Yes, but avoid the Dolomite=shaped 1500 if this is to be a daily car, their engines can fail spectacularly at low mileages and if driven hard, though to be fair, many have been properly built by specialists since BL's original attempt led to meltdown and with balancing and careful build these long-stroke, 3 bearing OHVs can give around 50,000 miles between sets of bearing shells, thrust washers and other known weaknesses appearing. They're also thirstier than a "real" Dolomite which came with the 1854cc, 45 degree OHC engine as also found in the Saab 99. That's the one to go for both for economy and performance though the Sprint, which came along a little over a year later, is immensely enjoyable to drive and their (clever single camshaft) 16 valve 45 degree fours are also durable with correct maintenance, but Sprints would cost
a shade more to insure.
If you're never in a hurry to get anywhere, then Dolomite 1300 OHVs are slightly stronger than the 1500s and pretty much as economical as the 1850s, how about the Toledo? 1300cc, RWD, cheap enough to buy and the same as a Dolomite apart from their short boot.
If FWD is more your thing, then Dolomite-shaped 1500s were FWD, changing to RWD for the 1500TC or, prettiest car of the range IMHO, the 1300 (FWD, pictured).
I've covered a total of more than 250,000 miles between my two Dolomite automatics, 191,000 miles in the old Ice blue, 1972 example, more than 40,000 (in less than three years) in my Sienna (also 1972) example. Neither ever failed to get me anywhere, though the brown one did need a head gasket at around 48k and had to be driven around on my spare engine as the original needed to come out and be put under a pillar drill to get the head studs out. Saab specialists have a special tool that usually gets reluctant heads off though, so my method was probably a little radical.
1300 FWD:
And one of my kittens, radiator blank was on there because, contrary to what people who don't understand how to look after their all-aluminium engines will tell you, getting these to run hot enough can be a struggle, even with the 92 degree thermostat I always favoured:
Though I still reckon that something a little more conventional makes for an easier to live with first car, there are a great many young kitten register members who clench their teeth and fork out the ridiculous amount of insurance premium required to keep one on the road. 50-60mpg on ordinary unleaded sort of redresses the balance though. Sorry, was that mostly pro-kittenist again?
You are clearly more aware of insurance costs than I am but I think one of the best, from that point of view, is the Morris Minor.
