6 future-classic CARS you can buy in SA for under R200k

Future-classic cars don’t need a six-figure price tag to qualify here. What they do need is character, scarcity and a reason someone will still want one in twenty years’ time. South Africa’s used car market – as unglamorous as it may look sometimes – still hides some genuine icons priced comfortably under R200 000.

SIX FUTURE-CLASSIC CARS IN SA

Therefore, to draw some sort of boundary, the age bracket we’re using is no older than 40 years and no younger than 20 years. So, think cars with model years between 1986 and 2006. Anything newer hasn’t earned classic status yet and might still be pretty expensive. Likewise, anything older is probably already considered a classic, and priced accordingly. Figures below reflect an average of the broader used market rather than specific listings …

1. Peugeot RCZ

Peugeot’s Zagato-inspired double-bubble roof makes the RCZ the daddy of future-classic cars here. It looks genuinely expensive next to other badge-conscious German coupes (some listed here). Clean examples trade anywhere from R75 000 to R170 000. Therefore, they’re massively under-appreciated on the used market. The 1.6-litre THP turbo engine, paired with a manual gearbox gives it real drivability, too.

2. Toyota MR2

Toyota’s only mid-engined production car remains genuinely rare. Better still, clean examples trade for roughly R45 000 to R90 000. That’s low money for something with proper mid-engine handling and the unerring reliability of an old Nokia cellphone. Enthusiasts who find stock, unmodified example are sitting on one of the cheapest future-classic cars probably ever.

3. Alfa Romeo GTV

Pininfarina styled the 916-series GTV, and it still looks better than most coupes built in the last decade. Twin Spark 2.0 models can be found from roughly R60 000 to R150 000. And the coveted 3.0 V6 versions push toward our R200 000 ceiling. Alfa’s V6 soundtrack alone justifies the ownership headaches this generation is known for. As ever, it’s an Alfa, so budget for heavy maintenance.

4. Volkswagen Golf GTI (MK II)

The original hot hatch still commands respect, and clean Mk II examples in South Africa trade anywhere between R25 000 and R150 000. Of these, we’ve seen well-preserved 16V Mk IIs fetch north of R150 000 in recent years. Boxy and honest, anyone chasing future-classic cars knows just how quickly these change hands after listing.

5. Audi TT MK I

The Bauhaus-inspired original Audi TT still looks like nothing else on the road decades after launch. Manual coupe quattro examples trade between R50 000 and R130 000. That’s still really low money for a design that changed the industry and defined a generation. Interestingly, the lighter 1.8T’s tuning potential makes it the one we’d go for. Values have stayed flat for years, which suggests tidy examples are only going to go one way.

6. Hyundai Tiburon

Okay, you’re probably moaning about this one. But next time you see one on the road, tell us honestly it doesn’t look a bit like the Ferrari 456. Nobody expected the Tiburon to age into the class of future-classic cars, least of all Hyundai. But even the punchy 2.7 V6 versions trade for just R30 000 to R100 000. That’s genuinely cheap for a car that has a brilliantly sporty silhouette. Also, most have lived a life completely unmolested, so we’re willing to overlook what the badge snobs have to say.

But what do you think? Are there any future-classic cars (20 to 40 years old) you think we missed here? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below …