25 sub-£25k Italian classic cars

Is it time to live your classic car dream?

Picture the scene: you’re sipping a post-pizza espresso, gazing over an Italian classic car as the sun beats down on an effortlessly cute town square.

You might think such goals require bagfuls of cash, but the reality is that thanks to a general downer on Italian cars that seems somewhat unfair given the free pass certain marques get with regards to poor reliability and corrosion issues, this may not be as unachievable as you think.

For Italian car fans it’s a shame, but the good news is you can pick up bone fide classic cars for much less than you might imagine.

They also tend to be excellent fun to drive – whether they’re a sports car or a humble hatchback. And while Italian cars may require a little more love than some other nations’ automotive products, they repay you with superb smiles per gallon.

Plus, if it does go slightly awry, the UK is home to some of the world’s leading Italian car specialists. So, to get you thinking, we’ve picked 25 classic Italian cars that were on sale this week for less than £25,000.

All prices and information correct at the time of writing

1. Alfa Romeo 105 GT Junior 1600 (£24,995)


It’s a shape that’s captivated on road and track, and is probably what most of us picture as the defining sporty Alfa Romeo coupé – the GT Junior.

The buzzy, zesty engine is matched to a chassis that feels far more advanced and incisive than cars 10 or more years younger.

As such, a lot of these distinctive machines have now accelerated to twice our budget, but we managed to find a UK-supplied, right-hand-drive, 1976 1600 model in Worcestershire within our price limit, listed at £24,995. Finished in blue, it’s done 75,000 miles.

2. Lancia Beta Montecarlo (£25,000)

The Lancia Beta Montecarlo had a troubled production run – it was suspended for a few years – but its junior supercar vibe means that one look at it and you’ll forgive it almost anything.

Then there’s driving it – its mid-mounted Lampredi twin-cam may have dominated the cabin ambience, but its light weight made for nimble handling.

The car formed the basis of the 037 Group B rally car, which won the 1983 World Rally Championship, the last rear-wheel-drive car to claim that honour. We found a gold 1983 example in Sussex on 22,540 miles bang on budget, at £25,000.

3. Fiat 500D (£18,995)


The cute charms of the Fiat 500 have captivated generations.

Though it can’t quite reach the national speed limit and acceleration can be measured by cutting down a nearby tree and counting the rings, all-out performance isn’t the point.

It’s a charming back-to-basics car that’s engaging without ever putting you in fear of a speed camera.

However, we found something special in Kent (sadly not pictured here) – a 500D Trasformabile that stars in the forthcoming Indiana Jones movie, with Harrison Ford behind the wheel. Being a Trasformabile the canvas roof pulls back, giving wind-in-your-hair thrills. For £18,995 you can perhaps pull off some film-star stunts yourself.

4. Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint (£22,995)

We come to our second Alfa with this pick. The 106-series 2600 models took over where the 102-series 2000 cars left off, swapping the old four-cylinder for a smooth 2.6-litre twin-cam six-cylinder engine.

It was clothed in a delightfully stylish Giugiaro body, and had room for growing families.

It wasn’t quite as dynamically engaging as the other cars in the line-up at the time, but today the car makes for a wonderfully exotic cruising companion that’s very rare – of the 6999 Sprints built, only a handful remain.

We found a blue 1965 model on 67k miles in Kent, priced at £22,995.

5. Lancia Delta HF 4WD (£24,995)


With prices of the Lancia Delta Integrale in all their forms rising strongly, it’s time to look at the pre-Integrale cars.

It’s often forgotten, but the first Group A World Rally Championship victory was claimed by an HF 4WD, not an Integrale. In roadgoing form, the HF 4WD offered 163bhp from its twin-cam four-pot – and it had 210lb ft of torque thanks to an overboost function, making it a punchy performer.

We found a rare survivor in Berkshire that’s done 109,000 miles. A red model from 1986, it was for sale for £24,995.

6. Alfa Romeo 75 Cloverleaf (£8500)


The Alfa Romeo 75 is famed for being the last model developed and released before the company was swallowed by Fiat in the mid-1980s.

Funds were tight so the underpinnings were significantly reworked Alfetta bits, but Alfa’s engineers pulled out something special with a beautifully balanced rear-wheel-drive chassis and sweet-revving engines. Its looks might not be to everyone’s tastes, but this seldom-seen machine is now a cult car.

We spotted a 1991 3.0 V6 Cloverleaf for sale with 85,900 miles on the clock in Yorkshire. Finished in stealthy black, it’s in need of minor TLC and will set you back £8500.

7. Fiat 130 Coupé (£25,000)


Perhaps unsurprisingly, we’re heading back to the top of our budget with this one…

The ’70s was a busy time for Fiat, with new product launches across several model ranges.

The 130 was perhaps the most striking, because it marked a shift away from the populist cars it was best known for.

The stunning Pininfarina coachwork, penned by Paulo Martin, clothes a free-revving V6 and a super-stylish interior. It was a concoction that impressed Enzo Ferrari so much a 130 Coupé became his daily driver.

We found a silver, left-hand-drive example in Kent, from 1974, priced at £25,000.

8. Lancia Beta 2000 Zagato Spider (£22,995)


With crisp styling and a zesty Lampredi twin-cam engine, the Lancia Beta 2000 Zagato Spider is a treat for the eyes, ears and right foot.

Designed by Pininfarina but built by Zagato, there were several engines, including the supercharged Volumex model.

Like all Lancias of this era, few remain, and that’s a shame because they’re great fun to drive and have Hollywood allure – Art Garfunkel drove one in the 1980 film Bad Timing.

We found a similarly red example in Northern Ireland that’s done 34k miles. Dating from 1980, it’s up for grabs for £22,995.


9. Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 (£22,995
)

The Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV blends thuggish Giorgetto Giugiaro looks with a well-balanced transaxle chassis and engaging engines, to provide a car that’s held in high regard by keepers past and present, even if ownership wasn’t always straightforward.

Jeremy Clarkson, for example, loved his old one so much he bought the one sourced for The Grand Tour.

The GTV6 also proved to be highly competitive in Touring Car racing, and even had modest success in rallying.

We found a two-tone, red-over-black example in Sussex, stickered at £22,995.

10. Fiat 850 Spider (£9999
)

The Fiat 850 was a pretty little car in saloon, coupé, estate and van form, but the underpinnings were transformed into new heights of desirability courtesy of its Giorgetto Giugiaro-styled body.

This rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive machine may only have 843cc and 49bhp (the later Sport Spider had more), but in a package that weighs around 700kg those horses go a long way, even to 90mph if the German autobahns call you.

A rare sight in the UK even when new, it’s hardly surprising that the one we found is an ex-California car that’s in need of some aesthetic TLC. Finished in metallic-light green, it is in Lancashire, priced at £9999.

11. Alfa Romeo Spider 2000 Veloce (£23,990
)

The Alfa Romeo Spider launched the dreams of many a young go-getter – we imagine you’re hearing Simon and Garfunkel as you read this.

To make those dreams true might cost rather more than our £25k budget for an original boat-tail Duetto, but you can still get yourself into a Spider without the somewhat iffy ’80s bodywork additions for a reasonable figure.

We found a right-hand-drive 1974 2000 model, finished in silver, in Yorkshire on 55,000 miles, for £23,990.

12. Fiat Panda 45S (£5295
)

The Fiat Panda may have been designed to be a utility car along the lines of a piece of military equipment (according to its stylist, Giorgetto Giugiaro), but this little hatchback has transcended its humble origins, just like its predecessors.

The stark simplicity of its shape has made it something of a cult car, particularly in mountain-goat 4x4 form.

Prices for those have risen sharply, and you can even commission a new restomod version for many Euros.

However, the simple pleasures of a normal Panda can’t be ignored, so we found a Mk1 Series 1 900cc model with just the one door mirror in Essex. With 69k on the clock, this 1985 example would cost you £5295.

13. Maserati Biturbo Zagato Spider (£19,995
)

The Maserati Biturbo is finally beginning to shake off its somewhat unfair reputation – a new generation of enthusiasts have taken to its sharp-edged styling and intoxicating twin-turbo thrust.

In Spider form you get to experience the deep burbly V6 and exciting whoosh from the blowers, and this is still a quick car today, with around 250bhp to play with.

You also get true Italian design-house flair – from the A-pillar back the Spider is all Zagato. We found a blue 1993 example in Yorkshire that had covered just 29,000 miles, wearing a £19,995 price-tag.

14. Fiat 126 (£10,000)


The Fiat 126 is more than a car – it was the driving force behind the modernisation of Eastern Europe in the 1970s.

Conceived to carry on where the 500 left off, this angular, rear-engined machine was designed to be simple to run and cheap to buy.

It’s a national hero in Eastern Europe, because it provided transport and (relative) comfort, allowing families to travel and see more of the world. As such, these little cars are in high demand and UK prices have exploded.

We found one at the top of the market – it’s a 1979 De Ville Black Edition dating from 1979. Finished in (you guessed it) black with tartan seats, it’s number 162 of 1000 built and has covered 53,000 miles. It’s up for grabs for £10,000 and is in Nottingham.

15. Maserati 3200GT (£20,500
)

The 3200 was a new dawn for Maserati styling when it appeared at the tail end of the 1990s.

Two decades of boxy design were swept away with a curvy shape that blended futuristic elements, such as the boomerang rear lights, with exquisitely rendered historical motifs.

The engine was something special, too – a twin-turbo V8 that pumped out 370bhp, although it’s rumoured Maserati was told to turn the wick down so as not to upset stablemates Ferrari.

We found a manual example dating from 2000 on 40,000 miles. Finished in silver and located in Hertfordshire, it could be yours for £20,500.

16. Lancia Fulvia 1.2 (£25,000
)

There’s a persistent view from some that front-wheel drive is ‘wrong-wheel drive’ – the Lancia Fulvia is the car that proves that theory wrong.

With crisp, incisive handling and nippy performance from its narrow-angle V4, the Fulvia is an engineering masterpiece that rewards with every spirited drive.

It was an effective rally car, too, winning the International Rally Championship in 1972, and the Italian Rally Championship for eight years.

We found a grey 1200 model dating from 1967 in Derbyshire. It had covered 55,000 miles and was listed for £25,000.

17. Fiat 124 Spider (£19,950
)

The Fiat 124 Spider took the mechanicals from the trusty 124 Sport Coupé and saloon and mated them with a charming drop-top body via the hand of the late, great Tom Tjaarda, then working for Pininfarina.

The car lived a long life, entering production with Fiat in 1966, before switching to Pininfarina in 1981; the last one built rolled out of the factory in 1985.

Though the road car was more suited to spirited drives in sunny climates, the 124 Coupé was also a moderately successful rally car in the 1970s.

We’ve found a blue 1980 Fiat 124 Spider with a 2.0-litre engine for sale in Buckinghamshire. It had covered 37,000 miles and was priced at £19,950.

18. Alfa Romeo Alfasud 105 Ti Green Cloverleaf (£22,950)

The Alfasud has one of the most tragic automotive back stories in motoring lore – one that is too long to go into here, but which is all the more of a pity because of the model’s innovative basic design and engineering nous.

It may be more famous for rust, but at the heart of the Alfasud is a machine that’s fabulous to drive thanks to its light weight and low centre of gravity, and the raspy engine is an aural delight.

The few that remain will have been cherished, so corrosion should be less of a problem today.

We found a lovely looking 105 Ti Green Cloverleaf, from 1984. Finished in silver and located in Buckinghamshire, it’s done 60,000 miles and was up for grabs for £22,950.

19. Fiat X1/9 (£18,950
)

The Fiat X1/9 showed that putting a supercar shape on your drive didn’t need supercar funds.

The wedge-style profile aped the sharp-edged lines seen on the likes of the Lotus Esprit and Ferraris of the era, and was arguably more fun to drive on a B-road.

Its mid-mounted four-cylinder engine had between 74 and 84bhp, in a sub-900kg body, leading to excitingly nimble handling.

We’ve found a two-tone silver over black example from 1984 in Lancashire. It’s covered 15k miles, it has not been restored and it has a £18,950 price-tag.

20. Alfa Romeo 155 V6 (£7995)


The Alfa Romeo 155 may be a pin-up in Touring Car form thanks to its exploits in the British Touring Car Championship and the DTM, and the various computer games that depict these track warriors, but the road cars appear to have been somewhat forgotten.

That’s a shame, because these angular machines are fun to drive, relatively simple to look after and rare.

There’s a good choice of engines, too, with a fizzy Twin Spark four-pot and a thumping 2.5-litre V6, as well as the seldom-seen Lancia Delta-in-saloon-clothes Q4.

We found what appears to be a charming V6 in red (just like the Touring Cars) in Somerset. A 1995 model, it’s covered 89,500 miles and is priced at £7995.

21. Fiat 500 Giardiniera (£23,000
)

We’re going back towards the top of our £25k budget with this one…

The estate version of the Fiat 500 was the longest-running variant, and included lots of neat tricks to make the most of its modest dimensions.

The engine is mounted under the boot floor for a flat loading surface, while the rear-wheel camber is designed so it can take the weight of heavy loads, plus it has stronger suspension and brakes from a Fiat 600

We found a 1966 example, finished in blue, in Northamptonshire on 46,000 miles, priced at £23,000. It also has a fold-back full-length sunroof for summery frolics.

22. Maserati Karif (£25,000
)

As funds began to dry up at Maserati in the late ’80s, the firm had to come up with innovative ways of making the best of the toolbox it had to offer.

The Karif took the shortened Spider floorpan and had a fixed roof attached, but the best bit was the engine – a 2.8-litre V6 with a claimed 280bhp. That might not sound like a lot now, but back then that was Porsche 911 turbo-rivalling pace.

Very few were made and even fewer in right-hand drive, which makes the one we found for sale in Hampshire something of a unicorn. A red 1992 model, it’s done a mere 14,500 miles and carries a top-of-budget £25,000 price-tag.


23. Alfa Romeo 164 (£9995
)

The Alfa Romeo 164 was the last car developed by independent Alfa Romeo, but it was released after the Fiat takeover.

It shared its platform with the Saab 9000, Lancia Thema and Fiat Croma, but the Pininfarina styling marked it out as the sportiest of the lot.

The engines were special, too, with a fizzy Twin Spark four-cylinder and a thumping torquey Busso V6. Big Alfas rarely make for sales successes but the 164 bucked the trend, though now most have disappeared.

We found a rare survivor in Kent with a 230bhp 24-valve V6 engine in red over black two-tone. It’s done 125,000 miles and is up for grabs for £9995.

24. Fiat 238 van (£24,950)

Granted, so a van isn’t quite a car, obviously. But the example we’ve found would be perfect for the Lamborghini collector with everything.

Dating from 1980, this decal-clad, turquoise load lugger wears a full Lamborghini support-car livery (clearly not as pictured, that’s a stock image). The classic van for sale in London and will cost you £24,950.

The Fiat 238 is a special van, too, and lived a long life. It was produced between 1967 and 1983, and used a version of the Fiat 124’s engine. The 238’s low, flat floor, made possible by its front-wheel-drive layout, meant it was the perfect back-up truck for Italian racing teams.


25. Lamborghini tractor (£12,500
)

So, if you’ve got the van, how about the tractor, too?

Sadly we couldn’t see a single Lamborghini supercar for anywhere near our £25,000 budget, so one of these tractors will have to do.

We found an air-cooled 3352R diesel model from 1960 in Nottinghamshire, one of just 780 believed to have been built.

Even though it might be out-accelerated by the average spaniel, let alone more illustrious Lamborghinis, it does share something with its supercar brethren – an eye-popping orange and blue paintjob. It could be yours for £12,500.