Pedigree '90s choice | Six of the Best
Social media is obsessed with the halcyon days of the last carefree decade - and who can blame it?
BMW Z3M, 1999, 54k, £29,950
Interesting that two of the more significant stories this week were effectively trips down memory lane. Firstly, we had Mercedes-AMG loudly signal the return of the V8, and secondly, Bovensiepen’s attempt to revive the Z4 as a 435hp Spider. Both seem long overdue. BMW arguably never rediscovered the magic of the original M Roadster, with its steroidal arches and 3.2-litre M3 engine. It was not perfect to drive, but it was 1997 and perfection back then was a relative quality. Looking and sounding the part - two attributes the industry now struggles with so gratuitously you’d think they were made of soap - got you most of the way there. Case in point: this Cosmos Black example from ’99. Fizz city. You get the idea. Onward.
Aston Martin V550, 1997, 5k, £180,000
Bosh. Is there anything more quintessentially ‘90s than the spectacle of the Vantage V550, a car with the sensibility of a plutonium cricket bat? This car doubles down on its place in history by being the one that the Brunei Royal Family ordered in Mayfair, which, of course, means that it’s seen absurdly little of the public highway. Also, they forgot to spec the manual. Still, you won’t find better than Pentland Green over tan, and this one has been treated to a £50k recommissioning since it arrived back in the UK. Granted, a V600 is the Holy Grail of Vantage country, but you’ll pay twice the price for the additional 50hp. It definitely would’ve made a better match for Brosnan than the DB5 he was saddled with.
Porsche 911 GT3 (996), 1999, 25k, £144,995
Mostly we think of the 911 GT3 as a 21st-century sports car, but it heralds from the tail-end of the ‘90s when Porsche needed a homologated model to take the 996 racing. And while the broader generation was lightly regarded at the time, it was clear from the outset that the GT3, partly thanks to the 360hp Mezger engine, was something pretty special. Certainly the prices asked today reflect that reputation - not to mention the 996.1’s comparative rarity. The fact that this example spent 15 years in the Bamford family collection takes things up a notch, and helps to account for the £144,995 asking price. Looks brilliant in Polar Silver Metallic, mind.
Lexus LS400, 1997, 20k, £18,995
Scoff if you like, but the LS 400 is a ‘90s thoroughbred, and proved beyond all doubt (much as the LFA did two decades later), that Toyota could do practically anything if its vast resources were diligently applied to the pursuit of excellence. The saloon was an unambiguous attempt to set a new benchmark in the luxury segment, and in several important ways it did just that. This is a second-generation model, meaning it gets the more powerful 260hp 4.0-litre V8, but the car is less about speed than it is effortlessness and the sort of hush you’d usually equate with a vacuum. This one is notable for having only covered 20k since new. Perhaps you need to be a connoisseur to meet the £18,995 asking price - but if you’re looking for longevity in your 30-year-old classic, you could hardly do better.
TVR Cerbera, 1999, 49k, £31,795
If you’re looking for the opposite of longevity, you’ll be wanting a TVR. Or possibly any British sports car from the period. Blackpool’s finest specialised in a fleeting sort of pleasure - but when it was good, it was extraordinarily good, and left an indelible mark on a generation of enthusiasts. Perhaps none more so than the Cerbera, which gatecrashed the mid ‘90s like the three-headed dog it took its name from. It was astonishingly fast, for one thing, and looked it even when standing still. Obviously the Speed Six variant suffered from several well-known issues early on, but this one features an FFF conversion by Racing Green and appears well-loved. You could have a V8 for similar money, but we couldn’t resist the Imperial Blue. Can you?
Lotus Esprit Sport 350, 1999, 47k, £54,995
Granted, a purist would mark the Esprit down as a ‘70s trailblazer, given the impact of the Giugiaro-designed S1. But the later X180 was so synonymous with the ‘90s that it appeared in Pretty Woman (man, this baby must corner like it’s on rails!) after Porsche chickened out, and by 1996 Lotus saw fit to install a V8 of its own making. Admittedly, the gearbox wasn’t, which limited the power output, but three years later, we got this, the limited edition Sport 350. As the same suggested, it got 350hp and came with all the bells and racy whistles, not least among them that fixed carbon fibre spoiler. This one has covered only 47k since 1999 and like everything else listed, ought to be good for whatever ails you in 2026.
. Gosh, we re showing our ages 
Z3M and TVR were dream cars at the time. Both still look lovely. Sadly I've never driven either.
. Gosh, we re showing our ages great times indeed 
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