Auto Express – August 20, 2019

40 SpecialIssue

Theultimateguide to

modern classiccars

ITmayseembizarrenow,buttwocarsthat
weredesignedtoreigniteaffectionsforold
classiccarshavebecomeclassiccarsthemselves.
TheVWBeetleandMINIborrowedtheirnames
andstylingcuesfromcarswhichwereimmensely
popularandengineeringmasterpieces.These
reinventedversionsaren’tnearlysoclever,but
thatdoesn’tstopthembeinggreatcars.Theyare
alsoeasiertolivewith,and–crucially–affordable
foranyonewhofanciesafunmodernclassic.
ThenewVolkswagenBeetlecamefirst,kickingoff
astreamofothermanufacturers’retrodesignideas.
ItwasintendedprimarilyfortheAmericanmarket
andmadeitsdebuttherein1997;itwouldbea
furthertwoyearsbeforeitarrivedintheUKwith
right-handdrive,althoughafewLHDversions
cameherefromofficialandunofficialsources.
ThenewBeetlemighthaveresembledtheold
rear-enginedcar,butunderneathitshareditsmajor
componentswiththeGolfMk4,SkodaOctaviaand
SEAT Leonamongothers.Theflower-powerreputation
thatmadetheVee-dubsuch abighitintheStates
wasalsoclearlyapparent,withadashboard-mounted
vaseandoptionalfakegerberaflowermarkingthis
outasacarforthefashion-conscious.
Nevertheless,itwasbrimmingwithcharacter
andwasasteadyseller,despitebeingcramped,
impracticalandsurprisinglylarge–allby-productsof
tryingtomakeaGolfchassisfitunderBeetlecurves.
AyearorsoaftertheBeetlemadeitsdebutinthe
UK,alongcametheMINIfromnewownerBMW. Like
theBeetle,theclassicshapehadbeenbroughtup
todateandthecarhadthedynamicsexpectedfroma
modernvehicle.Buttogivethesafetystandardsand
spacedemandedbybuyers,ithadalsogrowninsize.
AllnewMINIswerepetrol-enginedatlaunch,
usinga1.6-litre‘Tritec’unitdevelopedwithChrysler.
Theentry-levelMINIOnedevelops89bhp,theCooper
114bhpandthesuperchargedCooperS160bhp,
makingthelatteranabsolutehoottodrive.Adiesel
followedin2003,usingToyota’s1.4-litreD4-Dunit,
alongwithaCabrioletwhichappearedlaterthatyear.
DespitebeingmuchlargerthantheoriginalMini,
theBMWmodelwasclearlyrelated,withstylingcues

Cars of thepeop

MINI

There’s never been

includingthefrontandrearlights,bonnetstripesand

acentralspeedometerallharkingbacktotheoriginal.

TheMINIalsocontinuedthelucrativetrendfor

vehiclepersonalisation.Theoptionsandaccessories

cataloguegaveownersanalmostinfinitenumberof

waystomaketheirMINIdifferenttotheirneighbours’,

andit’sraretoseetwoidenticalcarstoday.

Butwhichisthebestretromodernclassic?The

Beetlehasbagsofappeal;it’srefined,cuteand

comfortable,aswellasbeingbothcheapand

reliable.Theonlymajorproblemsaresillcorrosion

andoccasionalturbofailureon1.8Tmodels.

ThefirstMINIisamorefragilecar.It’srenowned

forprematuregearboxfailure,whiletheTritecengine

cansufferfromheadgasketandcamchainproblems.

Thathugebonnetissusceptibletoaccidentdamage

too,andisdifficultandexpensivetofix.

Butthatdoesn’tstoptheMINIbeingourfavourite

ofthetwo.Eventoday,itremainsarewardingdriver’s

car,withclasslessappealandimmensecharacter.

Butthebestthingaboutbothisthattheirprices

areaslowasthey’lleverbe;youonlyneedtospend

£1,000toownausableexampleofeitherone.

VW

Beetle

Yearsmade:

1999-2009

Engine:

1,984cc 4cyl

Power:114bhp

0-60:10.6 secs

Price range:

£500-£10,000

Rarity:

★★★★★★★★★★

Maintenance:

★★★★★★★★★★

Investment

potential:

★★★★★★★★★★

MINI

Cooper

Yearsmade:

2001-06

Engine:

1,588cc 4cyl

Power:114bhp

0-60:8.4 secs

Price range:

£500-£6,000

Rarity:

★★★★★★★★★★

Maintenance:

★★★★★★★★★★

Investment

potential:

★★★★★★★★★★

MINIistheoneto

goforifyouwant

somethingthat’s

funtodrive.The

Beetleisreliable

andrefined