Many have led hard lives, though – these were sub-£1000 cars for a long time – so buy carefully.
A Chris Bangle masterpiece, and not half bad to drive either. The five-cylinder 20-valve engine, offered in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms, has the most exotic feel, but the four-cylinder option, a descendant of the Delta Integrale powerplant, still has the means to entertain.
Rust is by far the biggest issue: inspect the sills, subframes, wheel arches, footwells, boot floor, exhaust… Basically, just give the whole thing a thorough going-over. Interior plastics are prone to developing a horrid sticky finish, too.
Running project cars can be found for £500, but the best examples are north of £10,000.
Forget the second-generation MR2’s reputation for having a wayward tail – we never thought that held very much water. Still, Toyota revised the model no fewer than five times, with updates two (in 1991) and three (1993) gradually softening the handling to tune out the risk of snap oversteer. Any MR2 is a great drive and a fairly reliable proposition, barring rust or any extensive modifications.
It’s worth seeking out a Japanese-import Turbo model or one with the atmospheric ‘Beams’ engine that came with Yamaha-developed cylinder heads; either example brings with it the soundtrack and performance the car’s chassis and looks deserve.
Such cars will set you back around £10,000.
Renault Twingo
The Twingo has aged like Mr Blobby: once a tad unsightly, but now remembered for flouting convention and embracing the absurd. In the Twingo’s favour, it didn’t single-handedly traumatise a generation of children, so it’s looked back on a bit more fondly.
You can occasionally find them from £5k, but it’s perhaps easier to source and import a clean car yourself.
