As recently as ten years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that we’d be talking about souped-up hatchbacks in the same reverential terms as we did their open-topped two-seater predecessors. But here we are, heralding the ’80s GTI as the true sports car for the working man in the way we used to praise the MGB or TR7. These tin-tops offer performance and handling aplenty, and in most cases – sorry traditionalists – are far better to drive than their draughty antecedents.

£10,000
Ford Escort RS Turbo
White socks, punch-ups at Southend fish-stalls, and go-faster Fords: all clichés associated with the fine county of Essex. But hold on a second, because it looks as though the Escort RS Turbo, once lambasted by the motoring press for being dynamically hopeless, has had the last laugh. £10,000 is actually the starting point for a concours example! Be careful – fakes are rife, as are thrashed ones.



£5000
VW Golf GTI Mk1
The Golf GTI offered performance without tears, and all the fun handling you could ever want. Back in 1979 (when RHD cars came to the UK) it posed the dread question: who’d have an MGB instead of one of these? Like the British sports car, the GTI has a massive fan base, and supply of cars and parts is relatively plentiful. Check for rust, then go and enjoy your favourite B-road.

£3000
Renault Clio Williams
Back in 1993, the Clio Williams re-established Renault at the sharp end of the hot-hatch grid (even if Williams F1 had nothing to do with its development). Based on the standard 16V, it had more power, special equipment and gold wheels. It was such a success that the Williams 2 and 3 followed, much to the original owners’ chagrin. Brilliant value at current prices.

£2000
Peugeot 205GTI
After years of producing oh-so-stolid saloons, Peugeot underwent a revolution with the 205 in 1983. When the GTI arrived the following year, it was clear the French company had made magic. And it’s still one of the all-time best – the 1.9 has performance; the 1.6 balance. High survival rate means even good ones are cheap – so you can be choosy – and there’s a big following.