15 increasingly rare classic cars

The chosen few

At one point, these cars were the talk of the town, making headlines in magazines and newspapers around the world. People flocked to showrooms to sit in, test drive and occasionally buy them.

But of course, cars that were once sought-after fresh metal are now seldom-seen classics.

And thanks to the website How Many Left?, we can see that some are now becoming seriously rare these days. So, we thought we’d highlight a few and give them a chance to shine once again.

1. Citroën AX GT (1988-1992)

How many left: 27  How many SORN: 222

The Citroën AX GT is one of the unsung heroes of the late-1980s hot hatch world.

For a start, it’s tiny, and it has genuinely rapid reflexes and handling, albeit with quite heavy steering (which is odd in such a small car).

Citroën AX GT (cont.)

The car isn’t heavy as a whole, however, which is just as well because the 86bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine is not what you’d call a fire-breathing monster. Still, this means you can make the most of it at ‘normal’ speeds.

However, the AX GT is light because there isn’t much of it, so you probably won’t want to crash it any time soon.

2. Daihatsu Charade GTti (1987-1993)

How many left: 5  How many SORN: 54

As the hot hatch world exploded, so Daihatsu decided to get in on the act with the third-generation Charade.

So, up front was what it called ‘the most powerful 1.0-litre engine in the world’, because it developed 99bhp, almost 100bhp per litre.

Daihatsu Charade GTti (cont.)

The three-cylinder twin-cam turbo motor was a revelation back in 1987, because it managed to get the little hatch from 0-60mph in around 8.0 secs, which was pretty brisk in those days.

The chassis was able to make the most of the engine’s zip; reports of the time tell of neat handling and steering that’s a bit slow but which suffers no kickback, doubtless helped by tyres that are pleasingly skinny, so offer a great balance of handling and ride.

3. Peugeot 205 Rallye (1987-1992)

How many left: 35  How many SORN: 133

Of course, when anyone thinks of the Peugeot 205, the GTI automatically springs to mind.

However, the stripped-out 205 Rallye was arguably even better to drive, albeit a bit more hard work to live with.

Peugeot 205 Rallye (cont.)

This was because Peugeot chose to strip out most of the sound-deadening material as part of a drive to make the car even lighter. In the end it weighed just 794kg.

Under the bonnet was a 100bhp 1.3-litre engine that thrived on revs, and the bodywork featured squarer wheelarches and the Peugeot Sport decals. The 205 Rallye was also only available in white, and had body-colour steel wheels, for that extra element of cool.

It’s noisy and neither quick nor comfortable, but as a car to enjoy on high days and holidays, there are few finer.

4. Fiat Uno Turbo (1985-1995)

How many left: 5  How many SORN: 112

Turbo. In the middle of the 1980s, this was a word that signified fast.

And so it proved with the Fiat Uno Turbo, which could out-accelerate rivals such as the Peugeot 205 GTI. How does 0-60mph in 8.4 secs grab you?

Fiat Uno Turbo (cont.)

So the 105bhp 1.3-litre four-cylinder motor was powerful. But the Uno was also light at 845kg, because it featured innovations such as a glassfibre tailgate with integrated spoiler.

This meant it didn’t do a bad job of hanging on to contemporaries in the corners, either, although most road tests of the time complained that the car’s ride was more than a little on the firm side.

That just five are on the road in the UK is a sad sign of the times – let’s hope some of the 112 examples that are SORN get to be enjoyed once more.

5. Lancia HPE (1975-1984)

How many left: 8  How many SORN: 60

The Lancia Beta HPE was hamstrung from the off by tales of its sister car, the Beta Berlina, almost rusting before your very eyes through a combination of poor design and shoddy materials.

However, the HPE was much better than that, and managed to fend off the dreaded iron rot much more robustly. It was based on a lengthened version of the Beta’s floorplan and had elegantly lengthened rear bodywork to turn it into a three-door estate.

Lancia HPE (cont.)

It soldiered on until 1984, and was bolstered by the addition of a supercharger in the Volumex versions, which gave it 133bhp and decidedly sprightly performance.

There definitely aren’t many around these days, but the numbers are holding firm, suggesting the ones left are being looked after.

6. Ford Fiesta XR2i (1989-1994)

How many left: 75  How many SORN: 604

The Ford Fiesta XR2i showed the way forward in 1989. Mainly because it had a vast number of lights integrated into its front bumper. It looked like a rally car on the road. Too cool.

It was rapid, too. The fuel-injected 1.6-litre engine developed 110bhp and 102lb ft of torque, which was plenty to be going on with in a car that weigh roughly the same as a crammed-full suitcase.

Ford Fiesta XR2i (cont.)

As with everything, the XR2i was tested against the benchmark 205 GTI and stacked up rather well, with performance that was easily a match for that of the French car. It couldn’t keep up in corners though, with stodgy steering and slow responses.

It also became a bit of a darling of the car-theft brigade, so the XR2i name died in 1994, replaced by the tamer Si to mitigate skyrocketing insurance premiums.

7. Mazda 323 4x4 Turbo (1986-1992)

How many left: 6  How many SORN: 73

Four-wheel drive and a turbo. The hottest Mazda 323 should have sold like Bovril at a December football match. It was, after all, a homologation special designed and built to allow Mazda to compete in the World Rally Championship.

However, it was ever so slightly overshadowed by a certain Italian rival from Lancia, so buyers stayed away in droves – which probably, at least in part, accounts for its scarcity today.

Mazda 323 4x4 Turbo (cont.)

That was a shame because the 1.6-litre turbo motor developed almost 150bhp, and the standard four-wheel drive allowed it to put this all down at any given moment.

Unfortunately, the four-wheel-drive system also added weight, which compromised the car’s on-road agility somewhat, and made it feel less fun than its rivals.

Until, of course, it rained, at which point little else would see which way it went.

8. Renault Clio Williams (1993-1996)

How many left: 59  How many SORN: 300

Renault was rightly delighted by its partnership with the Williams Formula One team, and decided to build a limited-edition Clio to celebrate.

And so the Clio Williams came into being, with a 2.0-litre 16-valve engine up front, uprated front suspension riding on a subframe from the Clio Cup race cars, and a solitary shade of dark blue with gold trim.

Renault Clio Williams (cont.)

It finally toppled the Peugeot 205 GTI as the best hot hatch.

Indeed, it proved so popular that Renault did a second run of cars, then a third, to howls of derision but huge sales.

In the end, almost 12,000 cars were built, but many were used as the basis for race cars, which accounts for the low numbers left today.

9. Nissan Sunny GTI-R (1990-1994)

How many left: 17  How many SORN: 71

We have much to thank the world of rallying for.

Car manufacturers have entered for decades now, and road car fans have benefited through the homologation rules that dictate a certain number of road cars being built to qualify.

But no one saw the Nissan Sunny coming.

Nissan Sunny GTI-R (cont.)

And when it arrived – well, wow. Just look at it. Low-down stance, large rear wing, and of course, that bonnet. Oh, and four-wheel drive.

The turbo 2.0-litre engine produced 227bhp, which gave the Sunny quite the spring in its step. Indeed, it was a match for a Ford Escort Cosworth in a straight line.

It’s just a pity it didn’t achieve the success on the stages that the outlandish looks suggested it would – and that just 17 remain on British roads today.

10. Peugeot 306 GTI-6 (1996-2002)

How many left: 18  How many SORN: 117

Back in the middle of the 1990s, Peugeot stood head and shoulders above pretty much everyone else when it came to making cars ride, handle and entertain. And the 306 GTI-6 is one of the best examples of its work.

Under the bonnet, the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine developed 167bhp and loved to be revved, and the (unusual for the time) six-speed gearbox was the ideal tool with which to make it howl.

Peugeot 306 GTI-6 (cont.)

The 306 GTI-6 was light, too, at just 1125kg, which not only helped it in a straight line but also made it properly deft in corners.

Its steering was another high point, because it told your palms exactly how tough a day the front tyres were having, but it never kicked back in anger.

On the whole, the Peugeot harks back to a day when car makers placed handling above grip, sadly missed.

11. Vauxhall Cavalier GSi2000 16v (1988-1995)

How many left: 20  How many SORN: 246

In the late-1980s, Vauxhall spotted a gap in the market.

It could see that the people who had bought the Astra GTE in the middle of the decade were growing up, and needed a bit more space. They needed a Cavalier. But a Cavalier was dull. What to do?

Vauxhall Cavalier GSi2000 (cont.)

Hence the need for a hot Cavalier, and the GSi2000 was that car.

Its cause was undeniably helped by British Touring Car Championship star John Cleland two-wheeling his way around the UK’s race tracks (often with a brusque commentary on the abilities of his fellow competitors), plus the fact it looked pretty mean with its bodykit and matt black panels.

Its 150bhp gave it plenty of get up and go, but the Cavalier’s handling wasn’t quite as entertaining as the styling promised – and today, just 20 remain on the road in the UK.

12. Mitsubishi Starion (1982-1989)

How many left: 26  How many SORN: 154

The Mitsubishi Starion was a bit of a trailblazer, because it was the first car to use an engine that would not only win the World Rally Championship in the late 1990s, but it would go on to power Mitsubishi’s hot Lancer until 2005. That’s what you call getting it right in the first place.

In the early days the engine developed 150bhp, but this later rose to almost 200bhp, which was plenty to be going on with.

Mitsubishi Starion (cont.)

The rear-drive handling was neat and precise, like a Ford Capri with good manners.

There is no mistaking a Mitsubishi Starion. It does bear a slight resemblance to an original Mazda RX-7, but the designers must only have had an RX-7 polaroid and a bunch of rulers to hand that week.

They clearly designed the interior at the same time, because straight lines are the order of the day.

13. Fiat Strada 130 TC (1978-1988)

How many left: 1  How many SORN: 35

It is amazing how much better names sound in Italian. After all, ‘Strada’ means the somewhat less glamorous ‘street’. A lot more stylish sounding than the Ford Avenue or Vauxhall Cul-de-sac.

The Strada looked really stylish too, especially when beefed up to take on hot hatch rivals. The second-generation hot Strada got a 128bhp 2.0-litre engine fed by twin carburettors, although most rivals were embracing fuel injection at this point.

Fiat Strada 130 TC (cont.)

Still, it was brisk, and British cars even benefited from the fitment of Recaro bucket seats, although these would barely tip forward before hitting the rooflining, rendering access to the rear seats almost impossible.

However, according to How Many Left?, there’s only one example left running in the UK. Shame.

14. Princess (1975-1981)

How many left: 78  How many SORN: 41

If ever there was a car that epitomised 1970s suburbia, that car is the Princess, doubtless helped by its recurring appearances in the BBC sitcom Terry and June.

It was a slice of good-looking wedge with loads of interior space and with driving manners that had comfort and refinement at their core, and buyers lapped it up. Leyland pitched it as a rival for either high-end Ford Cortinas or lower-end Ford Granadas, and it seemed to fill that niche neatly.

Princess (cont.)

In the late 1970s the Princess 2 appeared, with updated power units and revised styling.

An interior that was a sea of velour and fake timber remained unchanged, however.

Eventually, almost a quarter of a million were built, but many have fallen victim to time and rust, to the extent that they’re pretty thin on the ground these days.

15. Vauxhall Royale Coupé (1978-1984)

How many left: 19  How many SORN: 45

If ever you needed evidence that Opel was General Motors’ ‘cool’ brand and Vauxhall was aimed at an older clientele, the name Royale provides it.

The Royale and Royale Coupé were pretty much mechanically identical to their Opel counterparts, but with the names Senator and Monza, the German cars sounded a whole lot more thrusting and rapid.

Vauxhall Royale Coupé (cont.)

Still, the Royale and Royale Coupé were properly plush range-toppers, with a six-cylinder engine of up to 3.0 litres and a 130mph top speed.

The interior was a profusion of wood and velour, so was pretty much as luxurious as UK car cabins got in those days – just use the handle to unwind the standard tilt/slide sunroof and sit back to enjoy a relaxing ride. If you can find one, that is.