Cost-effective tax evaders | Six of the Best
More than 40 years old, less than £25,000 - a whole world of fun on four wheels
Lotus Elan, 1968, 84k, £23,995
It is hard to justify a classic car. Unless you’re as brave as an Icelandic trawlerman, they’re not ideally suited to the job of everyday transport. And while you don’t need a degree in computer science to mend one, the chances are they will require mending - and often. At significant cost. But there are some advantages: if the car is over 40 years old, you won’t need an MOT - and if your car was built before January 1st 1985, you won’t need to pay road tax either. And for less than the cost of a brand-new Skoda Fabia 130, you can have a serious amount of fun. Case in point: this very red, and extensively restored Lotus Elan S3 from 1968. Someone has apparently spent £33k getting it to what we’ll assume is peachy-keen fast road spec. It’s yours for £23,995. Never a dull weekend again.
Volkswagen Golf GTI, 1983, 79k, £25,995
Of course, if the thought of a classic British sports car brings you out in hives, the age limit does unlock the first generation of proper hot hatches. As ever, anyone who lived through the ‘90s will probably baulk at the thought of paying more than 30 quid for a Mk1 GTI, but the Golf achieved revered status long ago, and presentable ones are rarer now than hen’s teeth. Hence the £25,995 asking price for this two-owner example, which is said to have only covered 79k since 1983. Appears to be in great nick, too, and while it will be considerably slower and noisier than a 177hp Fabia, it will be wildly more exciting to drive. In the same way that camping is wildly more exciting than staying in a Premier Inn.
Triumph TR6, 1975, 14k, £25,950
Back to Blighty and those hazy summer days when only a convertible will do. It would be wrong, of course, to say you can’t go wrong with a Triumph - all manner of things can go spectacularly pear-shaped - but there’s a good reason why sane, professional people have gone to the trouble of refurbishing the TR6: they look and sound brilliant. This one, resprayed in glorious Damson, has had plenty of TLC lavished on it in recent years, including a professional upgrade to triple Weber carbs, which ought to make the 2.5-litre straight-six the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon among England’s hedgerows. It’s been tastefully improved elsewhere, too - though mostly it’s about that body on those wheels. Lovely.
Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0, 1977, 100k, £14,995
Wheel out all your favourite Italian car cliches for the GTV. It’ll boast all the style, brio, character and charisma you could want from a £15k classic, which will most certainly help when it comes to keeping it in finest fettle. Remarkably, this one is 50 years old the year after next, and it still looks sharp - a real testament to that original Giugiaro design. As an earlier GTV, moreover, it goes without some of the fussier add-ons that came later in this car’s life. Indeed, the Alfa was once deemed good enough to be owned by a ‘well-known motoring journalist’, which is vaguely interesting. And when you’re done gawping (plus finding out who the hack was), there’s the famous twin-cam to motor your Alfa GTV down the road. It’s easy to imagine life being very, very good behind the wheel. Or anecdote-worthy, in any case...
Ford Escort XR3, 1981, 32k, £24,995
Should the Golf appear a little too sensible for a retro hot hatch, early '80s pocket rockets come little more old school than the XR3. Front-wheel drive was the main concession to modernity after the first two generations of rear-drive Escort; when the XR made its debut in 1980, it was still using a carb and a choke, the then-new CVH mustering almost 100hp. But with so little metal to move, that was more than enough for mischief, which makes the fact that this car survived the '80s, '90s and '00s all the more incredible. As a reward, it’s now been beautifully restored, the underneath as clean as an operating table and the Sunburst Red radiant. Probably one for a collection rather than regular use - but what a glorious time machine to have on hand.
Jaguar XJS V12, 1982, 14k, £24,995
When only a dozen cylinders will suffice to waft around rural Britain, the Jaguar XJS really is compelling. While more valuable than they once were, it’s still difficult to level the amount of classic Jaguar available with the prices being asked. It’ll never have the E-Type’s reputation, sure, but then it’ll never cost as much either. For a healthy serving of grace, pace and (some) space, an XJS undoubtedly appeals. This V12 was with one owner for 35 years, and following a period in storage was extensively (to the tune of £10k) recommissioned in 2020. Oh yeah, and it’s still showing fewer than 15,000 miles. All of which means there are certainly more affordable old Jags around - but there can’t be very many better.
Had a Burago model as a kid. Saw a nice, full size, car at Spa Italia last year.
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