup specifically are vehicles that I truly want to own for life. One a childhood dream, and the other a family heirloom.

Jon Fisher
Jon Fisher
6 years ago

1962 Lotus Seven
1966 Lotus Elan 26R
1977 Lotus Esprit S1
1999 Lotus Esprit V8
2004 Lotus Elise 111S
2018 Lotus Evora 430 Sport

JJRodger
JJRodger
6 years ago

Merc, natch.

w201 190 E 2.6
s124 E300 diesel T
r129 SL73 AMG

Raymond Quon
Raymond Quon
6 years ago

Hmm, BMW or Porsche for me…
BMW:
E30 M3 Sport Evo
E46 M3 CSL
1M

Porsche:
’74 911 RSR
993 GT2
991.2 GT3

Paul Ipolito
Paul Ipolito
6 years ago

1957 Corvette, 1970 Corvette LT-1, 2019 Corvette ZR-1

Ronin22
Ronin22
6 years ago

I know I’d go with BMW, I know myself that much, lol.
What I’m not sure, is what 3 cars I’d pick. I think I would go:
1) E30 M3 Evo II
2) E28 M5
3) E36 M3

Second choice would be replacing the E28 M5 with an E39 M5.

Damn, it really is hard to pick only three cars of one brand. If you told me to pick 3 cars to fill my dream garage, I wouldn’t hesitate one second.

Kasper Nielsen
Kasper Nielsen
6 years ago

I would go with the Fords, since I, deep down, probably is a Ford-guy.
1) Ford Escort RS “Cossie” first generation with the big turbo
2) Ford Escort mk.1 RS2000
3) Ford GT mk.3

In a close second place would be the Alfas
1) Alfetta GTV6
2) Spider Veloce
3) 155 Q4 or the 75 Turbo

Harv Falkenstine
Harv Falkenstine
6 years ago

If I have to own them for the rest of my life, 1960 Mercedes 220se Coupe, Street Legal Rote Sau 6.3 and a 300Td Wagon…thinking long term here. The 6.3L would have open exhaust and I would rev it endlessly in the driveway, (only if I lived next to Herr Kafka). We were dreaming right?

pope400
pope400
6 years ago

250LM, 250TR, 275 GTB/C Speciale

Roberto Lorenzo
Roberto Lorenzo
6 years ago

Easy,

Porsche 550 spyder
Porsche 911, 997 sports classic
Porsche 911, 991 turbo s exclusive series

Gavin
Gavin
6 years ago

1977 Lotus Esprit Series 1
1988 Lotus Esprit, Stevens

Soapy Kitten
Soapy Kitten
6 years ago

1964 Honda S600 roadster
1990 Honda NSX (manual and somewhat red)
1990 Honda RC30

Is that cheating?

Brian E Parker
Brian E Parker
6 years ago

Mercedes-Benz:
1998 SL500 with SL2 package.
1971 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet.
1995 E320 W124 Wagon.
Each of them in Signal Red with a Cream Beige interior.

Mayank Gupta
Mayank Gupta
6 years ago

The Old Bugatti. Easily.
1) For Luxury/Practical use – The type 57S ”Atlantic” or the type 51 “Louis Dobois Coupe”
2) For the Track – The type 35, what else?
3) For special occasions – The Royale. Nothing makes a bigger statement. Literally.

Dino Davanzo
Dino Davanzo
6 years ago

Ferrari Lusso 66
Dino 71
458 Italia

Hubert
Hubert
6 years ago

One brand, one model

Lancia Flaminia GT 3C
Lancia Flaminia Convertibile 3C
Lancia Flaminia Coupé 2.5

Emerson Harris
Emerson Harris
6 years ago

Okay probably Porsche
1. Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach
2. Gulf Porsche 917
3. Porsche 550 Spyder
or for Alfa
1. Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale
2. Alfa 4C
3. Alfa Spider Veloce
Or for Jag
1. XK120 SE
2. C Type
3. D type
and finally Ferrari
1. 250 LM
2. P3/4
3. F40

Thomas
Thomas
6 years ago

Have (almost) made my decision between Jaguar and potentially BMW (3.0 si , 635csi and 840ci) by buying

– 1992 XJ Daimler Double Six Series III
– 1971 E-Type V12 Coupé
– ? (3rd one currently is an 1970 Alfa GT Bertone 2.0)

…..and driving them as often as possible.

TheImpracticalMan
TheImpracticalMan
6 years ago

Porsche for me.
1) 904/8 – Free maintenance so why not?
2) 911R – My favorite car of all time.
3) 917 – I read somewhere of a few registered for the road…

t_h_e_o____
t_h_e_o____
6 years ago

Very tough one, my heart balance with 3 badges :

_ Jaguar :

C-Type
XK 120
XJS V12

Land Rover :

Range Rover Classic 3 doors
Serie II
Serie III

Ferrari

365 GTB 4 Shooting brake
288 GTO
250 Testa Rossa

Adrien
Adrien
6 years ago

I’ll choose Porsche:
1970 911T because its (and will maybe be) my first and only Porsche I have, then a
1976 930 (euro-spec) ’cause.. turbo. And a modern one with a
911 carrera cab 🙂

SvenV
SvenV
6 years ago

Hard decision: Audi vs Alfa…

Decided to go for Audi, because of “First Car” nostalgia.
1. Audi RS2 – daily driver / IMO one of the best looking sleepers
2. Audi S2 – nostalgic reasons, I had an Audi Coupé on which the model was based / track toy
3. Audi Quattro Spyder concept or the Audi Sport Quattro Group S concept, can’t choose

DDCA
DDCA
6 years ago

Miura (gold standard classic)
LM002 (soccer)
Huracan (the practical daily driver…)

PDXBryan
PDXBryan
6 years ago

Oh, how could I forget Ford: ’65 Shelby GT350R, Lotus Cortina Wagon, GT-40 Mk1

PDXBryan
PDXBryan
6 years ago

Man Alex, this is tough! Since the maintenance is included I’m assuming this includes a team to run an historic race car….I knew you’d agree.
Porsche: ’73 RS (duh!), ’67 912 ( the thrifty commuter), ’70 917K (Salzburg LeMans winner!)
Alfa: Alfaholics GTA-R (drool!), ’65 Giulia TI Colli Wagon, 33/3 (!)
Or BMW: E28 M5, E30 Estate (w/ supercharged M44), 3.0 CSL Batmobile
Decisions, decisions…….

Dennis White
Dennis White
6 years ago

Heck, I’d just like to have the garage!

Jackiemillz
Jackiemillz
6 years ago

-72 Volvo p1800
-87 Volvo 242 w/ 2.3 turbo
-18 Volvo V90 polestar

Dr. Solomon
Dr. Solomon
6 years ago
Reply to  Jackiemillz

My current garage:

’66 122S Wagon
’69 1800S
’96 960 Wagon

Jack M
Jack M
6 years ago

Couldn’t really decide between Porsche or Audi

1) 964 RS America – My weekend driver/classic
2) 911 GT1 – A car that is ridiculous to street-drive and my track weapon
3) 997 Turbo S – My does-everything-pretty-well car

1) Sport Quattro – Mostly a weekend car mixed with some light tracking/road rallying use.
2) B7 RS4 – N/A high revving V8 sleeper, also the perfect size for a sedan in my opinion
3) First-gen R8 – timeless styling, get sounding engine, as fast as I’ll need to go

ScoutingForZen
ScoutingForZen
6 years ago

My problem is I like a lot of marques, but usually only 1 or 2 models within said marque. And while there are a few marques whose presence I wouldn’t mind, if we’re sticking to “want more than breath itself”, it’d be a toss-up:

Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II
Lancia 037
Lancia Fulvia HF

Nissan R32 GT-R
Nissan R34 GT-R
Datsun 240Z (technically still a Nissan)

Jaguar E-Type Mk 1
Jaguar Mk 2 saloon
Jaguar I-Pace

Matt
Matt
6 years ago

There are too many cool cars and cool marques. Here’s couple different lists I have:

BMW: Canepa’s M1, Alpine White E30 M3, 2002 Z3M Coupe in Steel Grey or Laguna Seca Blue.

Toyota: Supra Turbo Mk IV, ’93+ SW20 MR2, Land Cruiser FZJ80

Nissan: PGC10 GT-R, 240Z, R32 GT-R

Porsche: Singer 911, ’73 911RS, 930 Turbo in any color other than red, white, black or silver

Alfaholic JD
Alfaholic JD
6 years ago

Alfa’s for me.

(1) 1932 8C 2300 Touring (Preferably Campari’s Works Mille Miglia Car from said year) for when ever I need to just have fun in the footsteps of my driving hero, plus its a car you don’t have to baby and is street legal)

(2) Nuvolari’s P3 Chassis number 50005 From the German Grand Prix in 35) For my Vintage Racing / Track car

(3) Giulia Quadrifoglio (For daily driver)

How did I do?

john tolle
john tolle
6 years ago

Jaguar XJ6C (1975-77) Non US bumpers, Jaguar E Type FHC Outside Bonner Lock 1961, Jaguar XJ13. Already have two f them, but I would change model years etc as indicated. So, it shows that I am very satisfied currently. But, I’d add the XJ13 and be complete.

Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
6 years ago

One make , .three cars . Thats a tough choice . I could easily go with Porsche , Ferrari . BMW , Bugatti as well as Citroen ( to satiate my quirky Francophile side * ) but since there’s already a Benz in the garage lets stick with Mercedes for this entertaining little exercise ;

1 ) Mercedes SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe , the ‘street version ‘ ( if you’re gonna dream , dream big I say )

2) Mercedes 463 400 SWB G Class upgraded to AMG specs

3) Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing

FYI and just for grins and giggles cause I am feeling a little quirky and Francophile of late having recently returned from the TdF ;

1) Citroen 2CV

2) Citroen DS ( the classic one not the modern era joke )

3) Citroen SM

Alfaholic JD
Alfaholic JD
6 years ago
Reply to  Franz Kafka

Your list is certainly my favorite so far after mine. Very well rounded.

Sergio Brasesco
Sergio Brasesco
6 years ago

That’s Easy. BMW M
at one point I had: 89 E30 M3, 95 E36 M3, 00E39 M5 & 08 E92 M3 all at the same time.
the herd is now down to 2, the E30 & E39…but an Italian Red-Head has joined the family 🙂

James Williams
James Williams
6 years ago

Mercedes c63 507 Estate
Mercedes Project One
Unimog

Spencer Tillim
Spencer Tillim
6 years ago

Great question!!! I am a Ferrari guy so here goes:

1. my current 308GT4 (ferrari and dino badged, so it counts….). It is the car I will have forever anyway…

2. the practical Ferrari FF / modern Lusso – Really the first “do it all” Ferrari, modern so many of the things work, ac, stereo, modern creature comforts, seats 4, AWD, fast enough for me! (I really wanted to put a 365 GT4 2+2 queen mother here but I had to think more practically 🙁 )

3. the completely impractical race car P4. Still old enough I think i could actually drive it and possibly street it and potentially work on it?!? The sound, the view out of the windshield with those massive curvy fenders on either side! This car has huevos!!!! The only question is coupe or open and I think I would get open.

Did I win?

Franz Kafka
Franz Kafka
6 years ago
Reply to  Spencer Tillim

Did you win . Not hardly ;

1) The FF is a pretentious joke who’s mechanically inept AWD is laughable verging on the absurd . The ultimate ‘ do all ‘ Ferrari would either be A) the 365GTC/4 for a classic take that is every bit if not more practical than the F(ing)F . Or B) the 456GT for a more contemporary spin on things .

(FYI the ‘ first ‘ practical Ferrari’s were the 250 and 330 2+2’s )

2) This is a Dream Car garage and you chose the lowly albeit competent 308GT4 ? Come on son . Get a grip . Replace it in your dreams with at the very least a 308 GTB if not a 288 GTO

3) And then the all time loser P4 as a race car with the likes of a 250LM , 365GTB LM etc etc within dreaming distance ?

Suffice it to say when it comes to the Prancing Horse never mind the definition of ‘ dream ‘ you gots a lots to learn there Spencer T

The Stig
The Stig
6 years ago

I would have a garage full of Panoz cars. A JRD, Magnussen, LMP, GTR1, GTLM, 02 Convertible and an AIV. Throw in a Delta Wing because they are cool.

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