Auto Express – August 20, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 51

50

MODERN

CLASSICS

Years produced: 1998-2005

Price range: £250-£5,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

Nissan K11 Micra

Years produced: 1993-2003

Price range: £100-£2,500 Rarity:★★★★★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

LOOKintheclassifiedadvertsatRover75sandyou

willseeastrangesplit.Ausedcarwiththeright

specification,mileageandcolourcouldbepricedat

£5,000orevenmore,whileaseeminglyverysimilar

modelmightstruggletogetscrapvalue.

Enthusiastshaverealisedthatthe75isarguably

thefinestRoverevermade,combiningthebestof

BritishandGermanengineering;the75wasbuilt

whileRoverwasownedbyBMW. Thestylinghas

agedwellandit’srelaxingtodrive,meaningthatthis

makesaviableclassicthatcanbeusedeveryday.

Butenthusiastsdotheirresearchandknowwhat

theywanttoavoidbigbillsandensurecollectability.

Arange-topping,pre-2003Connoisseurinadarkcolour

withlightleatherinteriorcouldbeawiseusedbuy,

especiallyautoswiththedieselengineorV6petrol.

Thesearesought-afterandpricey,butfindoneand

youcouldhaveamodernclassicforacoupleofgrand.

WHAT’SaNissandoingintheBritishcarcategory?Well,the

‘K11’NissanMicrawasnotonlybuiltinBritainingreater

numbersthananyothercaratthetime,itwasengineeredin

theUK,too,atthecompany’stechnicalcentreinBedfordshire.

Almost1.4millionweremadeinSunderland–slightly

morethanthelegendaryMorrisMinormanagedthroughout

itsproductionrun.AndjustliketheMinorwasforaprevious

generation,theK11Micrawasthetrustedfamilymotor

(andfirstcar)forthousandsofBritishpeople.

FanswillsoonbekeentorekindlethosefondMicra

memories,butthenumbersontheroadarefallingfastdue

totheMicra’sAchillesheel:rust.Therearestillplentyof

themaround,though,sofindonethathasbeencherished

orrustproofedanditwillgivegoodfunandcheapmotoring

whileyouwaitfortheinevitableclassicstatustoarrive.

Britain

JAGUAR XK8

Years produced: 1997-2004

Price range: £3,000-£20,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

WITHJaguarE-Typevaluesinsix-figureterritory,andeven

theonce-unlovedXJ-Sgettingalotofinterest,itisn’t

hardtoseewhatwillhappentoXK8valuesoverthenext

fewyears.Buyoneforlessthan£6,000,andwhileyou

waitforpricestorise,youcanenjoythewoodandleather

luxury,typicalJagrefinementandrelaxedperformance.

ConvertibleandsuperchargedXKRsaremostprized.

Ford FiestaMk4

Years produced: 1995-2002

Price range: £200-£2,000 Rarity:★★★★★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

FORDgotakickingintheearlyninetiesfortheFiesta

andEscort’slacklustretalents.Thebrandtookitto

heartandmadethereplacementsreallyfuntodrive.

TheMk4Fiestawasabitofasurpriseatthetime,

withexceptionaldynamicsandzingy1.25and1.4-

litreengines.They’llneverbecheaperthantheyare

now,andaswithallFords,usedvalueswilleventually

rise–especiallyontopGhiaandsportySiversions.

ROVER75