For any car buff born into Generation X, or perhaps even some Millennials, the collection is this video is motoring nirvana. Chris Harris of "Top Gear" visited the RM Sotheby's "Youngtimers" collection where he absolutely geeked out on camera as he dove into the rows of incredible cars from the 1970s, '80s, and '90s.
Harris, who has been a favorite of "Top Gear" fans since the original presenters parted from the show, makes his feelings very clear while investigating the collection: he wants them all. So do we. He starts off in a section of BMWs, which is full of original Alpinas and any M car fans can imagine, and each remains in minty-fresh condition. Harris goes utterly mad for the cars as the crew films his reactions to obscure cars that have begun to appeal to larger masses of car collectors. At one point, he has to take a break to have a "man moment."
Next, he goes down a row of Aston Martins, including a few Lagonda models and points out the 265/65R15 tires on one of them. Oh, for the days of cushioning ride quality.
Harris spends quite a bit of time with Mercedes-Benz AMG cars and is particularly smitten with a wagon that has received the AMG treatment. Harris makes a pit stop to see a few Datsun Z cars, then a Porsche 928 grabs his attention with its magenta-purple interior, and Harris turns giddy when he notices it has a manual transmission and he spots zero wear to its weatherstripping.
When he examines the Bentley area, Harrris observes that they were massive cars when he was a kid, but now, given the proliferation of trucks and SUVs, they seem just the right size.
Harris completes the 12-minute journey through the recent past with visits to the Lotus, Bentley, Mitsubishi, and Renault sections. For those who have a soft spot for cars from this era, it's a downright incredible collection to see. Who wouldn't love a Renault 5 Turbo 2 in the same room with a Mitsubishi Starion and a Lotus Espirit Turbo. We can totally empathize with Harris' reactions because there will never be an era for cars quite like this one. The good news is all of these cars will be auctioned off.
At the end, Harris picks his favorite and drives it out of the warehouse. You'll have to watch the video above to find out which he picked.