Missed the boat: 5 cars we should have bought last decade

The difference between an old crock and a classic car can often be as little as a few years. Here are five iconic motors we wished we’d bagged while prices were at rock bottom.

As the saying goes: hindsight is 20/20. But say you had a crystal ball, which classic cars (that were once available for a pittance) would have been the smartest to buy and hang on to? 

From 1990s rally legends to soft-top convertibles, we look at the cars whose values have exploded the most over the last ten years. Plus, if you hang around until the end, we even suggest a future classic that’s worth snapping up while you still can…

Jaguar XJS

Anyone who can cast their mind back to the earliest days of Clarkson, Hammond, and May’s Top Gear, will remember a time when the venerable XJS was so unloved, that the boys managed to pick one up for £1,500, and had no qualms about taking it banger racing and destroying the engine in a muddy field.  

While this made for great TV, an excellent condition V12 XJS can now fetch as much £25,000. Ouch. Due to its divisive design, we doubt this GT Jag will ever reach the same dizzying heights as its E-Type predecessor, but prices do continue to climb – so if you’re a fan it might be worth keeping your eyes peeled.

Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000

The Impreza’s episodic narrative spans some 30 years and countless World Rally Championship race titles. And, over that period, the Japanese marque produced a bewildering array of different models, not all of which have yet attained classic status.  

One variant which does appear to be rapidly gaining recognition, though, is the Impreza Turbo 2000. With that famous off-beat rumble from its 211-bhp turbocharged flat-four, the 2000 won the hearts and minds of 90s rally fans far and wide, but for many years prices didn’t reflect this. Just a few years ago a clean Turbo 2000 could be yours for as little as £5,000.  Nowadays, you can expect to pay over £10,000 for a similar car.

BMW 635 CSI

BMW’s E24 generation 6 Series was the first of its kind, and through the lens of nostalgia it’s difficult to see why this ‘shark-nosed’ design wasn’t considered a classic from day one.  

Speaking more objectively, the 635 followed the same depreciation curve as most executive cars — dropping like a stone for most of its life before finally starting to climb as nice examples became rarer than hen’s teeth.  

At its lowest ebb, this handsome beast with a gloriously smooth 6-pot could be had for £3,000 or less. In 2024, you’ll need ten times more to buy the finest examples of the breed.

Lancia Delta Integrale

Another cult rally car of its day, Lancia’s Delta Integrale epitomised the wonderfully boxy design language of the late ‘80s.  As something of a homologation special, the Integrale was also brutally fast from point to point, thanks to four-wheel drive and, latterly, over 200 bhp from its boosty four-cylinder engine.  

Being a Lancia, many British cars have turned to flakey piles of brown sediment at this point, so well-sorted specimens command a pretty penny. Once upon a time an early Integrale was a £2,500 machine, but now — you’ll want to sit down for this — showstoppers can fetch over £100,000! 

Honda S2000

Finally, we believe Honda’s S2000 drop-top sports car is something of a classic in the making. So, what is it about the S2K that makes us think it has the potential to go stratospheric? For starters what other modern car (aside from true exotica) can boast a redline of 9000rpm? As one of Honda’s famed VTEC units, the F20C engine is like no other, and it’s highly unlikely a mass-produced car will ever feature a similar powertrain again.  

Aside from its motorbike-esque power delivery, the S2000 was also a true driver’s car. With a beautifully balanced chassis and control weights and ergonomics that had been considered to the nth degree, there’s nothing on the road today that’s quite like it. 

Of course, petrolheads have begun to cotton on to these facts, so used values are steadily increasing. That being said, if you’re willing to accept an example that’s a little rough around the edges (perhaps with a few more miles on the odometer), an S2000 can still be yours for less than £10,000. If you’ve space in the garage, this would be one to grab while you still can.  

Were you lucky enough to snap up any of the classics on this list before values went through the roof? Let us know which models you think will follow a similar trend.  

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