Scottish Elises

Crazy idea I know - we don;t buy cars as investments. Some cars have started to appreciate in value so along with enjoying them you could even make some money on them. Obvious exotica aside (F40s, Dinos etc etc) what would you have in your real-world 'investment garage?' Two that spring to mind for me at the mo are:-

1. Audi RS2
2. Renault Clio Williams

1. I'd love an RS2 but they're all pushing 15 years old and I'd be scared to land up with a rebuild bill. Still, the limited numbers mean its almost guaranteed to hold its value. This is the car that got my generation thining about Audis (I'm too young to really remember the UR quattro!)

2. Clio Williams - Again rarity and the acceptance that it was a simply fantastic wee car. Again, they're getting leggy and as they've been sub 3/4k for a while there's less chance of finding one that hasn't had a set of subs mated to the rear parcel shelf. Not too sure about the wee Renault's propensity to rust either

Anyone got any other suggestions?

Obviously I'd thought about an S1. You can find some that are fetching 50% of their price new, so that's got to be a plus. Its the car that started the Lotus revival/prevented its demise which also makes it quite a petrol-head icon. Does the fact that it was made in pretty high numbers keep it off the list though? Put it another way, would the limited edition S2 Jim Clark (limited to 25/50 - can't remember which) make it more likely to hold its value? Or have Lotus peppered the marketplace with so many special editions with dubious pedigree that it won't make a difference?

discuss

A 500E (not a facelifted E500) would be up there for me.

I dont want one, but would guess an EsCos will also do pretty well in the next 10-20years. Same with a decent Delta.

Rightly and wrongly, S1 Exiges will do pretty well also I reckon.

Who knows, in 20 years time there might not even be any fuel to run them.

MG SV

has all the vital ingredients it's fast and it's rare

or it's elder brothers anything by Detomaso

205 1.9gti
MGT V8

I am fairly sure one of the vital ingredients are that it is also a good car, something which I am not sure can be applied to the MG SV

CSL is a good shout - they have been rock solid (maybe losing 10-15% value as miles rise) for the last couple of years ish.

Merc 190E 2.5 Cosworth

http://www.pistonheads.com/SALES/1120778.htm

340 one of the reason I bought one.
Z1
Z M Coupe

Focus RS (mk1), standard (3dr Sierra Cos are making silly money to owners club types - MK2 Escorts the same: saw an immac, standard RS2000 custom, with standard carb etc for 18k not long ago)

S1 in original spec (MMCs etc)

immaculate Corrado VR6

Agree with Sanjoy on the Z1, also agree with S1 Exige

mk1 996 GT3

Original mini

but I had a nosey and it may be too late to pick up an SV

Clio V6 will do well I reckon (even though they are crap performance cars)- renault 5 turbo 2's are fetching 25-30k now.


scary to think Ive had and sold a few of the cars mentioned already

BMW E30 M3's couldn't believe the price they were going for, mint condition ones at £29k , would still love one though.

Suggested to my Grandpa he get a 288 GTO when they were on sale!

Suspect he'd wish he had now

The problem with investment garages though is you'd be loathe to use them - which kind of defeats the purpose

S1 Elise's on MMCs and original Minis for the win...

If the Elise S1 goes up i'd imagine the vx220 will probably follow it as, let's face it, they are rarer (in the sense that there are fewer of them AND that good vauxhalls aren't exactly 10 a penny...)

If the original Mini market is anything to go by, certain Elise limited editions will be worth more than others (often those that introduce something new, or those that are sport / good looking so type 49/25 etc, but maybe not so much *insert pointless Lotus LE here*

If the world goes all fuel concious/judging by things like the Suzuki Cappuccino then silly things like the Brabus Smart Roadster / Coupe might make it in there too, though not to the silly money of the previously mentioned fast Fords / Renaults / Audi and BMWs.

Of course fast and rare doesn't always mean gaining value, look at Granada Cosworths for example... It's quick, it's a ford, it has a cossie badge and there are probably less of them than 3dr Cossie Sierras!
Then there is the uber rare and not so well known cars like the Mk1 Mx5 BBR Turbo. not many proper ones made, but they don't really seem to command much more than a regular mx5.

Personally, i'd put on the list: Scooby P1 - low milage ones are near impossible to get now, and likewise the TME Evo.
The earlier RS4/6 Audis will probably start to bottom out in value fairly soon too.

Chris

Drove an RS2 a couple of times - not bad as long as you remembered it had the turbo lag from hell (and also nowhere to put your foot to the left of the clutch).

Real UR Quattro - that's a different story - lovely car responsive,communicative max torque at 1900 rpm with the 20 valve engine and that lovely noise !! - but parts dead difficult to find because Audi keep discontinuing them (rather than support their old models like BMW) AND you need someone who knows whatt they are doing to maintain them - lots of horror stories of bust engines rebuilt by people who don't understand them.

Drove a 190 E Cosworth manual once - had to move my leg around the steering wheel to change gear as there is almost no space between wheel and seat !!

Only car i can really say i'd like to go back to is a quick Mini (a real one,not the BMW monstrosities) - a real hoot to drive,but the used prices are ridiculous !! -

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/750982.htm

How Much !!

tonyg wrote:
Only car i can really say i'd like to go back to is a quick Mini (a real one,not the BMW monstrosities) - a real hoot to drive,but the used prices are ridiculous !! -

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/750982.htm

How Much !!

How about this one;
http://www.gcminis.co.uk/products/mini- ... 2800-miles

Most of the obvious candidates have been mentioned- from those I'd have a Mini Cooper, a Clio Williams, an E30 M3, a Corrado VR6 Storm, a CSL and an early unmolested S1.

In terms of others not mentioned, I reckon if you could find a standard mkI Golf GTI (is there such a thing?) that'd be a sure fire bet to at least hold it's money.

What about a TVR Griffith too? Was much loved in it's day and didn't really have as many reliability woes as some of the later models (I don't think). (That said I have no idea what they are worth now or what they have been worth recently )

That's two mentions for a Corrado VR6, interesting IIRC the 'storm' was the last one they built with some extra bits n bobs on it wasn't it? Grey leather as standard and midnight blue paint.

I remember a piece on TG a few years back where the Hamster recommended the 190E Cos and the VR6 Corrado - is this why you guys think Corrados are worth including or is there another reason? Excuse my cynisism, but I had a VR6 car in the past and I didn't think it was all that. Still, an engine alone maketh not the car