Classic car prices have rocketed over the last 10 years, and most recently it’s been ‘80s, ‘90s and ‘00s cars driving the surge.
But insurance broker Hagerty reckons there are still plenty of four-wheeled places to put your cash that could earn you money and plaster a smile over your face at the same time. Following the lead of its US parent company, Hagerty UK has come up with its Bull Market List of classics you can buy without worrying about them losing money.
Obviously Hagerty's market predictions don’t factor in your Ferrari 328 throwing a conrod through the side of the block on an enthusiastic Sunday morning blast and needing a £10k engine rebuild.
But buy one of these 10 cars in good condition, with good history, and treat it well, and your money should be pretty safe.
1. Renault 5 GT Turbo £12,000
The Peugeot 205’s nemesis is flimsier than a room divider in a 1970s kung fu film, but they’re rare, rapid and in demand. Finding a good one might take a while.
2. Mini Cooper £20,000-40,000
The Cooper turns 60 next year and the inevitable fuss is bound to push values up. Hagerty reckons the very early non-S 997cc Cooper looks good value, but that could be because its arthritic 18sec 0-60mph time makes a garden snail look speedy.
3. Porsche 944 S2 £7000-15,000
Turbo versions of the 944 are now changing hands for big bucks but the 16-valve naturally aspirated S2 is almost as quick, much more flexible and still looks great value.
4. Jaguar Mark II £25,000-40,000
Loved by getaway drivers in the 1960s and Inspector Morse fans 20 years later, this burly Jag is already 30 per cent more expensive than it was at the start of the year.
5. Aston Martin DB7 £22,000-35,000
Interestingly, Hagerty is tipping the DB7 for success despite values falling over the last 12 months, reasoning prices will bounce back, so buy now while they’re cheap.
6. Mercedes SLS AMG £110,000-140,000
As with most new cars, prices of AMG’s 2010s flagship drifted downwards as the novelty faded. But values for both the gullwing coupe and roadster have picked up in the second half of this year.
7. Ferrari 328 £65,000-85,000
The 328 is a little lost between the Magnum-cool 308 and landmark 1990s F355, but that didn’t stop values shooting up in the first half of the last decade. Hagerty says they then fell by an alarming 11 per cent each year, but could now be at the bottom of the curve.
8. Toyota MR2 (mk3) £2000-5000
In their rush to heap praise on the Mazda MX-5 most car fans forget that Toyota’s mid-engined third-generation MR2 was even more exciting to drive. Okay, so boot space is limited to a couple of cubbies behind the seats, but these Japanese gems can’t stay this cheap for much longer.
9. Land Rover Discovery £7000-10,000
Values of classic Range Rovers have shot up in recent years and Hagerty’s market experts think it could be the original Disco’s time to party.
10. Ford Focus Mk1 £1500-3000
Want a modern classic that still looks sharp, handles like a hot hatch and costs peanuts to buy and maintain? You’re looking at it. The Focus changed family cars forever, and if you’ve forgotten how fun they are, now’s the perfect time to get reacquainted.
Keyword: 10 smart-buy classics for 2021