Top 10 Young Timers to Buy
08 August 2017
Vehicles from before and shortly after the Second World War are referred to as “old -timers”. These cars, however, are no longer part of the childhood memories of today’s 30 and 40-year-olds. This is where young timers come into play: classic cars of a younger generation that are still affordable yet increasing in value over time.
When talking about attractive young timers to buy and own, most people instantly think about sporty convertibles and sports cars. However, young timers can also be practical and reliable. The best example comes from a British company. Classic Range Rovers have proven to be very reliable and emerged to one of the best off-roading cars in the world.
Another car, that does not quite reach the supercar status, yet makes a great young timer is the world’s first hot hatchback: the iconic Peugeot 205 GTI. The small yet quick and agile car set the standards for today’s Golf GTI, Audi RS3 or other hot hatches. In 2016, a special example in mint condition sold at auction for £27,000. They make a great investment but good examples are rare.
The German equivalent to the 205 GTI was the Golf GTI. Volkswagen’s hot hatchback is the most iconic one of the bunch. The light-weight, more powerful version of the basic Golf was voted 3rd best car of the 1980s and started the trend of building hot hatches with competitors like Ford, Vauxhall and Renault introducing their take on the concept shortly after.
A car that now reach the young timer status and was famous for its formidable soundtrack and agile cornering performance comes from the Italian brand of Alfa Romeo. The 160 break horsepower GTV6 delivered effortless performance and fascinated enthusiasts with its unique design.
Another German creation made it to our top ten list in form of the legendary BMW E30 M3 Convertible. These young timers are rare and rather unique. It featured the same 200+ horsepower engine of the regular E30 M3, just with the obvious option of taking the roof off for the sunny summer days.
A young timer that plays in a different league, the one of sports cars, is the Ferrari 348 Spider. The Testarossa’s younger brother managed to reach a top speed of 170mph. Prices for this exceptional model are relatively low nowadays, making the dream of owning a Ferrari affordable for many people.
Mercedes-Benz introduced the legendary 190E Evo at the beginning of the 1990s. With a 0-62 figure of 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 155mph, this beast of a car was competing against Ferraris and Lamborghinis, yet comfortably seated a small family and provided enough room for the groceries. With a value of around £200.000 it is not that much of a bargain. However, prices are predicted to increase further, making this young timer a great investment.
In the mid 1980s, the French brought us one of the most fun turbo charged hot hatchbacks in history. The Renault R5 Turbo is an iconic little young timer and a lot of fun to drive. Admittedly, it had its issues. Turbo lags and poor track performance were only two of them. Yet this car managed to reach icon status in the car world.
No list of young timers would be complete with a classic Porsche model. In this case, the 924 Carrera GT. With only 406 units ever produced, this car is quite rare. The 210 break horsepower engine enabled drivers to reach a top speed of 150 mph and a 0-62 time of under 7 seconds.
Last but not least some American muscle. The Corvette C2 is in affordable young timer for everyone who loves a big V8 and classic American design. In the 1960s Chevrolet introduced the second generation of the iconic Corvette model featuring 250 break horsepower and a top speed of 130 mph. This was not quite enough to keep up with the European competition. However, the muscle car made up for the lack of speed by an incredible soundtrack and fascinating design.
Article: Domenic Staelberg for AK Prestige Ltd © 2017
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