Modern classic cars in 2022 for first time owners
18 August 2022
So, you're thinking of buying your first classic car. Exciting times! But what motor from yesteryear will suit you best?
Perhaps you're daunted by the amount of mechanical expertise you think you might need to keep your classic car in tip-top working order. In fact, you needn't worry too much about that.
There's a huge classic car owners' community out there, with many of the more common classics – the MGB, Mazda MX-5 or Mk1 Golf GTI, for example – boasting hundreds of friendly and enthusiastic owners who will be happy to advise on mechanical questions, parts sourcing and more.
In fact, we'd definitely recommend joining a classic car owners' club, whichever vehicle you opt for in the end. Membership of these brilliant organisations brings a whole host of benefits including a potential discount on your modern classic car insurance.
Lancaster has some strong links with many clubs up and down the country.
Anyway, here are some of our recommendations for starter classics. These cars have one or more obvious benefits for classic-car newbies – whether that's affordability, ease of maintenance, ready parts availability… or just the right amount of cachet to get you launched in the classic car community.
Have fun!
Ford Cortina Mk3 / Mk4 / Mk5
We've lumped in three generations of Ford Cortina here, for two reasons.
Firstly, we think they all make attractive first-time classics.
Secondly, these cars weren't actually all that different from each other.
The Mk3 Cortina of 1970 to 1976 was, famously, one of the iconic cars of the early 1970s, with its American-inspired, Coke-bottle styling and a sense of swagger that epitomised the era's bolder car designs. The more sensibly-styled Mk4 of 1976-79 was basically a reskin of the Mk3, in more sober clothes but with the same mechanicals.
Similarly, the MK5 made few changes when it emerged in 1980, simply updating the looks for a new decade (the car was also famously known as 'Cortina 80' during its early life). The last Cortina rolled off the production line in July 1982, coinciding with the launch of its successor, the Sierra.
Some Mk3 and Mk4 cars have that oh-so-70s feature, the vinyl roof.
Bound to be a conversation piece when you nervously attend your first meet up.
First-time classic credentials:
Being Fords, these cars are still around in reasonably good numbers, and parts are still readily available. A good many garages out there will still know their way around the Cortina's inner workings. Indeed, if they were in business in the 1970s, 1980s or even 1990s they will have seen a lot of these cars – the Cortina was Britain's best-selling car from 1972-75 and 1977-1981.
There's a lively owners' club scene, centred on the Cortina Mk3 Club.
Porsche 924
If you want a way into Porsche ownership but don't have the budget for a 911, you won't go far wrong with a 924. The closest thing to an affordable Porsche when it appeared in 1975, the 924 remains the easiest way to get behind one of Stuttgart's finest now.
Porsche's first front-engined sports car, the new model delivered a very different driving experience to its rawer 911 sibling. Here, in short, was a Porsche you didn't need a sales director's salary, or an advanced driving certificate, to own.
The 924's slightly less elite credentials have their roots further back in the 1970s. You see, the car was originally a replacement for the 914, the two-seat roadster on which Porsche and Volkswagen worked together in the 1960s.
The 924 added in some features of its own – including, in the shape of a hatchback and two admittedly small rear seats, more practicality than a typical Porsche. Most 924s featured a two-litre, four-cylinder engine. Hardly supercar stuff – but, we're thinking, a nice way to start your classic car ownership journey.
For one thing, the car's modest – though decent – performance could command cheaper modern classic car insurance premiums than the much more potent 911.
First-time classic credentials:
The 924 is still around in good numbers, and – amazingly, for something that looks so sharp and sporty – can be had for as little as £4,000. If you can find £10,000 or so, you'll get one that shouldn't give you two many ownership problems.
The excellent Porsche 924 Owners' Club should be your first port of call for any maintenance headaches.
Triumph Herald
There aren't necessarily that many cars from the 1960s that we'd recommend as a first-time classic. However, the Triumph Herald would do the job well, thanks to features such as its light, positive rack and pinion steering and its legendarily tight turning circle.
Yes, turning one of these little gems around in a tight space is something of a breeze, which makes it an ideal car for less experienced drivers – although more seasoned motorists will also love any time spent in a Herald.
First-time classic credentials:
Styled, like the later Dolomite, Spitfire and Stag, by Giovanni Michelotti, the Herald was produced in big numbers: more than half a million drove off the assembly line between 1959 and 1971.
That's good news, as it means that these cars are still around in decent quantities – and are relatively affordable – today.
Once you've acquired the Herald for you, sign up to the UK-wide Club Triumph to tap into a vast community of friendly and knowledgeable Triumph owners. Chasing an elusive part, or have a nagging technical question? Someone on the CT forums will be able to help.
For modern classic car insurance. cover, come to Lancaster.
Volvo 140 / 240
We've lumped these two together as, like various generations of Cortina above, there wasn't a huge amount of difference between the 140 series and its 240 successor.
Essentially, for more than a quarter of century from 1966 to 1993, Volvo produced big, boxy and frankly bulletproof saloons and estates which, now, make attractive propositions for anyone dipping their toe into the classic car waters.
With typical no-nonsense practicality, both the 140 and 240 ranges were named for their door quotient. So, a 142 is a two-door saloon and a 144 its four-door equivalent; the 145 is the estate version, with that tailgate essentially a fifth door.
The same scheme carried over for the 240 family.
First-time classic credentials:
That legendary Volvo safety and build quality? It all started here. If well looked after, there's no reason one of these Swedish stalwarts shouldn't provide you with many more years of relatively trouble-free motoring. They are also relatively simple mechanically, so are easy to work on.
No need to brace yourself for big repair and restoration bills – although we'd still recommend a strong modern classic car insurance policy.
Then there's the fact that your car will be looked at with almost universal fondness. In the case of the 245 estate in particular, prepare yourself for a flood of 'my dad had one of those' comments.
MGB
It should come as no surprise that the elegant, accessible and affordable MGB is one of the cars for which we most often receive modern classic car insurance. queries. There are so many ways in which this sleek, fun, solidly built and big-selling coupé/roadster makes a great starter classic.
For one thing, the MGB's mechanicals are nice and simple.
Another huge point in its favour is its enduring popularity with drivers, decade after decade. Result: there is now a vast community and industry dedicated to keeping this brilliant British sports car on the road.
Indeed, it might be said that the MGB has the best parts and club support of any classic car. This is one of those classics where the earlier models command the higher prices. In particular, from 1974 onwards, the MGB incorporated rubber bumpers at the front, in response to US safety legislation.
For many MG purists, these later models don't have the grace and elegance of the earlier, chrome-bumpered cars.
If you're not too fussy, though, this bumper snobbery could prove to your advantage, as you'll be able to get a later MGB, with somewhat improved engineering, for less money. Indeed, you can probably get yourself behind the wheel of a post-1974 MGB for as little as £4,000.
First-time classic credentials:
That huge owners' community, centred on the MG Owners' Club. Buy an MGB and you will never feel alone. (In fact, we owe our very existence to the above club – we started life as its insurance division, before branching out into other marques).
VW Golf Mk1 to Mk3
Here's another car where you might want to choose from across several generations, according to your budget and the level of creature comforts you want from your classic. The original Mk1 Golf of 1976 to 1983 is still held up, to this day, as a design classic.
A car with clean, simple lines, it packed a lot of space into small dimensions and somehow managed to look more grown up than those modest dimensions should have allowed.
Yes, the Mk1 Golf was the ultimate classy small car of the late 1970s and early 1980s, and it says much for what it achieved that the car has held onto that halo aura throughout its subsequent generations. Not only did the Golf lead the small hatchback class: it practically defined it.
Sportier drivers' thoughts will inevitably turn towards the GTI. Be aware that that car is, respectively, quite expensive in Mk1 and Mk2 guises, and not everything it should be in Mk3 guise. Instead, for a lower purchase price and lower modern classic car insurance bills, go for a less cooking (but still very able) four-door version.
Need power steering?
That found its way into the Golf from the second generation onwards but it can be retro-fitted to Mark 1s.
First-time classic credentials:
Popular, almost universally well-liked, generally pretty reliable, and with a huge network of enthusiasts out there – you will very rarely go wrong with a Golf.
Triumph Spitfire
After the Herald above, here’s another Triumph that would (and frequently does) make a great starter classic. The great thing about the Spitfire, a little like its British Leyland stablemate-cum-rival the MGB, is the sheer amount of pleasure it will give you for a relatively modest outlay.
In fact, the Spitfire has a fair amount in common with the MGB (the latter in two-seat roadster, as opposed to four-seat GT form). Both cars were simply designed, elegant two-seaters: both represented the more glamorous and playful end of the British Leyland offering, at a time when many of the company's cars were a little more stolid.
Both were produced from 1962 to 1980, while late models of both feature rubber bumpers and, as a result, are less appreciated by the purists, which makes them a cannier choice for budget-conscious buyers.
The Spitfire evolved its way through five generations, with the final two (the MkIV and the 1500) offering perhaps the best combination of affordability, performance and driving dynamics.
First-time classic credentials:
Like the MGB, the Spitfire is just such an attractive proposition on so many fronts: affordable, simple to repair, and oodles of fun. And, of course, there's a busy owners' and enthusiasts' community out there, ready to help you get your Spitfire up and running.
Mercedes 190
We mulled over quite a few Mercedes models for this list. The German marque has always produced tough, durable cars that can chug on for many thousands of miles without giving problems. One car in particular, the W123 – a sort of E-Class before the fact – lived on for many years after its original 1975-85 lifespan. Indeed, we hear that W123s are still doing business as taxis in some countries around the world to this day.
We've gone, instead, for something slightly later and smaller.
The 190, as it was known (internal designation: W201) was Mercedes' first 'compact executive': an upmarket, medium-sized saloon, a territory dominated at the time by the E30 BMW 3 Series.
You have a decent range of engines to pick from, but choose carefully. The non-turbocharged diesels are none too quick, while the 2.3- and 2.5-litre, 16-valve petrols will be expensive, both to buy and to insure. That leaves the fuel-injected, ‘E’-badged two-litre petrols – and these would be our recommendation.
First-time classic credentials:
The sense of class that still surrounds the car, really. It's a bit more unusual than that ubiquitous '80s compact exec, the E30 3 Series.
You should get plenty of appreciative looks at meets and rallies.
Reliant Scimitar GTE
Your writer remembers, as a 10-year-old in the mid 1980s, being very chuffed to have the answer to the question: what is the fastest estate car? That was, at the time, the Reliant Scimitar GTE – more of a shooting brake than an estate, if we're strict with the definitions.
The Scimitar was capable of a maximum speed of 120mph – not bad for a car that could accommodate your weekend baggage or, if you belonged to the right set, a hunting dog or two. No wonder Princess Anne famously got through several.
The initial SE5 Scimitar of 1968-75 became the slightly more luxurious SE6 from 1975 until the car's demise in 1986. Changes included an increase in rear-seat legroom, so this later model may be the one to go for if you regularly carry rear-seat passengers.
First-time classic credentials:
It was always one of the most distinctive cars of its era, and it's now a great collector's car – or starter classic. For one thing, that impressive performance came from the car's engine – a 3-litre Ford V6 that also cropped up in the latter's Capri and Granada models around this time.
Being a Ford, it's a reliable unit – and will be easy to work on and/or replace when the time comes. Too rare to support an owners' club?
VW Corrado
The '90s hot hatch of choice for the discerning classics fan, the Corrado picked up where the Scirocco had left off, as the Golf's sportier sibling.
Based on the Mk2 Golf, the Corrado featured more rakish styling, a dashboard inherited from the more upmarket Passat, and a handful of four- and six-cylinder engines. It was a cleverly designed car – one notable piece of design inspiration was the rear spoiler that stayed tucked away until the car reached motorway speeds.
Then, it would rise almost imperceptibly above the bootlid.
The six-cylinder cars arrived in 1992 (when the car also got a facelift), and will be the more desirable option on the used market now. If you're planning to keep the car as a daily driver, we'd probably recommend the more affordable four-pot versions.
They'll give you lower maintenance bills, while your modern classic car insurance premiums should also be more modest.
Watch out for some known rust spots – such as the suspension mounts and inner wheel arches. Buy on condition rather than mileage: we'd rather have a well-tended 120,000-miler than a beaten-up car with a third of the mileage.
First-time classic credentials:
The Corrado is another of those cars that show you know what you're about when it comes to classics. A bit of a sleeper car, much less obvious than an M3 or 944, but with a certain quiet cool all of its own.
It was a shoo-in to our list of best 90s coupés…
Austin Allegro
Some of the cars we've featured in this list – like the VW Corrado above – are here for the instant credibility they will give you among the classic car crowd. When it comes to the Austin Allegro, that archetypal '70s British Leyland product, the appeal is a little harder to find – but it's definitely there.
The successor to the much-loved Austin/Morris 1100/1300 range, the Allegro was not a particularly well-liked car during its lifetime. For one thing, there were the car's slightly awkward looks – that high bonnet made it a less graceful car than, say, the rival Alfasud.
The car's bouncy Hydragas suspension system also proved divisive.
However, the Allegro seems – at last – to be getting the rehabilitation that we think it deserves. They're still cheap to acquire, but their reputation is growing as more classic owners revisit a car that was so familiar during their youth.
First-time classic credentials:
It's still affordable, though maybe not for much longer. And, as a love-it-or-hate-it 1970s icon, an Allegro is bound to start a conversation wherever you take it. There's also the fact that, being part of the larger British Leyland family, the Allegro shared parts with various other cars.
Smaller-engined variants have similar parts to the Mini, while those with the larger 1500 and 1750cc engines shared many of their mechanicals with the Austin Maxi. So you shouldn't have too much of a battle sourcing both parts and expertise.
But why not become a member of the friendly owners' club, Allegro Club International, just to be on the safe side?
Fiat X1/9
The appeal of Fiat's wedge-shaped 1970s two-seater can be easily summed up: supercar looks for Ford Cortina money.
Yes, when the X1/9 burst onto the scene back in 1972, it had some of that futuristic bravado of fellow Italians such as the Lancia Stratos or Dino 308 GT4. The looks were, in this case, somewhat deceptive, as the X1/9 – with its 1.3, later 1.5-litre engine) couldn't come near to the performance of cars like these.
No, the little Fiat may have looked as though it was designed to be thrashed around the Monza circuit, but in reality it was happier doing the weekly shop. And was priced to reflect that fact.
Disappointing? Quite the reverse, if you're looking for an affordable classic and looks, rather than out-and-out performance, are your benchmark.
First-time classic credentials:
Those modest performance figures meant that the X1/9, and its space-age looks, could be acquired for around the price of a Vauxhall Astra or Ford Escort. The good news is that the car remains relatively affordable on today's used market.
It's easy enough to acquire an X1/9 in decent condition for around £7,000 to £10,000.
Modern classic car insurance for your first classic car
If you're about to take your first steps in the fascinating and rewarding world of classic car ownership: congratulations! You should be in for many hours of delightful choosing, tinkering and, of course, motoring in the classic of your dreams.
Just make sure it’s properly protected with insurance from the specialists.
Get a quote for modern classic car insurance from Lancaster today.