Five classic cars you should buy while you can.

Buy these while you can, they're not getting any newer or any more common.

1. Volkswagen Beetle; pre-1967

Little needs to be said about the Beetle except that pre-1967 examples are getting scarce. Parts are readily available from a number of sources so restoring one is easy (albeit not cheap). Look for an unmolested example with minimal rust and hell, drive it as-is, even every day. Post-1967 models are interesting too but not (yet) worth what the old ones are.

2. Alfa Romeo GTV/Giulia; 1964 - 1974

These cars have skyrocketed in value recently but you can still find examples that need minor work for less than $10,000. There aren't enough to go around so if you find one, go for it. Most issues can be fixed, even if the engine has to be swapped or something similar. While you don’t have the factory’s support for parts, you can find most anything through aftermarket vendors that offer quality reproductions. The DOHC engines are reliable if well-maintained, though the SPICA injection in later GTVs can be a pain to tune correctly. They’re fun to drive (like any Alfa should be) but it goes without saying that they rust, look for it in the rockers and in the floors.

3. Citroën ID/DS; 1955-1975

Citroën’s legendary sedan, they were imported in America for a short time and if you look you can usually find one for sale. The twenty year production run means you can find one to suit almost any taste: automatic or manual, carbureted or fuel injected, etc. The hydraulic system is intimidating but not impossible to figure out; it’s nothing compared to modern car electronics. Parts are readily available but they’d probably have to come from France. Once restored these are arguably the smoothest-riding sedans on the road today. Bonus points if you can find a Safari wagon.

4. Mercedes-Benz w108; 1965-1972.

The w108 S-Class line was made up of convertibles, coupes and sedans. The sedans can be picked up for cheap and are simple, reliable and you can get almost any part new through the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center. The 280SE 4.5 is a particularly popular option due to the 4.5 V8 under the hood. Provided you can fund its gas habit this can be a reliable daily driver that is slowly appreciating in value.

5. Lancia Beta; 1972-1984.

Front wheel drive Fiat-based cars, they're reputed for being unreliable and for rusting quickly. They live up to the reputation for rusting but the unreliability is unfair and a typical bias against Italian cars. These cars use DOHC Fiat engines which are robust if maintained correctly. They come in a variety of flavors including coupe, Zagato, HPE, Monte Carlo and the rare sedan; all are equally fun to drive. The Fiat drivetrain means that engine parts aren't too hard to find but Lancia-specific parts can be tricky. Find a rust free, complete one and work on the engine rather than one with a good engine and a bad body. These unappreciated cars are the next Lancias to go up in value.

Ronan's list: five cars I like but shouldn't.

Following Ian's example, here's my own list of cars I like but shouldn't.

1. Honda CRX (1983-1991)

Sporting a profile slightly reminiscent of an Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato, the CRX was launched as a smaller, sportier version of the Civic. It quickly gained a cult following for its road handling qualities. The addition of the VTEC to the choice of engines was appreciated by those who wanted extra performance.

Pros: fun to drive and good gas mileage.

Cons: clean, stock ones are getting tough to find.

Verdict: I'd own one.

2. International Scout (first generation, 1961-1971)

Designed by International Harvester as a rival to the Jeep CJ series, this Indiana-produced truck was amongst the first batch of SUVs. Some of its powerplants were derived from IH's truck powerplants and they were known for being particularly robust.

Pros: not bad looking for an SUV, more adept for Utah winters than a 25 year old Mercedes diesel.

Cons: I can't imagine IH parts are easy to find.

Verdict: I'd own one and would likely only drive it in the winter.

3. Citroën Visa (1978-1988)

Designed to replace the Ami 8 and the Dyane, it was an overall dull car that people bought to get from point A to point B. They didn't age well and issues were common. My uncle had one and complains about everything from door handles breaking to intermittent starting issues. It did spawn the highly-successful C15 utility vehicle.

On a side note, the base version used an evolution of the 2CV's flat twin displacing 652cc.

Pros: economical, cheap (possibly free) to buy.

Cons: you're not guaranteed to get to your destination with clean hands.

Verdict: I'd own one to tinker with.

4. Trabant (1957-1991)

East Germany's people's car, notorious for its plastic body, its two-stroke engine and the consequent supernova of smoke that follows it whereever it goes. Delivery time for these could sometimes take years but nowadays they're more or less readily available in Germany.

Pros: historic vehicle, novelty of owning a two stroke car.

Cons: lackadaisical acceleration.

Verdict: I'd own one and claim it's a hybrid: it runs on gas AND oil.

5. Lada Niva (1977 - present)

Very little has changed since production started in 1977 and is one of the most basic, eletronics-free new cars you can buy in Europe. It has a loyal customer base in mountainous regions but it's a bit odd to see in cities. These can be ordered new to run on natural gas.

Pros: can probably literally climb up a wall.

Cons: "made in Russia" is very good if you're talking about vodka but not so good if you're talking about cars.

Verdict: I'd own one, provided it's not powered by natural gas.

Ian's List of: Some cars I like and probably shouldn't

Here at RWP we’ve always been advocates of the “lesser cars” (see Great Automotive Failures). This has prompted me to share with you a few cars that I must admit I like and probably should not. They’re not historically considered great cars; most of them known for being quite bad really. Nevertheless, in no particular order:

Audi 5000 (1982-1988)

At the top of Audi’s lineup in the mid late 80s was the 3^rd generation of the 100 (known as the 5000 in the States). The base model cars were reasonably equipped, roomy, front-wheel-drive only, and were powered by a 2.3 L 5-cylinder. The performance was not stellar, they’re notoriously tricky to work on for a car of their vintage, and despite pioneering the modern aerodynamic sedan look, are not terribly attention-getting stylistically speaking.

That being said, I like them for their relative simplicity compared to modern cars, but a pretty decent level of refinement. They’re inexpensive to buy as well, and (if properly maintained) fairly economical. I’ve worked on them extensively over the years as well, so perhaps this has given me an un-natural fondness for the insipid Audis.

Cons: a little complex, finicky if not maintained well, kind of a German Oldsmobile

Pros: refined, practical, solid-bodies, fairly efficient, you can tell people you have an Audi…

Verdict: I’d own one.

Sterling 825 / 827 (1987-1991)

It seemed like a good idea; Honda’s expertise with old-world British motoring charm. Well, it didn’t work out. Austin-Rover’s Sterling line (they remained Rovers outside the US) sold over-ripe bananas, and unfortunately, many of the cars lasted about as long. The build quality proved to be quite horrid and despite a more sporting character than it’s Acura Legend cousin, consumers opted out. The whole line of Sterling cars sold about 35,000 units in 5 years.

All that being said, they’re still an interesting oddity. If I had enough disposable income to maintain an un-loved and un-reliable Ango-Asian auto, I’d keep it around just to say I had one and preserve a little bit of history. Who knows, maybe if it ran, it’d be fun to drive.

Cons: a 1980s English-made car and therefore unreliable, brand specific parts are hard to find, nobody knows what the hell it is.

Pros: apparently they drive nicely, Honda-made engine, it’s different

Verdict: I’d like someone else to own one

Yugo GV / GVL / GVX (1986-1991)

Yes, that’s right – a Yugo. Based on the Fiat 128 and built in Yugoslavia. Granted, they’re low on features, refinement, and overall quality, but I’ve heard many stories about owners maintaining them well and getting nearly 200,000 miles out of them with minimal drama. They’re cheap to buy and run, they’re economical with their small engines and manual transmissions, and they’re almost a collector’s item now… The GVX even had a 1.3 litre engine and a five speed!

Cons: made in Yugoslavia, bad reputation, probably not very safe

Pros: economical, potentially reliable, inexpensive

Verdict: I’d own one

Renault Encore / Alliance (1983-1987)

Another good idea gone bad (see our other article here). With their partnership with Renault, AMC managed to take a decent car in Europe – the Renault 9 & 11 – and crappily assemble them in Wisconsin. Like the Yugo, they have a bad reputation, but they’re so simple and easy to maintain, it’s not that big of a deal. They’re also pretty economical with a manual transmission and fairly roomy for their size. Maybe if you’re ambitious you can scrap the AMC designed American-market interior for the French one, as well as the other detail parts and you can have yourself an 11… but then it’s probably not worth it.

Cons: made in America, ugly and cheap AMC interior, not very refined

Pros: cheap to buy and run, Renaults are cool right? , they’re different at least

Verdict: I’d consider owning one

Chevrolet Corvair (2^nd Generation 1965-1969)

A lot of people have a special fondness for Corvairs. The VW and Porsche guys can get into them for their air-cooled flat-six mounted in the rear. The restyle in 1965 looked pretty good too and they even managed to fix some of those pesky suspension problems that Ralph Nader complained about so much.

While yes, they are Chevrolets and therefore and unfortunately made by General Motors, they’re an interesting classic to have if you’re not so much of a Eurocentric auto critic as myself. They have a good following as well and maintaining one shouldn’t be very difficult.

Cons: it’s a Chevrolet

Pros: unique idea from the Americans, well styled, better than the original Corvair.

Verdict: I’d probably want someone else to have one for me.

Check back for future lists, including: "Cars I Don't Like and Should", "Cars I Absolutely Hate", "Best Looking Cars Ever Made" and more!