The Jaguar XJ-S picked up where the Jaguar E-type (XKE) left off, but the new car was never supposed to be a replacement for the old. Whereas the E-type was launched as a sports car and it morphed into a GT, the XJ-S was conceived and developed as a cruiser. It was never meant to be sporting as such, although with a 5.3-litre V12 in the nose, the XJ-S was never going to be short of performance.
It’s the cheapest way into a Lotus right now – here’s how to avoid the pitfalls. Words Richard Dredge. Photography Tom Wood. Seven steps to buying a Lotus Elan M100 Buying the £6k Elan Buying Guide How to hurdle common tripwires and bag an epic Lotus Elan M100 Every generation has its ‘least-loved Lotus’, that oddball that leaves a pocket-moneysized way into the marque.
All Stags are covetable, but this one is more desirable than most because it’s one of the pre-production prototypes. Words and pictures: Richard Dredge. Restored: Triumph Stag History is littered with cars that had huge potential, but which wasn’t realised for a variety of reasons. At the top of the pile is surely the Triumph Stag which seemingly couldn’t fail when it was launched in 1970. Here was an affordable four-seater convertible with a 3.
Buying Guide Pick carefully, and a bargain Opel Manta can be yours for as little as £2k. They can be challenging to run, but these drivers’ cars are real bargains – for now. Words Richard Dredge. Photography John Colley. Six steps to buying a Opel Manta B Best Manta buys from £4k If you want a Seventies coupé the chances are you’ll be drawn to a Ford Capri.
Alfa Romeo is no stranger to producing distinctive and desirable cars, but the Type 916 GTV and Spider are on another level when it comes to standing out from the crowd. Designed by Enrico Fumia while working at Pininfarina, with the interior penned by Walter de Silva, these wedge-shaped sportsters were launched more than a quarter of a century ago, yet they still look fresh and are thoroughly usable modern classics. Words: Richard Dredge. Pictures: John Colley.
Seven steps to buying a Toyota MR2 Roadster W30 Mk3. This minimal mid-engined roadster is getting more desirable. Time to buy… Words Richard Dredge. Photography John Colley. Buying Guide How to put a bargain Toyota MR2 Roadster W30 on your drive The MkIII Roadster was a step back to basics for the MR2 after the Ferrari-aping MkII iteration of 1990-1999.
This bargain roadster is a great sports car and a design icon – find a sorted example and in time it may even cover its own running costs. Words Richard Dredge. Photography John Colley. Five steps to buying a BMW Z4 E85/E86 Buying Guide Get yourself a big-performance BMW Z4 for small change What to pay Scruffy running four-cylinder Z4s can be found for £1500. Decent examples come in at £3000, with £4000 buying an excellent one. £3000 is the starting point for a nice non-M six-cylinder roadster.
Buy a chic and cheeky Fiat 500 without getting a slap. ‘The 500 has long been a cult car, but since Fiat revived the brand in 2008 interest in the originals has gone stratospheric’. 7 steps to buying a Fiat Nuova 500 It’s a charming, usable classic, but there are poor examples trying to ride the wave of renewed interest. Here’s how not to get swept up and caught out. Words Richard Dredge. Photography Bauer Archive.
This stylish compact Ford is still a bargain, but top models are appreciating fast. Now's the time to buy - although some costly pitfalls await the uninformed. Words Richard Dredge. Photography John Colley. What to pay Ford Cortina MkII Basic roadworthy 1300s and 1500s cost £2500-£6250 Two-door shells are prized by those building Lotus replicas.1500GTs and 1600Es command £4500 in driver condition; mint cars will cost £8.5k-£11.