British Roadsters

When it comes to choosing a classic car, those that allow open air motoring are certainly on top of the list for a majority of buyers. Naturally, working in a store or sitting in an office all week long is confinement enough; if one wants to go on a pleasure drive when the weather is nice, he or she might as well enjoy it to the fullest.
British Roadsters are the purest of open motorcars. Dating back to the early days of the 20^th Century, even the latest examples of the breed, such as a 1980 MGB, have preserved many of their original genes and resisted modern day mutation more than their American, German, or Italian contemporaries.
Certainly, driving a 1930s Blower Bentley must rank extremely high on anybody's list, but for practical purposes, we'll limit our buyers' guide to cars that most of us working people can afford.

Starting with the extreme side of the spectrum, if you wanted to experience open air motoring in its purest form, nothing comes even close to a Lotus 7. Built between 1957 and 1972, the 1000-lbs featherweight has often been described as a motorcycle on 4 wheels. Ignoring the outright ugly, 21^st Century-creation Atom, there is nothing more adrenaline pumping on 4 wheels than a Seven, scraping 2 inches above the tarmac. Only caveats: it's a pure fair weather toy with a rather confined cockpit and thus not well suited for big & tall drivers and those with shoe size 11 and up.

The next purest Roadster is a Morgan. It's a Roadster for real men, those who wear their chest hair in ponytails. Founded in 1909, every Morgan to this day is hand built by artisan craftsmen in Malvern Link. You want the 4-cylinder 4/4 or Plus 4, featuring an ash frame and hand-hammered body panels. Suspension is rock hard and errecting a Morgan's top is like building a tent, an old one, so forgettabout doing it on the road when the first rain drops start hitting your head.
Because of its ancient construction, inspecting the wood frame is of paramount importance. If termites and rot have taken their toll, restoration cost can make a grown man cry. Otherwise, a Morgan is a Roadster for life. It never goes out of style.

If you have a decent amount of cash to spare, take a close look at an Austin-Healey BN1 or BN2. Why do we like those early Healeys? Becaue they're the only ones with a fold-down windshield! If you enjoy open air motoring so much that you can't help but smile, the only way to get bugs into your mouth is with a BN1 or BN2.
We'll take a BN1 or BN2 any day over their successors, the 3-Litre versions, even the 2+2 seater BJs.

Another Healey we really like is the Bugeye (Frogeye in Her Majesty's Kingdom) Sprite. With a pop-up front clip and nothing that's not absolutely necessary, not even a trunk lid, the Bugeye is a minimalist Roadster as good as it gets.
If money is tight, perhaps a bit too tight for a nice example, consider a later Sprite. Yes, they are not as sexy as their predecessors, but every bit as fun to drive, at a considerable discount.

A work in progress, to be continued . . .