Could a future classic car work for you? Fleet Voice
Wednesday 6th October 2010: Fleet Voice Column.
Picking future classic cars is a great game to while away any journey or evening in the pub. To get you started, British Car Auctions (BCA) has come up with its top five picks.
Tomorrow’s collectables
The list from BCA kicks of just as you’d expect, citing the BMW generation Mini as the hot classic for the future. On its heels is the Volkswagen Beetle based on the Golf platform. Hmm, we’d have put the new Fiat 500 well above the Beetle, but we’ll concede there’s enough of a following from those who like to drive with a plant pot attached to their dashboard for the Beetle to be a safe bet.
In third spot in BCA’s line-up of cars to squirrel away is the Citroen C3 Pluriel. This is an interesting spot on BCA’s behalf as the Pluriel is unremittingly rubbish as a new car. Its roof is pointlessly difficult to use to its full potential and build quality is woeful. Yet, and yet, there’s something appealing about the Pluriel in a 2CV-for-the-modern-world way that it could just be a sound choice for upcoming classic status.
Not quite on the podium but still a wise fourth place choice is the Mazda RX-8. We already know every example of the MX-5 is guaranteed classic status and the Mk1 version with pop-up headlights is rightly lauded as the best modern classic (very little) money can buy. So, the RX-8 with its quirky rotary engine, clever reverse-hinged rear doors and superb handling will make this Mazda the thinking coupe buyer’s choice.
However, its BCA’s fifth and final recommendation that has our eyebrows heading north in astonishment: the Vauxhall Omega.
In its day, the Omega was a worthy and durable executive choice for those who weren’t offered the selection of the holy German trio of exec saloons or estates. However, even if Audi, BMW and Mercedes were not on the menu, the Omega exuded a certain cool from it being the police patrol barge of choice.
In V6 form, and in particular the brawny 213bhp 3.2 MV6 with its 150mph top speed, the Omega was swift and enjoyed handling that was only just bested by the BMW 5 Series. Go for an Omega Estate and you had more space than most of us ever needed, or you could combine the wagon with a BMW-sourced 2.5-litre turbodiesel for supreme smoothness and decent 36.0mpg average economy.
The price of age
So, what is all the point of this reminiscing? Well, the thing that really got our eyebrows reaching for the skies is the earliest Vauxhall Omega dates from 1994 and in the eyes of the tax man that makes it a classic car already. As it’s more than 15-years old, the early Omega skips the common-or-garden company car tax system and its taxable liability is based on its price when new.
In the case of an all singing, all dancing Omega 3.0 V6 Elite with automatic gearbox and leather upholstery, which came with a generous list of standard equipment, that price is £27,385. A quick scour of the classifieds reveals you’ll pay just £1000 for just such a car in immaculate condition with full service history and less than 80,000 miles on the clock. That’s got to be tempting for a handsome, if dated, executive that offers a fine drive.
Even more tempting, though, is the plethora of classic cars on offer when you start to look at others with more than 15 summers over their sunroofs. Anything more than 15-years old and with a current value of £15,000 or less means you pay company car tax based on the original list price. Anything worth more than £15,000 and you pay tax calculated on its current market value, though it’s important to establish the correct value with the help of specialists or a dedicated owners’ club as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs is noted for its optimistic valuations in their favour.
Pick of the sub-£15,000 ‘classics’
Given the choice of sub-£15,000 classics there are, it seems like madness for any low mileage company car driver to pick a modern. Of course many of us need the economy, comfort and dependability of a new car, but for those who don’t completely rely on their company wheels a classic makes for interesting motoring.
Our top five are kicks off with the perennial MGB in either roadster or GT coupe form. Yes, it’s a predictable choice, but there are good reasons for this as the MG is tough, easy to look after, cheap to run and just as cheap to buy. A sound, well cared for GT will set you back no more than £5000 and its company car tax will be based on its price when new. In the case of the prettier 1973 and earlier chrome bumper models, this will be around £2000 and you’ll also benefit from not having to pay any road tax for a car built before the end of 1973.
Second spot goes to another hardy British sports car in the shape of the Triumph TR6. Some prefer the looks of its TR4 predecessor, but the lure of a throaty 2.5-litre six-cylinder engine does it for us. The TR6 is more than up to daily duties thanks to its solid construction and the skilled network of specialists makes sure these cars continue plastering smiles on owners’ faces.
Another Brit slides into third spot in the svelte shape of the Jaguar Mk2 saloon. You may have to break the £15,000 barrier to find a spotless 3.8-litre model with manual gearbox and the desirable wire wheels. However, stick with the sweet 2.4-litre six-cylinder motor, or opt for the Daimler V8-powered version, and this 1960s cops ‘n’ robbers icon is well within reach. Use specialist knowledge to bag a good ’un and you’ll have the coolest car in the company lot by miles.
For something a bit different from these established classics, we have the Range Rover. Hard to believe this progenitor of the SUV is now 40-years old, but it’s still a fine workhorse and there’s something utterly classless about early three-door versions. Around £5000 will bag a good 1970s three-door Rangie and you can live out your Avengers fantasies on every trip. Or if you want something a bit more practical and easier on the wallet, a later five-door Range Rover with a turbodiesel engine will set you back even less to buy and will be unstoppable over the winter months.
Finishing off our top five picks is more than a little luxury in the form of the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Sticklers will love the simplicity of the earlier models, but the bargains lie with the later Shadow II models, easily spotted by their headlamp wash-wipe and small front spoiler. Around £10,000 will get a sound, loved example – any less and you’re into unknown territory where sound but tired cars vie with filler-ridden wrecks.
These are just our faves, and you can let us know yours, but all of these cars will need a maintenance budget factored in, though this is offset by them suffering zero depreciation. In all likelihood, they will increase in value over time and there aren’t many company cars that can pull off that trick. In the meantime, you’ll enjoy classic motoring on a daily basis, turning the commute into a journey to look forward to.
Alisdair Suttie.
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