Can you buy an everyday car that will increase in value ?
 

Ok, A subject close to my heart, and one discussed on this forum in the past.

These selections come from the Daily Telegraph, so don't get excited, not my opinion. Suggest comments on this selection or post your own.

In no particular order -

Audi A2
Audi TT Mk1
Bentley Continental GT
Citroen XM
Citroen C6
Ford Focus Mk1
Ford Capri
Lexus LS400
Mini (BMW) Mk1
Rover 75
Saab 900 (original).

Jon

Anything bought at banger money but still good has a chance, especially if not many were sold in the first place.
My guesses

Audi TT
Mazda MX5
Ford - anything blue oval and 30 years old is shooting up in price, blue-collar has money these days.
VW especially Golf, only good unmolested low mileage ones, not boy-racered bangers.
BMWs - when bought below £1000 and in good condition - theres a rarity.

so that includes my 1987 Golf gti, 80k miles, bought new by myself, no rust and been sorned/garaged since 2000 ?

Iain

I suppose it depends upon how you define 'everyday', Jon. To my way of thinking, while the Mini may qualify, the Bentley does not.

I think if you are prepared to keep it over an extended period and look after it, almost any car will appreciate in value. As an example, I sold my 1983 245GLT for £475 in 1995, I think it was. In good condition, it would probably make circa £2000 today.

Some will naturally appreciate faster than others; I think 1980s Mercedes would be a safe bet, but one only has to scan the classifieds in the likes of 'Classic Car Weekly' to see examples of most makes.

Regards. John.

What a great question! Will cogitate whilst at work and come up with a list.

I’m hoping my Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG falls into that category, I’m hoping it will at least hold the money I paid for it over the next few years. By that point I’m also hoping the Continental GT doesn’t start to climb over the next 3 years as that’s what I’d like next. They have been about £20k as a start point for about 4 years and I’m still seeing decent ones for about £25k so it’s one of them I’m after following the Benz as it’s really given me the want to have an even more special super coupe after I’ve had my fun with that :)

Not really an everyday car but recently I saw a loverly Aston Martin DB7 for sale for 20k low miles well cared for. It’s an old car now but I can see prices rising for sure. If I had storage I would consider purchasing something like that as an investment.

Porsche 911's all seem to bottom out and then climb, the 993's are into plenty of money now. The collectors currently sneer at the 996 but I bet they start gaining cash soon.

Looking back the one that stands out is the old Z3M coupe, they are silly money now, very rare, a bit odd looking but very cool.

Everything I think about that could be contender now seems to be common as hell due to all sorts of lease deals, also there is no real exclusivity in being fast anymore, everything is flipping rapid.

Thinking about it over-night, are not the last Land Rover Defenders likely to have considerable investment potential? One only has to look at what good 'Series' examples change hands for today!

With interest rates the way they are, the notion of owning any vehicle that one can not only enjoy, but which will also show one a modest return, is not an unattractive one.

Regards, John.

Good luck with finding good examples of the majority of those cars at banger prices, I think that all you will find is bangers. Even a badly restored Capri fetches above £5,000. Top end, one owner, unadulterated are over £15,000.

One that is missing that is still relatively cheap, if you can find one that is that could be brought up to concours, a Vauxhall Nova.

Sporty versions[gti's etc]of just about anything will generally find eager buyers.More or less anything Ford-for some reason-can sell wellFor me personally I think I've already done it[although I've not yet tried to sell mine]by buying my P1 V70 Classic with 10months mot for £50 about a year and a half ago and it's still my daily runner,I'm pretty sure if push came to shove I could weigh it in for scrap for more than its purchase price.

As mentioned in the thread starter the list is not my opinion, although I do have an opinion on the subject. I'll also add that a friend of mine has a Continental GT and it is his everyday car (bought new).

The intention (I assume) was not to be listing cars that can be bought for banger money !

Jon.

I think the main consideration nowadays has to be FASHION. Who would have thought that a humble early Ford Escort would suddenly be valuable?
My first was a '72 in 1978, but after extensive rust to the suspension turrets we scrapped it. My daughters first car was a one-owner '79 Mk 2 in immaculate condition - until the sills rusted through after a couple of years - that was scrapped too. Yet now even rusty shells fetch silly money - for what, a basic runabout. The same re our '75 Cortina - a fine but basic car with the usual Ford faults, which did its job until bought by a local guy before disappearing..... So why would it command so much now? As I said before - FASHION, its as simple as that.
However, just about every sporting version of the humble cars we all remember will command a fair price providing it remains in the hands of the dedicated enthusiast, because once the dreaded sets in, rescue becomes VERY expensive therefore somewhat scarce.
There - my opinions are public - again! As I say though - just my opinions.

P

A2 or Lupo 3L would be in with a very good chance.

Was the Lupo 3L sold in the UK ?

Jon.

No, I don't think so, they are all LHD AFAIK, but they have such cachet that I think they are a pretty solid investment.

Agreed.

J.

I would suggest a clean, low miles mk1 Audi tt 225, Cooper s, coupe fiat Turbo or Alfa gtv in any if it's guises for now. Clean Lexus ls400 starting to move now also, the finest car I have owned by a margin, not most loveable, not best looking, just BEST. All of above available for less than 3K. Our BMW z3 also a decent shout I would suggest.

In 2009, I bought a 51 plate V70 D5, Ran it for a year, added 25,000 miles on it & sold it for £100 more than I paid for it.

Also bought a Mazda grey import, ran it for 6 or 7 years, added over 30,000 miles to it & sold it for £2600 more than I bought it for. I was able to use the money to but a newer model which is now valued at about £3000 more than it cost me.

Depreciation proof cars are a tantalising idea in a sea of blobby, depreciating ephemera.
If you can survive noise, leaks and constant repairs, get a Defender. As a lady I met said, they are "raw", which is why people love them.
For a more civilised approach the humble Volvo 900 series takes some beating- and is a useful car to boot. They are even easy to work on.
Cars should be fun, or at least useful. If they don't lose value then that is a real plus.

So how much money has your friend made on his Continental GT he's had from new?

What a surprise ! You've taken my reply to JW out of context, his criticism was that it was not an everyday car - my reply was to say that it is.

Jon.

I don't read the Daily Telegraph... :)

So what, it's just a list of cars.

Jon.

A Bentley Continental is not what most folks think of when thinking of an everyday car any more than Harrods would be regarded as a corner shop. If you live in SW1 then, yes, it could well be, but not to most folks.

Your post isn't relevant, the Bentley is on the list as a car you can use everyday and will rise in value - it can be and it is just a list.

If you're not interested why bother to post ?

Jon.

The first big question here is what one calls a 'daily driver', if you can afford a Bentley Continental I suppose it would be very nice to drive everyday and maintenance shouldn't be too much of a problem. But then that list includes a Ford Capri, they used to be fairly common with a lot of people driving them everyday but by now the youngest one will be over 30 years old, with all of the issues related to old cars such as wear and deterioration and the higher maintenance needs set against less availability of parts.
The only car I had which might fit the bill was my Suzuki SC100, a little 2+2, my first one in 1986 cost about £2500, I sold my second one in 1998 for £750, there's a good one (not concours) for sale on Car and Classic for £4999, so if I'd kept them I would be showing a profit, except that would be a bit like a Brewer profit on Wheeler Dealers, over the last 20 years to keep that car in roadworthy condition would probably have required some serious body rust repairs and a respray, an engine rebuild, and a host of other repairs. But then also bear in mind that the reason I had to get rid of it was not because I didn't enjoy driving it but because it was a nightmare to get parts for it, before I sold it it sat in my garage for about 6 months as I tried to get two 'plates' for the suspension, it was a long cycle of weekly trips to the dealer - 'No sorry they've not come in' - 'We'll phone head office' - 'We're waiting to hear from Japan' - etc etc, until eventually I had to trawl around the local engineering workshops to get them specially made, hardly what one wants from a 'Daily Driver'.
If we're looking at something reasonably common and reasonably new to buy now for keeping for years we are as TripleS suggests subject to the vagaries of fashion, how many Ford Escorts were consigned to scrap as being old fashioned which would now be Retro and cool? There's loads of cars out there now which will last well given a modest amount of care, but will anyone want a Nissan Micra in 2050? Watching some of the car shows on telly there does seem to be some demand for the cars that the now wealthy 50 year olds used to drive when they were kids, so the Micra (with a dollop of nostalgia) may have some chance.

I would buy a cheap, clean sporty hatchback- preferably mk1s. Makes me sick when I see the value of my/friends old cars- Renault 5 turbo,106 rallye, Clio Williams, 205/106 gti.

Buy a clio trophy or a Audi s3 225 bam or maybe a clean Megane 225 f1 r36. Maybe a lupo gti?

I agree on the Suzuki, 'DaveNP'. I had a test drive in one in the early '80s with a view to replacing my '78 Mini with it. But then Linda and I decided to get married, and changing the car ceased to be a priority. Incidentally, the Mini was eventually sold for £600 in 1984 - how much would it be worth today? It was replaced by my first Volvo, a 1972 145E, purchased on a whim, on holiday, in Bournemouth for £650!

Regarding the Bentley; I once knew a chap who in the early '70s ran a '49 Mk 6 Standard Steel saloon as a daily driver. Appreciating even then, he claimed with some justification that the car was cheaper to run per mile than many much smaller cars - but he was very much the exception rather than the rule!

I think your point regarding nostalgia is also well made. I feel this may explain the record high prices currently being achieved at auction by cars from the '60s and '70s that must have been 'mothballed' immediately after purchase, so low are the mileages they have covered.

I do recall jokingly saying to Linda that we ought to buy one of the last original 'classic' Minis when they were discontinued and preserve it for maybe 20 years. But we could neither have justified the expense, nor had we the heated, humidity controlled garage in which to store it as an investment. Had we been able to do so, the £10K purchase price would probably show a three-fold return today - certainly much more than money in the bank would do!

But there's the rub; do the people who buy such cars then keep them in a museum to preserve their originality and value, or enjoy using them, which destroys it?

Regards, John.

I ran an sc100 as one of my first cars, wonderful little beasties but RUSTY. CRX Honda and mk1 insight are good shouts,,hell, any sporty, retro, affordable Japanese car from seventies it eighties is on a steep appreciation curve. Charade gtti, the old supras, 300zx twin turbo...loved mine!!

Here's a few cars that I have owned or had as company cars that appear enjoy quite a following and high(ish) prices today, although prices may have already hardened/topped out for many, but they may not actually depreciate -

Ford Capri Injection Special
Ford Capri 280
Ford Escort Turbo
Ford Sierra XR4x4
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (3 dr)
Ford Granada Ghia 4x4
Audi UR Quattro
Audi 100 Sport
Audi 90 Quattro
Volkswagen Jetta GTI 16v
Volvo 744 Turbo
Saab 900 Turbo (original)
Saab 900 Aero (original).

Not an exhaustive list, and it is quite old as most of these cars were new or quite new at the time I had them.

More up to date, I recently sold my Saab 9-5 Vector wagon and after 3 yrs use sold it for slightly more than I paid for it.

Jon.

Not a Ford fan, yet loved my 2.8i Capri and 2.8 ghia X Granada estate, carb version in white! Was underwhelmed by xr3s in comparison to contemporary golfs, have owned several gti over the years including g an 8v jetta gti engineering Richard Lloyd car, hoot!! Nice to see another Saab fan, I have owned almost every variation of c900, used to run Saab or Volvo exclusively as my own car for years, 900 Aero fpt felt like an absolute rocket back in the day..

Great list pruf.

Drove the Fords (all new) because I was given them as company cars, I've also had -

Ford Bronco
Ford F150/F350
Ford Crown Victoria
Ford Mondeo ST24
Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk1 1.8
Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk2 1.8
Volkswagen Golf GTI Supercharged
Vauxhall Senator 3.0
Vauxhall Carlton GSi.

Jon.

Now your talking with the big Vauxhalls. I had a 3.0 senator, a v6 calibra, a brace of Carlton cdxi, a brace of omega v6 and a glorious 1966 3.3 viscount, plus many of the smaller models. How did you find the golfs. I maintain the mk2 big bumper 16v gti is the best of the older breed, although I owned two with vr6 conversions. Properly quick!!

I'm hoping that my Peugeot 407 coupe will start to increase in value, it has less than 23k on the clock at the moment, I only do about 1k a year with it now.
I'm led to believe that only 52 of my particular car were imported into the country.
Probably won't be going up much in my lifetime.

My favourite Golf had to be my supercharged Mk2 in Tornado Red, huge (£s) spec, built by Mike Spence Motorsport in Berkshire. The 16v (my Jetta 16v was Helios Blue) was ok, but you had to be revving it for any advantage over the 8v.

Although I did enjoy my MK1 1.8 in Mars Red, bit of a roller skate - my 205GTI 1.9 was pretty good though, probably one of the best was my Citroen BX16v in white - a very rare sight today.

Jon.

Owned a brace of bx tzd estates, a zx vokcane tdi, xm 2.5tdi estate, a dyane, an ax diesel and a series one cx2400 gti. Would have loved a bx 16v gti, drove a 405 mi16 and it handled wonderfully. Someone mentioned 407 coupe...criminally undervalued and probably my next car....

Toyota MR2 mk3
Hyundai Coupe mk2
Mazda 6 MPS

i agree in re 16v being pretty indiscernible from 8v in normal use, but wen they were on cam they flew, had many flat out in fifth when i was young and daft. the supercharged one sounds fantastic, i think you did get a lhd golf rallye with the g60 supercharged engine? mate had a corrado g60 with tweaked blower and it was quick.

i owned e36 m3 evo, porsche 928 s4, fiat coupe 20v turbo and various quick saabs and volvos but i always remember my second vr6 engined mk2 golf being the quickest, most useable fast car i owned in feel anyway. it had a slightly tuned corrado 2.9 vr6, full mk3 front clip with big brakes , 5 stud wheels etc, it was a proper expensive conversion and just looked like a standard 16v down to the badges. if i recall, it put out abour 220hp and a load of torque, but that is PLENTY in a golf!!

i have always fancied finding a clean mk3 golf vr6 for a daily smoker, i think they were only around 180hp but big engine, small car is always a nice, relaxed feeling of power...

My Golf wasn't a Rallye, it was a custom build with a B & M Supercharger and a host of other mods that doubled the price of the car ! I have to make do these days with my Porsche built 500E with just over 300bhp, and of course my 300CE.

I was a member of the team that launched the Coupe Fiat in the UK, was very familiar with all the derivatives.

Jon.