Would you pay £4K for a Saxo VTS? The way things are going, it could be a bargain
We should have seen this coming really. Perhaps a few of you did. But when values of the Clio Williams, the 205 GTI (look at
this one) and the Citroen AX shot up as rapidly as they did, a fact became patently clear: small, fun, French hot hatches had become hot property in the used car market, and all would have their time in the spotlight at some point.
Why? For many these cars represent a more dangerous and rebellious youth, the need to try one again as a proper adult much too desperate to care about value for money. For others it may have taken until later in life before a proper hot hatch could be afforded. And another section may just want to see what the fuss was all about in the 'good old days'; combine all those prospective buyers with the reality of such raw hot hatches never happening again and you have a perfect storm for a big climb in prices.
Point being that the Citroen Saxo VTS was pretty much guaranteed to become more valuable. Not only was it properly quick, but it looked good and was renowned for a, er, 'traditionally French' pocket rocket handling balance. The VTS is flighty and frenzied in a way that 21st century hot hatches cannot be, and that makes it desirable.
As a cheap car to start with, the Saxo was only going to get cheaper as a secondhand purchase. If they weren't modified from new then they were just a few years later, and if they weren't crashed when new then... well, you know what happened. With the recent scrappage schemes taking more fast Saxos off the road as well, the situation is now pretty desperate - just in case values needed any further assistance...
No, it really is desperate. HowManyLeft says there are currently just 387 Saxo VTSs registered on UK roads, down from a peak of 6,797 at the end of 2004. If an automotive endangered species list existed, the VTS would top it and the protesters would be out in force: "Down with Saxo slaughter!", "Save our Citroens!", "Oversteer is OK!" and so on. Once a fixture of every leisure centre car park, the VTS is now a seriously rare car.
Hence this
2002 car is for sale at £4,695, a price it probably hasn't attracted for more than a decade. It looks a lovely example too, even if the facelifted car is a tad less desirable than the original. Completely standard with just 52,971 miles, this Wicked Red Metallic car has 18 Citroen main dealer stamps, a recent cambelt and every single MoT certificate since its first in 2005. You really won't find a better Saxo VTS, and it promises to be an absolute riot. Just keep it out of hedges...
What else might you have? Well a SportKa will be a bit slow by comparison, a Renaultsport Twingo is in budget but will feel very grown up and a similar 106 GTI is still another three thousand pounds more expensive. So even after all this time, the Saxo VTS looks a bit of bargain, but take our word for it: they're not going to stay this way!
CITROEN SAXO VTS
Engine: 1,587cc, 4-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 119@6,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 107@5,200rpm
MPG: 33
CO2: 201g/km
First registered: 2002
Recorded mileage: 52,971
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £4,695
See the original advert here.
