TRADE VIEW
Insider info on the modern classics to snap up now
WHOIS...
LE WISKINGSTON
Award-winningroadtester
who’s forever trawling the
classifieds and auctions for
gems. When not at a sale
he’s in the garage.
Buythebestyoucanfind
Th e Turbois themost
popularof the200-series
Coupesbut lookout forthe
sweeter,lesscomplicatedand
le ss expensive143bhp1.8-litre
VVC-enginedCoupesaswell.
Ot herwise,inspectforrust
andneglect.T-Seriesoil leaks
ar e common;makesurethat
th eydon’tcontaminatethe
timingbelt.Alsocheckfor
ge arboxissueswiththe
Tu rbos, as they can suffer.
Air conditioning is desirable.
‘F DH’ Turbos, if you seeone,
ar e always highly specified.
£20,000
£15,000
£ 17, 500
£10,000
£12,500
£5000
£2500
£0
1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 2024
Rover 220
Tu rboCoupe
pricenew 1993
£1 8,315
Ne
Tu rboCoupe
was capable
of150mph.
Pricenow
£35 00
Pricefive
ye arsago
£2 300
Pricein five
ye ars’time
£55 00
90 MODERN CLASSICS
S
Want a front-drive coupe with
a turbo twist? Here’s one
A BRITISH COUPe
TO BET ON
potted a ‘Tomcat’ recently? If
so, you’ve sighted a very rare
beast indeed. After all,
according to the DVLA, Rover
200-series Coupes – the development name
of which was ‘Tomcat’ – are becoming
increasingly few and far between.
Case in point: in 2005, there were 1042 of
the flagship 220 Turbo Coupe reportedlyon
th e road in the UK. Just five years later,that
nu mber had dropped way down to 266.
Only 71 remain taxed now, while a further
27 7 are sat idle and SORN.
Unsurprisingly, the value of the remainder
is rising. Back in 2014, you could expectto
pa y around £3000 for an immaculate 220
Tu rbo Coupe with 50,000 miles on the
cl ock. Now the same car would cost some
£5 000; once inflation is removed fromthe
eq uation, you’re still talking about an
increase in value of almost 52 per cent.
It’s not just the odd example or two selling
well, either. ‘The Rover and MG market has
really woken up now,’ says Wayne Lamport,
managing director of Stone Cold Classics.
‘I’ve got a Rover Tomcat in stock at the
moment, which I wouldn’t necessarily have
bought before – but people are really loving
these at the moment.’
ThesleekRoveris alsoan interestingcar,
an d oneworthconsideringas an alternative
to rivalofferingssuchas theVolkswagen
Corrado and Honda Prelude. At the launch
of the 200 Coupe in 1992, three versions
were offered: the 1.6-litre Honda-engined
216, the 220 with a 2.0-litre Rover T-Series
engine, and the flagship turbocharged Rover
T-Series 220 Coupe Turbo.
At the lower end, a 1.6-litre engine in what
might look like a fairly big coupe could
understandably sound underwhelming – but
the Rover clocked in at just 1085kg and had
a footprint similar to that of a MkII Toyota
MR2. Even the 197bhp Turbo weighed only
1185kg and served up remarkable
performance, bounding to 60mph in 6.2sec.
Other versions would follow, too, when
Rover updated the range in 1996; the Honda
engine would be replaced by a 1.6-litre
K-Series, while the 2.0-litre models were
both superseded by a naturally aspirated
1.8-litre K-Series with variable valve control.
In some respects, it’s the latter that’s
worth hunting down; while the Turbo had
the punch, it was often derided for its
wayward handling. The 1.8 VVC, on the
other hand, is regarded as being a more
rounded and capable car. It’s also newer,
lighter and more frugal.
These oft-overlooked examples have also
risen in value. In 2014, a pristine naturally
aspirated car would cost around £2000.
Today they can command over £3000. Not
a big leap in cash terms, but a notable
percentage and likely to continue increasing.
That’s not to say that you should ignore
the earlier Turbo versions, mind. With just
a few careful upgrades, both their
performance and difficult handling can be
improved upon significantly.
‘THE ROVER AND MG
M A R K E T H A S R E A LLY
WOKEN UP NOW’
