JAMES SADLIER

MANAGING EDITOR

Like many people, I’m drawn to cars that my parents used to own, for me these are the classics from the early 1980s. Thankfully these everyday family cars aren’t too pricey so it should be possible to buy four of the cars from my past with £20k.

First off, a Ford Cortina MkV estate would sit well in my garage. You can pick one up for around £2k but I think it’s worth spending a bit more on something cleaner and healthier for a few thousand more. I have a feeling that the later Cortinas will only become more desirable and appreciate as time goes on.

Without doubt I’d look for a low-mileage Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9 in black and with a red interior. It’s just got 1980s style from top to bottom. Not only do they have great performance, they also look fantastic and have a great following. I think with the amount of Peugeot 205 fans out there you’ll be able to fifind spare parts easily enough.

Sitting next to the 205 would be a Subaru Brat pick-up. OK, so there isn’t a huge popular following but it’s something niche that would turn some heads when on display at a show. It’s this rarity’s that make a good classic event sometimes.

Last, as I mentioned in last week’s CCW, the one classic I wish had never left the family is the Vauxhall Cavalier MkII SRI. I’d need a very low mileage variant here, as I want this for its power and speed. I’d be buying this for nostalgia like the other but equally it’s a beast on the motorway. Look out BMWs and Audis, the SRI is coming through!

It’s possible to fifind a good example of each of these for around £5k. Alternatively I could just blow my £20k on the car I always wanted in the 1980s – not the DeLorean, but a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. I’ll decide on the day when my lottery numbers come in.