Mazda MX-5 (NA)

One we found for sale 1996 MX-5, 47,000 miles, £2250 When writing about this contest on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, in 2014, Andrew Frankel noted: “It is the classless nature of BBDC that continues to form a large part of both its enduring appeal and its importance. You still can’t look at the badge, the power figure and the price and work out the winner.” The Toyota GT86’S victory in 2012 proved as much, but the inclusive tone was set as far back as 1990, only the second year the competition had been held, when the dinky Mazda MX-5 saw off heavy hitters such as the BMW M5, the Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4 and the Porsche 944.

Mazda won that contest not by reinventing the sports car but by uninventing it. Nothing about it was new; not its compact dimensions, nor its minimal weight, its double-wishbone suspension, that well-balanced chassis or its crisp steering. Mazda simply repurposed the sports car fundamentals of old, repackaging them in a modern and delicately handsome body. The currentday MX-5 does exactly the same thing (as does the new Alpine A110, for that matter).

It wasn’t so long ago that these very early cars could be picked up for three-figure sums, but as clean and well-cared for examples – particularly those that haven’t been clumsily modified – become increasingly rare, values are on the rise. Nonetheless, it is still possible to find such a car for not much more than £2000.

You needn’t be too concerned about mileage – an MX-5 engine can still be at its best after 100,000 miles – just so long as the car has been looked after properly. Rust can be an issue, though, and you should look very closely at the rear arches, the sills and the base of the A-pillars.