Hindsight is wonderful, but sadly, it's not something you have the benefit of if you're buying a car based on how much you think it might appreciate it in the future. We can, though, look at the ones that got away, cars we could have bought ten years ago that are now excruciatingly out of reach. Not all of them, mind. Some of the cars on this list have ballooned in value but remain within reach of those of us with a little bit tucked away in the bank or a healthy credit rating that guarantees semi-reasonable monthly payments. These are the cars we wish we had bought nine years ago.
Nine cars you should have bought ten years ago
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1. BMW Z8
Back in 2014, BMW Z8 values were already showing signs they could blow through the roof, with prices hovering around £100,000, but now you'll need four times that to get your hands on a mint example.
Hacking the roof off the Z8 did nothing for its handling prowess – the E39 M5 that shared its powertrain was a far more entertaining pedal – but, boy, did it look cool. The Z8's styling calls back to the 1950s 507 roadster, with subtle grilles and elegant lines replacing the smack-in-the-face audacity of the current lineup. The interior was just as committed to style with simple dials, a beautiful steering wheel and – joy – no infotainment screens. While the Z8 was more Boulevard cruiser than track weapon, there's still lots to say for its combination of M5 V8 power, manual gearbox and a dropping roof.
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2. Ferrari 550 Maranello
Not too long ago, you could pick up a Ferrari 550 Maranello for well under £50,000. But as the big GT metamorphoses from being old and unloved to being a sought-after classic, prices rise with interest, meaning you'll now pay more than £250,000 for the best examples.
It's a turn in fortune for a car whose styling was uncomplimentary compared to the Toyota Supra when it launched in 1996. There's a strong flavour of Daytona to the 550's low nose and long bonnet. A Ferrari GT with a gated manual shift and a naturally aspirated V12 is one of life's rare delights, and it's even more precious now in a time of automatic gearboxes, turbos and hybridisation. Strangely, the 550 still feels relatively contemporary thanks to its clever traction control and near-200 mph potential.
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3. Porsche 996 911 GT2
When 996 GT3 prices were going ballistic, the GT2 remained strangely affordable, its brutish performance overlooked in the face of the enduring appeal of its scalpel-sharp cousin – prices started from around £40,000 back in 2014. Now? You'll need £100,000 for a well-used example and more than double that for the best available.
With rear-wheel drive, big turbos, no traction control and a widowmaker tagline, the GT2's reputation could put many buyers off, but now its 462PS (340kW) sounds disarmingly ordinary. It shouldn't, though, because the GT2 has the torque to get itself out of shape at triple-digit speeds, and – as ever with a 911 – it can punish the unwary. Play to its strengths, though, and the GT2 can be a devastatingly effective punch other 996s can only dream of.
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4. Renault Clio V6
The Renault Clio V6 is rapidly gaining value to match its junior exotic status. In 2014, you could pick up one of these magnificent mid-engined machines for well under £20,000, but nowadays, you'll need close to £40,000 to get an average car, five times that for a mint example.
There's always something endearing about squeezing a massive engine in a tiny body, but the Clio V6 takes things to the extreme. More than just an engine swap, the V6's back seats were binned so the motor could be mid-mounted, turning rolling-pin wide rear wheels. The whole lot was hidden under a cartoon-like body kit, making the Clio look like a bodybuilder. And it drove like it was pumped up on 'roids, capable of lashing out with little warning; its character only confirmed the Clio as a car for true drivers.
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5. Subaru Impreza 22B
Not long ago, paying £40,000 for an old Subaru – albeit a deeply cool version with two doors and a close familial connection to rallying – sounded crazy. But not now. Now, if you want a 22B STI, you're looking at closer to £100,000, and the very best (a #000/400, ex-Colin McRae car, say) will relieve your pockets of an eye-watering £480,000.
In isolation, that might sound like a crazy price to pay for a Japanese special, but to us, it makes perfect sense because the Impreza snapshots a time when Subaru ruled the roost. We were all captivated by a rally driver who drove the wheels off his Impreza no matter the circumstances or his standing in the World Rally Championship. McRae's death in a helicopter accident makes the car he was so closely tied to feel even more special.
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6. Lamborghini Diablo
Ten years ago, the Lamborghini Diablo (which occupied many a bedroom wall, including mine) was too old to be cool and not old enough to be classic. But a decade later, that's turned full circle, and prices climbed to match the interest. Ten years ago, a Diablo would have set you back a mere £60,000; now, you're talking 150,000—or double that for a sought-after example.
The Diablo was the car Lamborghini designed before the Volkswagen Group took control, 'spoiling' the party with its mechanical reliability and intuitive switchgear. The Diablo's stunning looks, ferocious bark, and savage character are firmly in the memory of any self-respecting child of the 90s, and now that some of those kids have the cash to afford one, you can expect values to keep climbing.
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7. Lotus Elise
The Lotus Elise is a wildcard entry onto this list because prices have yet to snowball into oblivion. That said, you'll pay 50 per cent more for one than you would have ten years ago, with prices averaging around £20,000.
'We'll not see a car like this ever again' is a phrase all too liberally sprinkled into car-related copy, but in the case of the S1 Elise, we think it holds. Weighing well under 800kg, the S1 makes other lightweight sportscars seem ridiculously heavy (even a Mazda MX-5 weighs 1,000kg), and this kilo-counting ethos entwines every strand of the Elise's being. It changes direction like a far fly, stops on a button and goes quicker than a car with such modest horsepower has any right to. Modern safety regulations and buyer expectations mean every Elise has become heavier. With battery power and an ever-closer reality, we can confidently say cars like the Elise will not be repeated.
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8. Peugeot 106 Rallye S1
The Peugeot 106 Rallye proves you don't need to have loads of money to climb aboard the appreciating classic bandwagon – around £8,000 buys you a good example, although that's four times what you would have paid ten years ago.
Simplicity is at the heart of the 106 Rallye; its windy windows, unassisted steering, manual gearbox and, erm, lift-off oversteer mimic the first cars of many who read these fine pages. The Rallye has quite a lot more going for it than the likes of a base-level Fiesta or Polo. Homologated to rally, the 106's 1.3-litre motor is a fizzy peach of an engine, and while the Pug's handling can pirouette you into a soul-destroying call with the insurer, it's easy and rewarding to catch as you position the car's nose into an apex. We only need to look at 205 GTI prices to understand the Rallye's potential.
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9. Audi Sport Quattro
The Audi Sport Quattro's rise up the valuation lists was already building up steam ten years ago when you would have paid £100,000 to get hold of one, which sounds spikey were it not for the fact that now you'd pay £500,000 for a good road car, or nearly £2 million for a competition car with exemplary pedigree.
Innovation is why the Quattro is on this list. History was made when a group of German engineers realised that four-wheel drive could revolutionise the performance of their rally cars. The Sport Quattro was the most extreme example, thanks to its shorter wheelbase, lots more power, and – in competition guise – a Kevlar body that marked it out from other Quattros.
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