Fun £5-10k car likely to increase in value

[matt21]

What £5-10k fun cars with sensible running costs are likely to appreciate in the next 5 years. Surely a low mileage R53 MINI Cooper S can’t be beaten?!

[Tyre Smoke]

Nothing will appreciate at that price.

[FWIW]

VX220

[ChocolateFrog]

Pretty much any sub 10k TVR won't lose much money if maintained.

[fflump]

They are pretty common and nothing at that age appreciates unless it is rare or substantially different from anything that went after it. Which they are not.

[Baked_bean]

This doesn’t help but I definitely think that cars under £10k can appreciate small amounts.

Look at cars like E30 BMW’s and Honda S2000 etc. They were all under £10k and now comfortably above.

[CG2020UK]

I’m not a gambling man but I think a mint condition Fiesta ST will holds it money well if you can hold on to it long enough and not drive it.

[fflump]

Baked_bean said:

This doesn’t help but I definitely think that cars under £10k can appreciate small amounts.

Look at cars like E30 BMW’s and Honda S2000 etc. They were all under £10k and now comfortably above.

Many can and do, just not R53 MINIs.
I bought a Maserati Coupe for £9k 2 years ago with FSH and 75k on the clock. I doubt you'd find that now.

But important to realise we are in an exceptional period when 2nd hand car prices are insanely high due to supply issues.

[LeoSayer]

I'll say GT86... They occasionally pop up below £10k.

[cotswoldclio]

Good clio 182 or trophy when I bought my first clio 182 it was 3500 for 5000 I could have bought a trophy sold my 182 after 3 years of ownership for 3500 and paid 8500 for a trophy now wouldn't sell the trophy for less than 10.

[samoht]

Mk1 MR2 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224471401163

VW Golf GTi Mk2 https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1335915

BMW E36 M3 https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/11637105

Nissan 350Z https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/10951209

[Truckosaurus]

LeoSayer said:

I'll say GT86... They occasionally pop up below £10k.

That would be my vote. As people realise they can't much else sporty with a naturally aspirated engine and manual gearbox there will be a good demand for the '86, it probably won't go up in value but it won't lose much.

There aren't too many around as well which will help.

Another option, RX8. Huge attrition rate so any that survive will be sought after. Fuel costs would cancel any value gains though.

[Summit_Detailing]

Jaguar XK8

[Wagonwheel555]

Clio 182 as mentioned above.

Even the 197/200 seem to be holding decent value at the moment if you can get one with low miles.

Possibly the E46 330ci if low miles and good condition.

Its usually cars where there are not huge numbers left, either because they didn't make loads in the first place or they have just dwindled.

[Yidwann]

I bought an R53, love it, like properly love it! Was supposed to be finding a 997 for a project car too and since I've got the mini I really have not been bothered.

I didn't buy a low mileage one, but a high miler for £1500 and spending the cash fixing and upgrading all the bits! And yes, there are lots of them, but the rapid rate they are being broken for bits these days they are going to get rarer and rarer. I'll be keeping mine!

And of course cars in this bracket can appreciate, some more than others. S1 Elises could be had for 6 or 7 grand not so long ago. S2000's are only going one way. Anything good will always be on a curve, but never bank on something going up, just be pleased if it does.

[Truckosaurus]

Summit_Detailing said:

Jaguar XK8

I saw one of these recently at a petrol station and was thinking how good they look now, when they were new I thought they looked awkward but they seem to have grown into their looks. Proper modern classic appeal.

[Welshbeef]

Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo.

[nickfrog]

Tyre Smoke said:

Nothing will appreciate at that price.

130i have appreciated over the past 3 to 5 years, 130i LEs in particular.

[Wagonwheel555]

Yidwann said:

I bought an R53, love it, like properly love it! Was supposed to be finding a 997 for a project car too and since I've got the mini I really have not been bothered.

I didn't buy a low mileage one, but a high miler for £1500 and spending the cash fixing and upgrading all the bits! And yes, there are lots of them, but the rapid rate they are being broken for bits these days they are going to get rarer and rarer. I'll be keeping mine!

And of course cars in this bracket can appreciate, some more than others. S1 Elises could be had for 6 or 7 grand not so long ago. S2000's are only going one way. Anything good will always be on a curve, but never bank on something going up, just be pleased if it does.

I had a low miles 2002 S2000 about 5 years ago and sold it for £6k (about right at the time) to raise funds towards our first house purchase.

Right decision at the time but in hindsight....

[Truckosaurus]

Tyre Smoke said:

Nothing will appreciate at that price.

It is not that long ago that you could get an air-cooled Porsche for sub-10 grand. It would have been a well used example of a then unfashionable variant, but currently that doesn't seem to matter much - and/or it has been worth investing 5-10k to make it pristine...