How to live the classic car dream without spending a fortune

British sports cars are traditionally some of the classic market’s strongest performers – but we reckon that the market has missed these five. Richard Barnett explores the best deals

There’s no escaping the appeal of British sports cars, not only here, but abroad too. Cars from the Sixties have always been popular – think Jaguar E-type and Lotus Elan, for example – but there are equally interesting successors from the Seventies and Eighties. Because the classic movement has seen many more enthusiasts getting involved in the past five years or so, demand for cars has increased exponentially and that means that the prices of already popular cars have risen as many newcomers aim to play it safe. Consequently rising prices, particularly with certain Jaguar E-types and MGBs for example, have pushed some cars well beyond the means of many enthusiasts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that punters are being forced into driving a saloon or something modern. Far from it, and that’s because many classic scene newcomers can buy something interesting, fun to drive – and not necessarily as expensive as those increasingly popular motors. Some saloon bar ‘experts’ might see the more affordable cars as playing second fiddle to those familiar in-demand motors (MGBs, ‘Big Healeys, TR5s and the like) that everyone is supposed to be after, but the savvy enthusiast who doesn’t want to follow the crowd can spend way less money and have just as much fun and probably a greater satisfaction for buying something just that little bit unusual. We’ve selected five British sports cars that properly fit the bill – cars that offer as much fun as others costing far more – with a frisson of being that bit different. Which one of our quintet floats your boat the most?