Auto Express – August 20, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 59

50

MODERN

CLASSICS

AUDI TT

Years produced: 1998-2006

Price range: £500-£8,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

ITmightbeacommonsightnow,butwhenitwas

launchedin1998,theAudiTTwasthemost

in-demandcarintheworld.Itslookswerebarely

changedfromtheconceptthathadbeenrevealed

threeyearspreviously,anditmadeallothercoupés

atthetimelookinstantlyold-fashioned.

Notonlydidthefirst-generationTThavethelooks,

itwasalsobeautifullymadeandunderneathithad

thesensiblerunninggearofaVWGolf.Therewasan

instant18-monthwaitinglist.Notevenahigh-speed

stabilityscandalcoulddampenbuyers’enthusiasm.

Thatcutting-edgestylingmeansthefirstTTstill

doesn’tlookoldtodayandcanbeaveryuseable

classicdesignicon.Butmakesureit’sbeen

maintainedproperly;theTTusedahighlytuned

turbo1.8-litreengineandacomplicated4x4system,

sothereareplentyofmechanicalbitsona20-year-

oldTTthatcouldgoexpensivelywrong.

Germany

BMW E39

5SERIES

Years produced: 1996-2003

Price range: £500-£30,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

Mercedes

A-Class

Years produced: 1997-2004

Price range: £300-£3,000 Rarity:★★★★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

MERCEDES’reputationtookaknockwhen

anoriginalA-ClassfelloverduringaSwedish

magazine’s‘elk’slalomtest,andthepublicdidn’t

reallyunderstanditsradicalpackaging,either.

Butnowtheyarebecomingrarer,theingenuity

ofthemodelisstartingtobeappreciated.The

A-Classisjust3.6mlong–shorterthanaFordKa

–butithasmorespaceinsidethanaVolkswagen

Golf.ItmeanstheA-Classcouldmakeapractical

futureclassicthatcanswallowasofaatIkea,yet

nottakeupmuchspaceinthegarage.

RUMOURhasitthatBMWwaspetrifiedattheideaofMercedes’

replacementforthelegendaryW124seriesE-Class,andsopulled

outallthestopstomakeitsnew5Series,launchedin1996,

exceptionalineveryway.Inhindsightitneedn’thaveworried,

becauseMercedeswasbusythinkingithadover-engineered

theW124anddialledbackthequalityforitssuccessor.

Still,thismeantthe5Series,codenamedE39,wasabeautifully

builtanddynamicallyexcellentcar,whichcanstillprovide

refinedsaloonorestate-shapedeverydaymotoringtoday.

Asalways,thehotM5willbemostindemandandsellforfive

figures,butlessermodelscanbefoundinuseableconditionfor

£1,000upwards.TheV8sarefunbutthirsty,whilethediesels

areeconomicalandgoodperformers,butcomplicatedtofix

thesedays.We’drecommendasix-cylinderpetrolTouringas

agreatfutureclassicthatcouldbeusedasaneveryday

familycar.Furthermore,it’sunlikelytolose

valueifproperlymaintained.