I am laughing at all this chat about appropriate use of the word "mint". As someone said, one person's mint is another person's shed. You never know until you see the car and that's all you can do really, just go and look at them. You might have to look at several, but that's what happens when you are trying to buy a car that's the best part of 30 years old. If you want a specific model of car that's three years old, it's easy to find a tidy one. When it's 30 years old, you will have to look at a lot of crap before you find a good one.

An interesting topic I think though. I found myself thinking this as I was wondering around Ford Fair on Sunday. There were some gorgeous cars there; beautifully restored with shining undersides but, would I actually want to own something like that? I find myself thinking no. I'd rather have something that I can use and enjoy. I'd be quite happy with something that's had a few owners and got a few miles under it's belt. I wouldn't want a show queen that I felt guilty for driving. I'd rather have a nice useable example that I could drive and have fun with, rather than an ornament to polish.

They were built for driving and enjoying, not polishing and keeping in a carcoon. Give me a Q plate EsCos with a shady history over a low mileage minter any day. Different strokes for different folks though.