25 Peugeot 205 GTI

Along with the Golf GTI, the 205 is one of the original hot hatches and both popularity and value have risen sharply of late. A couple of stratospheric auction results haven’t helped, but a very nice example can still be bought for around £10k, and that gets you a lot of fun for the money. The 1.6-litre car can feel more nimble than the 1.9, but both offer a real buzz with brilliant handling.