Own A Vintage London Taxi

Here's your chance to pick up a well used London black cab. You won't be able to carry passengers for hire (in London, at least) but you will certainly own a distinctive vehicle.

Elite London Taxis sells between 50 and 100 of these cars every year, with prices starting at less than £2,000 ($4K) for a 1991 LTI Fairway Taxi in slightly shabby condition. Most of these vehicles feature a 2.7 L engine mated with a 3-speed automatic transmission.

Surprisingly, these frumpy old matrons can manage a top speed of 70 to 75 mph. Their mileage is guaranteed to be astronomical (100 to 150 miles per day of their lives), but chances are that they were reasonably well looked after by their owner/driver. After all, these vehicles were quite literally their bread and butter.

Elite London Taxis ships worldwide, although it seems from their testimonials section that the majority of their machines make their way to continental Europe, where they begin a second life as a wedding car or promotional vehicle.

A real black cab from Elite London Taxis [via retrotogo]