Heresy

[Lightweight_911]

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- & they're all LHD Graham (apart from a few Ruddspeed RHD conversions) ...

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[jb]

You could throw caution the wind and get something like this V12 Ferrari
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C966062

[911hillclimber]

True Andy, and a -ve for me, but she is 'blinded' by the glamour!

Looking at the OP's question, it is hard to answer, and that is the conclusion I have come to.
Keep the old 911 and look to buy something interesting at a reasonable budget where you might get your money back when tired of it.

For me, it is something like this, spotted today locally:

[Ashley James]

Those 6 cylinder Rovers were wonderful cars and beautifully made, the four lite or sports versions look best, but they’re not a great drive and a bit prone to overheating.

[911hillclimber]

Never driven ANYTHING like these pre/post WW2 cars in my life except having a large Austin Somerset with column change in the mid 70's which was strangely nice.

The Coupe versions of these Rovers are about £20K for pre WW2, but type above are about £10k ish. I guess spares are ok.

[MikeB]

How about a Datsun 260z 2+2 ?

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1127646

[richkaz]

Matt.
So Matt, looks like you would have plenty to choose from if you sold your 912.
You certainly shouldn't need to compromise with a decent older classic.
Commenting on the possible old car issues that you raised.
I currently keep a 1959 Lancia Flaminia and I don't need to worry about
''Non existant brakes''. Bentley discovered 4 wheel disc brakes in the mid 1960's and many American cars woke up to them 1970's.
My old Flaminia came with 4 wheel disc brakes as standard equipment in 1959. They operate dual circuit for extra safety and are
as pleasant to use as a modern cars brakes.
'' Shitty build quality “. The Flaminia was hand built in the Pinifarina factory 60 years ago and is still solid as a rock and always passes it's mot with ease.
“ 4 seats or 2+2 “. The Lancia seats 4 adults very comfortably and with it's transaxle layout achieves nearly a 50 /50 weight balance.
“The Lancia Flaminia is one of the best handling cars in the world” - Lancia owner, Enzo Ferrari.
The Flaminia easily cruises at 150KPH on it's original V6 engine and pulls like a train when she's in the mood.Ride quality is wonderful on high profile tyres.

There are plenty of 60 year old cars ( mostly European ) that might surprise you out there. There are also plenty of
60 year old cars that didn't even drive well 60 years ago.
If it's a younger car that you're after for your growing family, why not try a Saab 99 Turbo before prices rise?
Don't forget the Lancia Delta Intergrale. The Delta 1.6 Turbo also handles beautifully, goes pretty well and seats 4 .
Also the Supercharged Volumex coupe or HPE is a hoot to drive but current asking prices are getting hot.
I would have thought that many Alfa's, Lancia's or Fiat's might fit your bill.
Enjoy the search !

[McQueen911]

Staying with the brand, how about a 944 Turbo S ? Silver roses are hard to find now as good ones are nailed on investment wise. Personally, I couldn't live with the colour or an interior that looks like the cat was sick on it. But after them, Porsche made another 1670 in more palatable colours and later SE's are to the same spec. As are the 100 rhd Turbo cabs and they're all within a £40K budget with change for a throw away MX5 and a trip down memory lane. 944's are at the bottom of their curve but are finally starting to get the respect they deserve. Bulletproof engineering, huge performance from just four cylinders and now that old 911's are stratospheric price wise, where the next generation of classic Porsche enthusiasts are having to turn.

456's are really tempting, but the running costs are just so fierce. If I had to choose an Italian though, with room for the kids and something a bit different, what about a Lancia Gamma coupe?

[DFW_IE]

Alfa Romeo GT junior. That’s what I would get if I sold the 912.

[Ashley James]

Lotus Cortina would be a step up, they’re one of the nicest handling/driving cars ever made.

[alfacat]

Hi Matt
If you loved the MX-5 then a lotus Elan may be just the thing, but for me (and whats it worth) the Alfa Giulietta or its Pre 67 (younger sister) Guilia Sprint GT or GTV takes some beating...
What ever you go for your about to have a lot of fun test drives!

All the best
Ian F.

[912Flyer]

Alfa Romeo Guilia 105 GT Junior with a 2.0 Twinspark Engine.

I'm building one at present but I would never sell my 912

[cubist]

Lotus Cortina would be a step up, they’re one of the nicest handling/driving cars ever made.

Seconded.

[wildtexas]

Lancia Fulvia. And don’t be put off by a 1.3.

Looking around online, they do seem good value in the present market place.

Worth looking at for sure.

[wildtexas]

We need to establish a few more details before being able to offer suggestions:

Is a LHD model a possibility - or does it have to be RHD ?

What is the budget (£40k ?) ?

What is/would be your usage pattern - European trips, etc ?

etc

Usage will mostly be local runs and over to the mainland. I don't have time for extended European tours as much fun as they seem. LHD is a possibility, I've been there before.

Budget is an interesting point, I see that you have 40k which is what I have mine on agreed value for. But these things are a bit " finger in the air" . There seems to be such a big span on prices for 912s these days. I tend to look at it from the "what would I need to spend if I lost this one" perspective. And yes I do realise this is probably a one way trip. Even more reason to get the decision right.