Your shiny lease car might be your daily driver, but you might also have a classic sitting in the garage for sunny weekend drives.
And if you’ve got one of these motors, you could be quids-in.
That’s according to the people at classic car specialists Hagerty, who’ve analysed their own data to predict which vehicles are ‘rising stars’ of the enthusiast world.
As we predicted on these pages a few weeks back, the now-discontinued Ford Fiesta makes the list, with the Mk1 model proving most desirable.
Meanwhile the Saab 99 Turbo, Triumph Spitfire and Mk1 Audi TT could also see you sitting pretty in terms of their value.
Here’s the full top 10 according to Hagerty:
Audi TT Quattro Sport (Mk1), 2005–2006
“You could argue that the Audi TT Quattro Sport is more show than go, but the changes Audi made to the TT for the special Quattro Sport do make it a better driver’s car than the regular TT, and they undoubtedly make it significantly more desirable to both enthusiasts and collectors alike.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, Fair to Concours: £5100–£14,800
Austin Seven, 1923–1939
“Herbert Austin dreamed up the concept of a small, cheap car to address the issue of vehicle excise duty, which was levied by the RAC at a rate of £1 per horsepower. He worked with 18-year-old Stanley Edge, drawing up a seven-horsepower (hence the name) car that would seat four and provide escapism. It cost £165 – a little more than £7200 today – at a time when the average worker was taking home £5 a week.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, Fair to Concours: £8700–£21,100
Bentley Turbo R, 1985–1997
“It was the Turbo R that finally gave Bentley a significant point of differentiation from its long-term partner, Rolls-Royce. Bentley could do refinement, and exceptional quality, but by turbocharging its six-and-three-quarter litre V8, Bentley instantly had the performance edge on any Rolls. Launched in 1985, the Turbo R produced an estimated 328bhp, and somewhere in the region of 400lb ft of torque, somewhat offset by the car’s kerbweight of 2.2 tonnes.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, Fair to Concours: £7700–£23,400
Citroën BX, 1982–1994
“Our Bull Market car is the non-turbo 1.9, driving through a five-speed manual gearbox. Quickly the BX shows its strengths: it’s absurdly low-effort to drive, much like a modern car in fact, but packed with character, and in diesel form, running costs should be low too – 60mpg is apparently well within reach. The BX is a car that ticks numerous boxes in 2023: bargain prices, modern-car utility, iconic 1980s design – and a genuinely charming and relaxing drive.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, all variants, Fair to Concours: £800–£8100
Ford Fiesta (Mk1), 1977–1983
“Hagerty can’t even claim the original was the best, but along with perhaps the second generation, it’s a genuine classic car, as the earliest cars are now 46 years old. You can’t pick them up for a couple of hundred quid any more like you used to, but that enduring popularity – and the announcement there will be no more Fiestas where this one came from – mean buying a good one today has never looked like a better idea.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, all variants, Fair to Concours: £1400–£19,100
Lamborghini Diablo, 1990–2001
“There is a simplicity to the pure brutality of an early Diablo that is a wonder to behold and will draw a crowd wherever it goes. It is both dramatic and useable and represents tremendous value for money in its part of the market. We’re left with the impression of a supercar that has been criminally overlooked – yet once you drive a Diablo you won’t be able to ignore it.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, base, SV, and VT variants, Fair to Concours: £106,000–£229,000
Lotus Elise (S2), 2000–2010
“The series one Lotus Elise will always be the icon but today, the clever money is on the S2, which is frequently less expensive to buy but in many ways a better car. Few cars feel so right from the moment you get inside. The 1.8-litre Toyota four-cylinder makes 189bhp, and as a variable valve timing unit, most of those horses are found up-top. It's also, importantly, reliable – but the engine isn’t really the star here. That’s still the chassis, and the steering in particular.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, all variants, Fair to Concours: £11,900 to £30,400
Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R129), 1989–2001
“This is a car built to the pinnacle of Mercedes engineering know-how as the ‘80s rolled into the ‘90s, a flagship for the three-pointed star brand, that can be found loitering with intent in classifieds for less than £10,000. And because, like SLs before and after, it remained on sale for an extended period (1989 to 2001) there is a plentiful supply and buyers can afford to be picky. There were inline 6, V6, V8 and V12 engines offered, but many believe the V8-powered SL500 to be the sweet spot in the range, as it delivers more oomph than the ’6 without the fuel bills of the ’12.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, Fair to Concours: £7800–£32,100
Saab 99 Turbo, 1978–1980
“The Swedish brand had built up a small but significant legion of loyal followers, and when the 99 Turbo joined the family, in 1978, that group grew as word began to spread about the wonders of turbocharging. BMW and Porsche had experimented with forced induction before Saab, but it was Saab that brought it to the mass market, and turbocharging would go on to become baked into the company’s DNA.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, Fair to Concours: £4100–£21,700
Triumph Spitfire, 1962–1980
“Launched in 1962, the Spitfire is in plentiful supply, relatively affordable to buy, and with good parts availability, there has always been a loyal scene around the two-seat roadster. It’s a car you can enjoy driving, gain that glowing sense of satisfaction that comes from accomplishing DIY tasks, and all the while your money is tied up in a stable investment – over the long term, values have been static, but there are signs good Spitfires are taking off.”
Hagerty Price Guide range, all variants, Fair to Concours: £2800–£28,100
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