I'm giving you a time machine. You will use it to go to any year from 1914 to 2014 and buy a brand-new vehicle. The cost of the vehicle to you will be nothing.
EXCEPT: Whichever vehicle you pick will be your one and only vehicle for the rest of your natural life. You will be entirely responsible for repair and maintenance - whether DIY or done at a shop.
I will reveal my choice after others have chimed in.
GO!
32 Ford roadster, eventually hot rodded to hell. Yes I'd drive it in the winter.
Ctsv wagon. I can live with supercharged noises forever.
This is one of those questions I'd answer differently every time you ask it, but this morning it'd be either a 1955 Chrysler C300 or a Jeep Scrambler.
Jensen Interceptor. It would wind up with fuel injection, a manual swap etc but I think I could live with the car itself.
I guess it's got to be that million mile Volvo. If that guy made it work why not me?
A 2014 Porsche Cayman S factory cup car.
It turns out I really don't love cars. I love to drive them just beyond the limits of traction while trying to out maneuver other people doing the same. I could easily replace the Porsche with a lotus or a vette but I would not want some pretty thing from a bygone era that drives like a bus and needs constant attention. Cars have never been as good as they are right now so I'm using the time machine plot device to get a new one for free.
Oh, GPS... think this might change your tune a bit? 
Don't like the wheels or the sidepipes but otherwise oh my yes.
1973 Pontiac Trans Am 455 4 speed in Brewster Green.
'76 or '77 Alfa GTV like I had in the Army while in Italy. Now they are unobtainium.
'67 Corvette coupe. Marina blue with a 427 four speed.
The "you have to do ALL the the work on it yourself" part is tricky. I agree with GPS, cars have never been better than right now. But they have never been harder to work on either.
I'd have to go with '60s corvette. Convertible with side pipes and lots of hoon potential.
E7 Corolla Sedan.
Okay, here comes my answer. I think I may be too practical for GRM!
I've picked a car that gets 25mpg. It can seat 7 or haul 76 cu. ft. of cargo. It can tow 3300 lbs. It also does a sub-9 second 0-60 and handles pretty well right out of the box. It's known for longevity and durability, and the flaws it had when new have all been vetted by now, and mostly resolved.
I choose the 1985 Volvo 245 Turbo intercooled.
I just want one of my old cars back. The maintenance would eventually kill me but it would be a welcome death.
Easy to service, easy to source parts, fun, great to look at, and I have a hard time believing I'd get sick of it.
1973 911 RS
Considering it would need to last me ~50 or so years from today, I'm going to pick something new. And considering gas mileage is going to be a HUUUUUGGGEEE part of what it'll cost to own: 2014 Prius.
Tesla would be a close second.
You'll need to log in to post.
