15 must-see £15k classic cars for sale

Get more for your money

For every classic car you hear of fetching millions at an auction, an almost uncountable number find buyers at far more affordable prices.

At the Classic Car Auctions London Classic Car Show Sale, which will take place from 12pm on Saturday 26 June 2021 at Syon Park in west London, many attractive vehicles are listed with estimates of £15,000 or less (not including buyer’s premium). And, while there’s an emphasis on Mercedes, Minis and Triumphs, the variety is nevertheless impressive.

Here are 15 of those cars which we think are particularly worth looking at, listed in chronological order of the years they were built.

1. 1969 MGB Roadster MkII (est: £10-12,000)

This roadster dates from the first half of the MGB’s 18-year production life. It’s an early example of the MkII, which was introduced in 1968 with several improvements including an all-synchromesh gearbox and an alternator rather than the previous dynamo.

The exterior colour is Snowberry White, contrasting with the black-leather interior, and highlighted by chrome front and rear bumpers.

The car’s Heritage Certificate shows that it was built for the UK market, and first sold by W Watson Ltd of Liverpool.

1969 MGB Roadster MkII (cont.)

The auction house says that this MGB Roadster has been thoroughly refreshed, with a full body restoration and a new soft-top.

Mechanically, the 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine has been rebuilt and given a new clutch and exhaust, along with electronic ignition.

According to the listing on the Classic Car Auctions website, the car has also been “treated to many new suspension components”.

2. 1972 Triumph TR6 (est: £12-15,000)

Only around nine percent of TR6s were originally sold in the UK, and this wasn’t one of them.

It was exported to the US from new, but came back to Blighty in 1990 and was converted to right-hand drive. However, the engine is still in its US-market specification, with twin Stromberg 175CD carburettors rather than fuel injection.

The roof is much newer than the rest of the car, and the seats are unoriginal, having been taken from a Mazda MX-5.

1972 Triumph TR6 (cont.)

The interior, running gear and post-1990 documentation of the car are all rated very highly by Classic Car Auctions, though not quite at five-star level.

The exterior is generally solid, and in good condition for a nearly 50-year-old car. Careful detailing would improve the appearance, but the car could also be driven and enjoyed just the way it is, with no concern about adding another scratch or two to the paintwork.

3. 1973 Triumph Stag MkII (est: £10-12,000)

This Triumph White-painted Stag, with a black roof and a Chestnut Brown interior, dates from the first year of MkII production.

The car was restored several years ago, and now has an improved cooling system, power steering, rebuilt brake calipers and a stainless-steel exhaust.

1973 Triumph Stag MkII (cont.)

With an estimate of between £10,000 and £12,000, this car looks like a bargain in Stag terms.

That’s partly because it appears to be in ‘everyday usable’ but not immaculate condition, which may be just what a potential owner on a budget is looking for.

4. 1977 Triumph Stag MkII (est: £10-12,000)

Expected to sell for much the same amount as the ’73 Stag mentioned previously, this late-model car is visually distinctive with its Mimosa Yellow paintwork and contrasting black hardtop.

The 3.0-litre V8 engine is said to be original, but has recently been rebuilt and treated to a new oil pump and carburettors.

1977 Triumph Stag MkII (cont.)

As with the older model, this Stag is in reasonable rather than concours condition, hence the tempting estimate.

It does not appear to have had a hard life, having covered just 77,516 miles in 44 years. Ready to be enjoyed? Yes, providing you like yellow…

5. 1982 Fiat 124 Spider 2000 (est: £12-15,000)

The Spider version of the boxy Fiat 124 was a real beauty, thanks to the inspired work of Italy’s Pininfarina.

This example is one of the last ever built. It was imported to the UK in 1991, having spent the previous nine years in the US.

The current owner bought it in July 2020 with the intention of using it in classic rallying, but decided against this for fear of affecting its immaculate condition.

1982 Fiat 124 Spider 2000 (cont.)

Within the past year, the Spider 2000 has had £6000 spent on it.

New equipment fitted in that time include the heating system, brakes, spark plugs, air-mass sensor, Pirelli tyres, and European-specification suspension and bumpers.

The Cromadora wheels have also been refurbished.
 

6. 1984 Mini 25 Limited Edition (est: £10-12,000)

Created to mark the classic Mini’s quarter-century in 1984, the Mini 25 is so well thought-of that it even has its own Register.

In total, 3511 examples were built, all of them fitted with the 998cc version of the BMC A Plus engine. The paintwork was silver (because 25 years marks a silver anniversary) and there were appropriate ‘Mini 25’ decals inside and out.

1984 Mini 25 Limited Edition (cont.)

Comprehensive documentation shows that this car was sold by Castle Motors in Forfar to an owner who drove it for just 4249 miles in 18 years.

The second keeper adopted a similarly low-mileage approach. The current owner, who bought the car in 2016, has hardly used it on the road at all. That means that after 37 years, there are still only 8731 miles on this Mini’s odometer.

7. 1986 Jaguar XJ-SC V12 5.3 (est: £10-12,000)

The Jaguar XJ-S (later known as the XJS) is not a particularly rare car, having been in production for 21 years.

The targa-top XJ-SC cabriolet, however, is a bit special. It was the first convertible model in the range, and was produced only from 1983 to 1987.

It was also the first XJ-S available with the new 3.6-litre AJ6 engine, although the car for sale here has the more traditional 5.3-litre V12.

1986 Jaguar XJ-SC V12 5.3 (cont.)

This car was supplied new by Reeve & Stedeford of Solihull in April 1986, and has a colour scheme of Tudor White with Iris Blue leather interior upholstery.

Recent work has included fitting a new exhaust, power steering rack, tyres and diamond-cut alloy wheels. The targa top has been re-covered, and the steering wheel has been refurbished.

8. 1989 BMW 320i Convertible (est: £10-12,000)

As long as originality isn’t important to you, this BMW 3 Series convertible from the E30 generation has a lot going for it.

It has been through a three-year bodywork and interior restoration, and now looks great in its Diamond White paintwork with contrasting black-leather interior.

Other features include new brakes, exhaust and battery, a body-coloured hardtop and a replacement rear bumper.

1989 BMW 320i Convertible (cont.)

The non-originality is due to the fact that the 2.0-litre straight-six engine has been replaced by a 2.5-litre unit from the 325i.

The car’s authenticity might have suffered then, but on the plus side it now has nearly 170bhp, and will perform far better than it did when it left the factory 32 years ago.

9. 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL (est: £10-12,000)

The 5.6-litre V8 in the 560SL had the largest capacity of any engine in the Mercedes-Benz R107 sports car range, but was less powerful than the 5.0-litre V8 in the 500SL.

It was sold only in North America, Australia and Japan, and is therefore a very rare sight on European roads.

This example, produced near the end of production, was exported to the US, and was personally imported to the UK in 2018.
 

1989 Mercedes-Benz 560SL (cont.)

Painted in Arctic White and featuring Navy Blue leather upholstery, this car has covered an indicated 166,500 miles.

It has had a mechanical overhaul, and has been partially restored. Its next MoT is due in September 2021.

The only drawback might be that you’ll need to be a fan of the US-market bumpers and headlights.

10. 1990 Peugeot 205 GTI (est: £12-14,000)

Still regarded today as one of the finest hot hatches ever, the 205 GTI was available first with a 1.6-litre engine and later with a long-stroke 1.9-litre version of the same unit.

The car being auctioned is painted in metallic blue, and has the factory-fitted glass sunroof and grey full leather upholstery.

1990 Peugeot 205 GTI (cont.)

This 205 has recently been extensively recommissioned. A major service included the fitment of new belts and hoses, plus a new set of Michelin tyres on the 15-inch Speedline wheels.

According to the odometer, the car has covered just short of 105,000 miles. Its MoT expires in January 2022.

11. 1991 Mitsubishi GTO (est: £10-12,000)

Also known as the Mitsubishi 3000GT and the Dodge Stealth, the GTO was fitted with several versions of Mitsubishi’s 6G72 V6 engine.

The car shown here had the variant with 24 valves, and one turbocharger boosting the intake charge on each bank of cylinders.

Outside the engine compartment, the GTO is technically innovative, with four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, electronically controlled suspension, and automatically adjusting front and rear spoilers.

1991 Mitsubishi GTO (cont.)

This GTO, offered in Classic Car Auctions’ London Classic Car Show Sale on 26 June, is painted in Sable Black and has a two-tone grey-cloth interior. It will be sold with a set of original alloy wheels, which are not shown in these photos.

Its odometer reading is just 12,163 miles. This has not been verified, but is believed to be correct, in which case it represents only around 400 miles per year since the car was built.

12. 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500SL (est: £10-15,000)

The 500SL was the most powerful variant of the R129 Mercedes-Benz SL until the 600SL was introduced in 1992.

Its 5.0-litre V8 originally developed 322bhp, though its output was reduced slightly as part of an attempt to improve the exhaust emissions.

This example has Ice Blue metallic bodywork and matching hardtop, along with cream-leather upholstery.

1992 Mercedes-Benz 500SL (cont.)

The car offered here has been in its current ownership for five years, and has covered 73,752 miles in its 29 years.

It has recently passed its MoT, and its certificate will remain valid until May 2022.

13. 1994 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R (est: £12-15,000)

Sold in Europe as the Sunny GTI-R, this car was a homologation special which allowed Nissan to compete with a competition-prepared derivative in international rallying.

Apart from its bonnet scoop and large rear wing, it looked similar to every other three-door Pulsar/Sunny, but unlike any of them it had a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine and four-wheel drive.

1994 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R (cont.)

The Pulsar named suggests that this car has been imported to the UK from Japan, and this is exactly what happened in 2013.

In the eight years since then, it has covered only around 2000km, taking the mileage to an indicated 93,330km, or approximately 58,000 miles.

Many surviving GTI-Rs have been heavily modified, but the current owner says that this one is “almost as it left the factory – rarer than hens’ teeth with these cars”.

14. 1998 Dare DZ (est: £10-12,000)

The Dare DZ was a radical-looking, mid-engined sports car with a tubular steel chassis and composite bodywork.

Designed to perform well due to low weight and precise handling, it wasn’t very powerful. Its 2.0-litre Ford Zetec engine produced 210bhp if supercharged or, as here, 130bhp when naturally aspirated.

The car being auctioned was the company demonstrator, and the first of only 10 examples ever built.

1998 Dare DZ (cont.)

This particular DZ was displayed at the British Motor Show in 1998, and later featured on Top Gear. It has covered fewer than 30,000 miles.

Although production ended some time ago, parts and servicing are still available from Dare, which still exists and specialises in early Ginetta models.

15. 2001 Mini Cooper 40th Anniversary Limited Edition (est: £10-12,000)

The last of the Mini anniversary editions celebrated the car’s 40th birthday. Only 800 examples were built, half of them with right-hand drive for sale in the UK and Japan.

Production took place in 1999, but this particular car was registered in 2001, a year after the classic Mini was discontinued.

2001 Mini Cooper 40th Anniversary Limited Edition (cont.)

This example is unusual in that it has an automatic transmission, although this was common for versions sold in Japan.

Of the seven available exterior colours, this one is painted in Epsom Green, and has the usual ‘Mini 40’ branding inside and out.

Although it has seen more action than the Mini 25 mentioned earlier, this car still has an impressively low odometer reading of just 22,707 miles.

All these classic cars will go under the hammer with Classic Car Auctions at its London Classic Car Show Sale. To find out more about the 25-27 June show and to see our ticket offer, click here. To check out the full lot list for this 26 June auction, click here.