Auto Express – August 20, 2019

62 SpecialIssue

Theultimateguide to

modern classiccars

SUBARU IMPREZA TURBO

Years produced: 1992-2001

Price range: £1,000-£15,000 Rarity:★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

Honda Beat

Years produced: 1991-1996

Price range: £1,500-£7,000 Rarity:★★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

Suzuki SJ/

Santana

Years produced: 1981-1998

Price range: £500-£6,000 Rarity:★★★★★★★

Maintenance:★★★★★Investment:★★★★★

ANImprezaTurboisstilloneofthemostenjoyable

carsintheworldonaB-road.Whennew,itslow-

slungboxerengine,turboandfour-wheeldrivegave

greatperformancethatcouldbeusedallyearround.

Asabonus,ithadfive-seatpracticalityandtypical

Japanesereliability.Thecarbecamelegendary.

Butafterbeingcherishedinearlylife,theSubaru

fellinwiththewrongcrowd,andthereareveryfew

Mk1carsthathaven’tbeenabused,crashed,stolen,

rustedorbeenquestionablymodified.Thesurvivors

haveemergedwithclassicstatus,andspecial

editionssuchasthe1999RB5arethemostprized.

Pricesofthesecaneasilytopfivefiguresforawell

keptoriginalcar.Ifthat’soutofreach,makesure

youdoalotofresearch,buythebestImprezaTurbo

youcanaffordandsimplyenjoydrivinganicon.

INJapan,therearebigfinancialbenefitsforbuying

tiny660cc‘Keicars’.Thesehaveevolvedintoall

sortsofstyles,butthemostinterestingarethe

miniatureroadsters.TheSuzukiCappuccinoand

DaihatsuCopenwereofficiallyimportedtotheUK

inlimitednumbers,yetforusit’sthemid-engined

HondaBeatthat’sthemostinterestingand

collectable.Itwasneversoldherebyitsmaker,

butplentyofexampleshavebeenbroughtinby

enthusiasts.Ifyou’retempted,buythebestyou

canafford,becausepartscanbedifficulttofind.

TOstartwith,theSuzukiSJwasboughtmainlyby

fashionistaswho’dbeengiventheimpressionfrom

eighties’popvideosthatownershipofthiscarwould

beonelongholiday.Inreality,itwasacrudeoff-

roaderthatwasprettyawfultodriveonthetarmac.

OnceSJshadfallenoutoffashion,theywerebought

byfarmersandoff-roadenthusiasts,whoabused

themandlettheinevitablerotsetin.Thefew

survivorsarenowinterestingcuriosthatcan

befunbehindthewheelonasunnyday.

6

JAPANESE

WONDERS

Quirky, quality and just plain quackers; these cars have it all

expertview

ThehotImprezamarket

isabitofaminefield,

withcountlessspecial

editions.Mypick?I’d

goforthetidiestRB5I

couldafford.It’sfabulous.

John McIlroy

Deputy editor