MONEYSPINNERS AND LOSERS

The classic car world has a secret. One which many outsiders looking in might never suspect. That is, that while there are scores of headlines talking about classics as investments, the truth for so many of us is the exact opposite. We buy with our hearts, we shovel many thousands into our beloved cars, and then we sell them for what we paid if we were lucky.

Some classics, however, don’t work like that. Some can represent genuine investments, either by dint of their long standing appeal or because people just happened to be in the right place at the right time. And some, often surprising examples, can do the opposite. You can buy high and lose a mint.

We’ve taken a look at some classics from the top of the market, some from the lower end, and a few long-standing favourites, to see just what the market’s been doing over the last five years.

And, if the idea of investing in classics still appeals, we’ve picked some of the best classic investments to buy now while they’re still cheap.

PEUGEOT 205-MONEYSPINNER

Of all the cars on our list, it’s clear that the Peugeot 205 is by far and away the car which has represented the best investment, with values now roughly an astonishing 180 per cent increase over their equivalents in 2015. The GTi and the Rallye are responsible for this meteoric rise; cars which teenagers hankered after in the days of telephone number insurance premiums are now attainable for those