A few threads on here lately got me thinking of what might be a funky/sporty car, sub £4.5k, something outside of the family wagons, to buy for more interesting milk runs, bit of a blast, bit less sensible etc., and the RX8 came to mind as something you could own for a year and enjoy, but sell on without much of a loss?

Or indeed a mid 200’s MX5?

Or should I’d just save this imaginary money for a new trail bike?

Early Nissan Micra

Don’t listen to him. A Skoda Fabia or a Hyundai Getz

I suspect the Focus ST170, maybe the Puma 1.7. Nonrusty MX5s will appreciate for sure though I get the feeling that the NC is now cheap enough to push down the values of NBs.

An RX8’s values entirely tied up in the condition of the engine, a rebuild is £4-5k and required reasonably regularly so you need to essentially have that to hand to keep any value in the car. With MX5’s it’s down to rust. Essentially very few cars will allow you to buy then, enjoy them then sell for minimal loss unless you enter the proper classics market and get your timing right. The only one that springs to mind for your budget really would be a decent Audi TT but they’re not really that special. A Z4 would probably fit the bill but you’d need to up the budget for a decent one.

Volvo C30 T5 in RED with a few cheeky mods.

Smart Roadster!

MK1 TT

Can’t see any MX5 after MK1 being a classic

Nissan Cube (not sporty obvs).

E46 330 manual
Mk3 MX5 Sport
MG TF
RX8
Mk3 MR2
350Z
Boxster S
Z4
Mk5 Golf GTi
Megane 225

You can get an Alfa 166 with the Busso V6 for that money. They’re starting to get rare now.
Other options could be a Renault Avantine or a Citroen C6 (though maybe too many C6s for them to be classics).

I remember passing up the chance at buying a Honda NSX for £13k as it was an auto. Silly me.

Recently did just this and ended up with a mk1 TT Quattro. It’s actually a pretty nice place to sit and the drive – while it’s not going to set anybody’s hair on fire – is pretty good, certainly for a 25 year old design. It’s a bona fide design classic so as long as it’s kept in reasonable nick then you shouldn’t lose any money on one.

RX8 is a good shout. They’re not quite as fragile as reluctantjumper suggests **as long as you get one that’s been looked after properly and you continue to look after it properly**. The nature of the engine means it needs driving spiritedly, you need to keep on top of oil – I used to pre-mix 2-stroke with every tank of fuel in my old RX7 – and there are a couple of plastic bits in the cooling system that are prone to failure and should be replaced with something more robust. They handle very well indeed but somehow don’t feel quite as quick as they actually are – at least neither the Kuro nor the R3 I drove did.

Have you considered a mk2 MR2? A bit long in the tooth now but exceptionally well put together and decent ones are at the absolute lowest price they’ll ever be. Should be able to get a rev3+ for £4-5k.

Mk1 MR2 but suspect they cost more

Suzuki Cappuccino for the win

Civic Type R (ep3) they’re getting more rare and a tidy example won’t lose money. They’re also reliable, fun to drive and relatively cheap to run.

I sold mine for peanuts about a year ago and now keep reading articles on Pistonheads about how they’re becoming a modern classic with rapidly increasing prices, ah well

MG TF or Audi TT.
Good TF’s can be had for reasonable money and spares are available.

Old work colleague picked up a manual NSX for around £18k in 1998ish, keep looking at what they are worth now, £100k for the right one. It was a dry weather only car.

It sounds like you just want some that you can have for a year or two and not loose any money on. As others have said the RX8 are very cheap because of the engine rebuild bill when (not if) it goes wrong. If you wanted a wankle engine the RX7 is the way to go though prices are going up.

If you wanted a 2 seater sports car mx5 is always the answer on a budget. If you want something a bit more special and sporty a early boxxr is your answer. If you want something that is more looks and a nice engine noise look at at Alfa’s or TT V6 (I have a mark 2 3.2VR6, same engine as a golf R32 but spent £5k less for a similar aged and mileage condition. I think the TT is more special in looks and substance with aluminium panels).

If you want something that will go up in value look at hot hatches like saxo VTR or pug 106 or Clio 182.

Bought a good condition 2002 NB MX5 back in 2015 for the GF’s then new job and stupid 70km one way commute.

Sold it back last November for 3700€, 100€ more than we paid.
Spent around 2k in that time for various bits including replacement of the rusty sub frame up front, new rear wings (because of rust) and an alternator.

Great, fun little car. Ideal for jaunts down to the alps.

Lad we sold it to was 18, two years younger than the car itself and an apprentice mechanic. Pleased that it went to someone who has a bit of a passion and will look after it.

Honda S2000

I would say that if you want to make money on a car you really need to garage it if you are planning on keeping it for many years. No car is immune from it and a properly cleaned and stored car will last for such a long time if used on dry days and kept in the dry and warm.

Nissan Micra k11 1.3 or 1.4 what a brilliant little car.
MX5 is the best mainstream fun car by a long chalk.
If it’s an investment i haven’t a clue.

Honda S2000 are from £10k in a very ropy condition, £18-20k for anything very low mileage and looked after

I think you need to think a bit more leftfield if you want to buy cheap and even make money.

Assuming you’re ~35-40 and timing your mid life crisis slightly early, think what (real world) cars did the cool kids in 6th form want when you were 17?

Fiesta ST
Civic EP3
106 GTI / Saxo VTS

If you’re thinking “but I want a cool car” then you’ll be buying something cool, which means everyone wants it, which means its value has already peaked. If you wanted an investment you need to figure out what car currently isn’t desirable and wait for it to become cool.

Depending on where you live it might either be a good time to pick up a bargain as that sort of age car has just fallen foul of all sorts of ULEZ/CAZ type categories around big cities. This means they’ll no longer be of any use to a lot of people who perhaps had them as a 2nd car. It also means the market for “modern classics” going forward is anyone’s guess.

Early Nissan Micra

Surely, not one of these?

Must be one of these?

Nissan Micra k11 1.3 or 1.4 what a brilliant little car.

The original Micras will have dissolved by now I think, unless someone has kept one in a hermetically sealed box.

My first motor was a 1989 bad boy 1.0 litre, four speed Micra. Utterly terrible – two engines and a gearbox. I later found out that they were designed to be disposable – only lasting five years before the Japanese equivalent of the MOT kicked in and it was anticipated that Micra owners would buy another. Rarity may allow for some retained value, but I’d not be queueing up to re-buy one as a ‘classic’ 😉 The next gen was a completely different kettle of fish, and well underrated.

I think some of the stuff from the original Playstation Gran Turismo will be worth a look. A Mazda Demio or Subaru Impreza (not nec the WRX) for example. Are there any FTOs left in the UK?

I don’t think the future classics journey is one you go on worth a car you plan to sell in one year. Unless you get stupidly lucky, cards don’t turn round from unloved to sought after that fast.

If you did want to play the longer game, anything vaguely sporty with a Ford badge. Doesn’t even need to be a good one, see what a Capri 1.3 Laser is worth nowadays.

Pick one that can be converted easily to electric.

I don’t think the future classics journey is one you go on worth a car you plan to sell in one year.

Exactly. A future classic would be looking out 20 years, not 1 year. You are just after a car that will not lose value in a year. Something like a Boxster would probably do that although 1 fault and repair cost and you will have lost money which is the risk with any older car.

As has been said, Mk1 TT, particularly if you can get a very very early 225 that never had the spoiler added as they are going to become very desirable imo.

They’re not quite as fragile as reluctantjumper suggests **as long as you get one that’s been looked after properly and you continue to look after it properly**. The nature of the engine means it needs driving spiritedly, you need to keep on top of oil – I used to pre-mix 2-stroke with every tank of fuel in my old RX7 – and there are a couple of plastic bits in the cooling system that are prone to failure and should be replaced with something more robust.

Anything with a recent engine rebuild is heading above the OP’s budget already and the rest are abused since they fell below £2k and got Barried easily. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground, or certainly wasn’t when I was looking for a fun car 18 months ago. Even the specialists I spoke to said it was either pay £5k+ for a decent one with a rebuilt engine or £1k and do the rebuild yourself.

The original Micras will have dissolved by now I think, unless someone has kept one in a hermetically sealed box.

I see 3 of them in regular use round Cardiff and another that’s kept locked up and only comes out on sunny days too. The MkII’s are everywhere, especially at night as they run around delivering pizzas and other junk food. Strangely the MkI Yaris is becoming a rare beast now, they used to be just as ubiquitous.

I think some of the stuff from the original Playstation Gran Turismo will be worth a look. A Mazda Demio or Subaru Impreza (not nec the WRX) for example. Are there any FTOs left in the UK?

Prices have already gone up on that stuff, missed that boat by 2-3 years. Same for the likes of the hot Saxo’s etc. Don’t forget the examples that will climb high are the unmolested ones and they’re very hard to find, plus people who have them know what they have and will only sell for a decent price to reflect that. The trick is to buy a future classic before they hit the bottom and get trashed/abused/modded. If you wait until they hit the bottom it’s usually too late.

Renault Twingo 133. Last of the naturally aspirated 1.6L engines. Or an unmolested Clio. The red Trophy’s are already silly money.

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1413629

Missed the boat a bit on front engined pork but a 924 won’t lose money and the 2litre Audi derived lump is way cheaper to look after than the Porsche 2.5-3 litre 4 pots.

Not in any way fast, but definitely regaining it’s 70’s coolness.

R53 Cooper S (i.e the supercharged one).
Great little cars – make a great noise and they’re (reasonably) robust…

Not a recommendation for the OP but I wonder if my Merc will have collector value at some point. Seems to be a lot of love for the estate version in some circles but the original version of the CLS seems to be more classic-worthy. Plus nine’s only the 4cyl.

Audi A2

Mk1. 4×4 panda

Except that ship has sailed I reckon.

I’ve got two Z4s one a 2.0 56 plate the other a 3.0 6cyl 04 plate I currently use
The 4 cyl is better in all ways other than the main thing the 231bhp engine and it’s growl
A Z4M is a classic to buy but 5x dearer to buy and expensive engine to look after
I’ve got winter tyres on and keep the Michelins for summer
Pity it didn’t come with the LSD like some Mx5s I believe have standard

As someone who has just purchased an R53 mini, I’d highly recommend it. No idea whether it will be a collectors favourite in years to come.

I’d echo what others have said though, any car you’re going to use as a daily drive and only keep for a year is unlikely to go up in value by any significant amount.

I paid £4k for my R53 Cooper S. Realistically it’s not worth that, probably £3k max, but that’s the way the market is currently.

As said this in other threads, but the mini is a cracking drive. Really enjoy it. I’ve had (and got) much faster and newer cars. But the mini is just so much fun. I pick up the mini keys very time I need to go out in a car.

Even if you get the same in a year as you paid for the car it will still cost you money.

Tax, fuel, insurance, repairs, and MOT – it’ll quickly add up. Probably £1500 to £2000 on that lot alone. Anything ‘modern classic’ will be 10 to 15 years old at that price and will cost you money! 🙂

If you need the money but don’t need the car (if it’s a toy, not daily transport), then keep the money in the bank and add what you’d spend keeping the car on the road each month. Your £4.5k could be £6k in a years time.

Tax, fuel, insurance, repairs, and MOT – it’ll quickly add up. Probably £1500 to £2000 on that lot alone. Anything ‘modern classic’ will be 10 to 15 years old at that price and will cost you money! 🙂

True.

Although we once managed to get 14 months motoring, including insurance, tax, MOT and a new tyre for £50..<span style=”font-size: 0.8rem;”>.</span>

I bought Mazda 323f 1.5 as a run around second car for mrs_oab. It was 13 years old, cost £500 to buy.

We sold it for £1200ish after 6k and 14 months. 😎

So I’m voting this model of 323f.

Audi A2

This. Well built and won’t rust due to aluminium construction.

A2 was overengineered (i.e expensive!) and was far too advanced for its time so never took off.

Same with Honda and the original HRV. First crossover of its kind, but about 10 years too early before the market went mad for them.

A lot of very good advice up there ^^, but particularly:

If you want it to appreciate, keep it in a garage
If you want an investment, get an old Ford (if you can find one)
If you want an investment, you’re going to need to keep it for more than a year.

I’ve always had cars that were too old to be mainstream but too new to be bona fide classics (the count is around 40 in the last 35 years). Some have been fleeting, some I’ve kept for ages.

I’d just say get something fun and if it doesn’t lose too much (or even goes up), then that’s a happy bonus.

And yes, the MX5 is always the answer (on my 6th and 7th at the moment), but it’s not the right answer. A MK1 MR2 is a better driver’s car in every way. If you can find one in budget, get it!

Porsche 924s are cheap, easy and cheap to repair, great to drive, will swallow a bike and have just started to rise from the bottom of their price curve. They’re fun but slow. I miss mine but my sports car days are behind me.

If 35-40 is mid life crisis then I had it some time ago and explains the bike purchases.

So, I’m not after free motoring but I don’t want hideous repair bills in exchange for something fun. The RX8’s look good and cheap but sub £5k will be lucky to find one with a rebuilt engine. Oh and £600 tax.

I had a MK2 MR2 import back in the day. Loved it but I didn’t look after it well enough. Wouldn’t rule one out.

MGF? I had a Rover Coupe Tomcat with the vtec style engine (vvti) and it was a riot up to the redline. Interesting.

I had an R53 S in 2004. Loved it.

TT mk1 would be really cool actually. Did someone say 3.2 V6?

The MX5’s are great in any of the mK’s. I feel MK2 & 3’s are less likely to be modded and abused.

Civic Type R? These can’t be unmolested and ragged to hell in this bracket, shirley?