Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 21 June

Mazda 6 MPS, £3450: Mad four-wheel-drive repmobile launched in 2004 with a turbocharged 2.3 petrol motor making 256bhp. They’re rare, but we found a 2006 example with 99,000 miles and full service history. 

Audi A6 Allroad 3.0 TDI, £3750: Old Audi estates still have the power to impress and most impressive of all are the jacked-up A6 Allroads. Interiors are rock-solid and that 3.0-litre TDI engine comes with 332lb ft up its sleeve. This 2007-reg example has done 130,000 miles. 

Midas Gold convertible, £2495: The Gold embodies the qualities of lightness and a low centre of gravity that are still prized today. The Metrobased Midas kit launched in 1989 for £4500, making this one, based on a 1985 Metro, a bargain. It’s for sale at the Titty Ho Motor Company

Mercedes CLK DTM AMG, £259,995: In the wake of our CLK 55 buying guide, here’s its sister car, the limited-edition DTM, launched in 2004 costing £235,000. This 2006-reg example, one of only 40 right-hookers, has just 9000 miles under its boots. 

Auction watch 

Ford Racing Puma: Is there a prettier small car than the Ford Racing Puma 1.7? It was limited to 500 copies and cost more than £23,000 new in 2000, but this 75,000- mile example went under the hammer at £8800. Compare that with the £13,000 and upwards sellers tend to be asking. It wasn’t tatty, either. There were 11 stamps in the service book (fingers crossed the exposed brake pistons were cleaned each time), while a recent MOT had no advisories. It also had a new timing belt at 74,000 miles, and its ‘FRP’ registration was even included in the sale.

Get it while you can

Toyota RAV4 2.5 Hybrid Dynamic, price new - £34,400, price now - £31,990: Not a huge saving here, but all the same it’s interesting that it’s on a model as new as the RAV4, and this one a 2019/19-reg with 1600 miles. There are others, too. The thing is, you can bet that if you’re shopping for a new one, you’ll be told discounts are next to zero. Indeed, under current offers, there’s not even a PCP deposit contribution from Toyota. So buying this nearly new one will save you a bit of cash, and it still has most of its five-year warranty.

Clash of the classifieds

Brief: Find a charming Brit classic for £5k. 

MG MGB convertible, £5000: Nothing says ‘charming British classic’ like a rorty little sports car, and perhaps the most popular example of that is the MGB. More than 500,000 were produced over the model’s 18-year production run and, because of that, there’s a huge following behind it. It also helps that the aftermarket support for the MGB is really good, so owning one should be a doddle. This 1972 example has only 53,000 miles on it and, aside from a colour change, it’s in original condition. What’s more, it’s sporting plenty of chrome and has natty leather seats and a wooden dashboard. How charming is that? Max Adams

Reliant Scimitar SS1, £4499: Michelotti was a brilliant car designer but there are some who have expressed doubts about the styling of the SS1. Pourquoi? It’s a cute, small, glassfibre-bodied open-top roadster in the best British traditions, and it comes with the double blessing of all-round independent suspension and also of looking like nothing else on the roads. It can shift, too, thanks to the 1.8-litre turbocharged Nissan four-pot under the bonnet. This one is much modified in engine and chassis, but even the standard car could see off the 0-60mph sprint in 6.7sec. Go on, tell me you’re not a little bit tempted… Mark Pearson

Verdict: It’s hardly charming like the MGB, but that Scimitar is intriguing and appears to be better than new.