5 Classic Cars That Do Not Break The Bank

There’s no running away from the fact that classic cars often come with exorbitant price tags attached to them. Driven by nostalgia, and a longing for the perceived good old days, classic cars offer an avenue for someone to relive a bygone era but in present day, which is why it is not uncommon to see enthusiasts spending lots of cash to keep these cars on the road. Thankfully though, not all classics will cost you a pretty penny – the 5 in our list will let you wear your rose-tinted glasses without you needing to look away when it comes time to check your bank balance!

The 5th & 6th generation Honda Civic are the poster children of the 90s and 00s boy racer scene. They can be had in a variety of flavours, ranging from your steel-rimmed saloon base model, to the hottest hatch the Honda can offer you in the form of the Type R hatch. Regardless of specification, these cars shared one thing in common – Honda’s bulletproof reliability. Aftermarket support, thanks to its boy racer connection, has always been good as well, which is why, especially taking into account the aforementioned dependability, that many of these cars are still highly desirable and on the road despite them being well in their 20s!

The original Beetle was produced from 1938 to 2003, making it one of the longest running production vehicles in the history of the automobile. Volkswagen produced over 20 million units over the course of the 65 year production run, meaning that parts are readily available. Aside from sheer quantity, these cars married simple construction with bulletproof air-cooled engines, making them a true favourite of the aftermarket. In fact, the classic Beetle has been the basis for hundreds of kit cars as they are easy to modify or even to completely rebody! Hollywood has helped the Beetle amass some of its cult following as well, as it is probably one of the cheapest hero cars that money can buy!

There aren’t many affordable rear-wheel drive options in the marketplace today, so you are looking to quash that desire for some tail out goodness (preferably in a safe and legal location!), your best bet is the E36. Early cars first hit the road almost 3 decades ago, but it is their solid engineering and design that still leads enthusiasts to tinker and modify these vehicles for track use; it really is not uncommon to see these cars being used as track day weapons or as drift cars overseas. In fact, till this day, tuning companies are still doing R&D to produce components that make the E36 stop, steer and go better and harder than what the OEM 80s & 90s technology BMW afforded the car with can do!

Many believe the W124 is the last in a line of over-engineered Mercedes Benz cars. Each panel, probably as a result of the perceived thicker-gauge sheet metal used in its construction, slams shut with a satisfying thud. Bits of the car that you do touch on a daily basis, door handles being the best example, feel hefty as well, and can take quite a good beating. Granted, of the cars in this list, the W124 has the most dated interior, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as it oozes some serious old-world Benz charm!

Of the affordable classics, is the Land Rover Defender the most legendary? Designed for agricultural use in the immediate aftermath of World War 2, the car was to have a solid ladder frame chassis, with an easy-to-repair bodyshell. As a daily driver, there are compromises you have to make, as it leaves much to be desired in the waterproofing department. Also, especially in comparison to the other cars in this article, it can be a little crude. However these foibles aren’t enough to overwhelm the charm that stems from its no-nonsense, go-anywhere ability. Earlier cars had engines from the Rover group, but later ones came equipped with motors borrowed from Ford, or from its Jaguar stablemate. For the sheer cool factor, it is hard to beat the Defender, which looks as at home in front of a posh hotel as it does doing a serious spot of mud-plugging!

Credits: Jek Ray Low