Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 14 February

Volvo S60 T6 R-Design 4WD auto, £7990: Same age and power as the Focus RS above, this is a comfy express rather than a hot saloon like the previous-gen S60 R. Our find is a 2011-reg with a heroic 140,000 miles but with just the one previous owner and a full service history.

Citroën Xsara 2.0 VTS 3dr, £3480: Citroën has moved on from blandlooking fare like this Xsara VTS, but under the bonnet is a 165bhp 2.0-litre good for 0-62mph in 7.7sec. This 70,000-miler is in great nick, with just one owner and full history. It’s got future classic written all over it.

Skoda Fabia 1.4 TSI vRS auto, £4495: “One police owner” trumpets the ad for this warm hatch. It doesn’t say much for the kind of life it’s led except that it does have a full Skoda history, is in “excellent condition” and, being an auto, won’t have been redlined often. Beware high oil consumption.

Mercedes-Benz A200 Turbo auto 5dr, £5000: Merc’s answer to the Golf GTI has a 190bhp turbo motor and sports suspension to make it the most polished A-Class of its time. This one-owner, 2008-reg example has done 75,000 miles and has a full Mercedes service history and a panoramic roof.

Auction watch

Mercedes-Benz E320 Coupe: The old W124 E-Class of 1984-96 is respected for its looks and build quality, but it’s the coupé and cabriolet versions folk lust after. Of the two, the cabrio is easily the more desirable, but the perfectly proportioned coupé is no ugly sister. A late 1995-reg example with 162,000 miles on the clock went under the hammer recently, making £1020. Rust can take hold around the wheel arches and those looks can blind you to problems below, but this one appeared to be sound. The coupé is better value than the cabrio and the best are only going one way.

Future classic

Volkswagen Up GTI, £11,950: From a future classic perspective, it’s hard to imagine tomorrow’s old tyre kickers getting excited about today’s city cars. Unless, of course, they hankered after an Up GTI. It may lack the zest of its Golf equivalent but it’s fun enough and that badge counts for a lot. Add rarity and you’ve a pint-size future classic. Today, prices start around £11,000. Our find is a private-sale 2018/67-reg three-door with 9000 miles for £11,950. Given that it only cost £13,750 new and approved used ones are about £12,500, we’d offer £11,000 and shake on £11,250.

Clash of the classifieds

Brief: Find me a BL special for £3000 to go to the Festival of the Unexceptional in.

Morris Marina GT, £1800

Austin Maestro 1.3 Special, £2000

Max Adams: I think we can all agree that the Morris Marina is excellent fodder for the Festival of the Unexceptional. To its credit, the Marina was a very important ‘new’ car for the Morris brand since it desperately needed to take on the mighty Ford Cortina. Sure, it was a rushed effort, but it forms yet another chapter in the rich tapestry that was British Leyland.