We feel your pain. You see classic cars you’d love to drive, much less own, but you don’t have the six or seven figures on hand to actually buy one. Well fortunately you don’t need that much money to buy something you can enjoy.
Leave it to the folks at Hagerty to lead the way. The classic-car insurance and valuation experts have outlined five cars that, in the United States at least, you can pick up for less than $5,000.
They may not win any concours or even turn many heads out there on the open road. But that’s not the point. These are cars you can still thoroughly enjoy driving without breaking the bank, and they only go to show that there’s a car out there for everyone, whatever your budget.
1975-81 Triumph TR7
Wonder why you don’t see many Triumphs on the road these days? That’s because they don’t make them anymore (at least not the cars, anyway, as the motorcycle division is still very much in business). The TR7 was the last in a long line of British sports cars, and though the build quality made it the butt of jokes, you can still find some of these wedge-shaped sports cars in working condition for about $4,200.
1990-94 Volkswagen Corrado
Not unlike the Scirocco, the VW Corrado offered a sportier form as an alternative to the more common Golf. But unlike today’s Scirocco, the Corrado was actually offered in the North American market – though only 17,000 or so customers took the German manufacturer up on the option, leaving it in a rather obscure position. Hagerty reports that prices have been going up, but you can still find a 1.8-liter supercharged model for under $5k, while the more sought-after VR6 models sell for more.
1979-85 Mazda RX-7
While we wait for Mazda to revive the line, there’s three generations’ worth of RX-7s floating out there on the second-hand market – including entirely workable examples of the first-generation model for about $4,100 (give or take, depending on condition). That’s not a whole lot for admission into the rotary club, and aside from some typical Wankel issues, you can expect fairly solid Japanese build quality, too.
1984-93 Mercedes-Benz 190
Before the C-Class (and long before the CLA), the entry-level Mercedes sedan was the mighty 190. They were built like tanks, so (save for the 16-valve models) they’re not terribly fast, but they’re as reliable as they come. Plus you get your choice of gasoline or diesel power, or even a manual transmission, all for around $3,900 – which comes with the bragging rights of driving a Benz.
1983-86 Ford Mustang 5.0
Classic Mustangs are selling for crazy amounts of money these days – well over a million for Shelby GT350 Rs. But you don’t need to spend that much to get one of Dearborn’s pony cars. ’80s-era models (known as the Fox body) can be had for much less, especially if you’re willing to forgo the pricier GT and SVO models. The LX had the same 5.0-liter V8 as the GT, but you can pick one up for about $4,500 if Detroit steel entices you more than the imports on this list.