Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 22 June

Bristol Fighter £199,950: It might not always look like it, but they knew a thing or two at Bristol. The Fighter had a low centre of gravity, perfect weight distribution and a very low-drag body, plus it was luxurious, comfortable and incredibly fast. They’re extremely rare, too, so you could think of this car as a V10-engined investment.

Morgan 3 Wheeler £42,000: This fully restored three-wheeled Moggie isn’t the latest incarnation but the original low-slung F-Series in which it was possible to sit and touch the ground with your fingertips. With a history dating back to 1935, this one’sasure-fire,open-topV-twin winner. Just add goggles and a handlebar moustache.

Volkswagen Scirocco £6995: Once the Golf stopped being so tall and boxy, the Scirocco’s days seemed to be numbered, but there’s still decent value to be found in a used one. Here we have a good, clean example of the sparkling 197bhp 2.0-litre petrol version, up for a tempting £6995. It’s fast, fun and, on these 18in alloys, rather handsome.

Chrysler Crossfire £2500: A stiff car, the Crossfire, and as a result it could corner in excess of 1g. However, if you don’t fancy the prospect of owning an American car, consider that, under the skin, most of it is a Mercedes-Benz SLK and it was made by Karmann in Germany. Anyway, £2500 for a Crossfire in good nick is a bit of a steal.

Auction watch: 

Fiat X1/9: Imagine a low, strong and pleasingly agile mid-engined targa-topped two-seater, designed by Marcello Gandini and equipped with a lively and eminently tunable engine created by the great Aurelio Lampredi, that gripped like a limpet and could be bought in its day for the price of a family hatchback, and you can imagine the delight with which the world greeted the Fiat X1/9.

Alas, its day was a long time ago now and most are no more, but this late-1989 car with an extensive history and a current MOT made £2730 at a recent auction. That strikes us as a very good deal indeed.

Get it while you can: 

Mercedes-Benz A180 Sport Price new £23,170. Price now £16,990

The new A-Class might be causing a stir, but this third-generation model never quite captured our hearts. In a class of highly proficient competitors, its firm ride and poor handling let it down, as did its noisy diesels and scratchy interior quality. However, it still looks smart, the engines are at least efficient and the new model means you can pick up a delivery mileage version of this old one and save over £6k, which isn’t to be sniffed at.

Clash of the classifieds: 

Brief: Gentlemen, I’m after something Italian. It should bubble with brio and make me tremendously excited. You each have £50k to fulfil my wishes.

Alfa Romeo SZ £49,995

What you need is an Alfa SZ. The angular styling caused such a stir at launch that people called it ‘Il Mostro’. The SZ grips the road like a ferocious beast – Alfa claimed it could pull 1g in corners. Then there’s the noise of that glorious V6, the lightweight composite bodywork, the rear transaxle... I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point.

Max Adams

Iso Lele £49,995

Allow me to present the Iso Lele, a GT rival to the Lamborghini Espada with 325bhp and an epic soundtrack. Yet where an Espada costs around £150k now, a Lele will set you back a third of that. Inside, the lavish cabin is swathed in quilted leather, chrome and wood, while outside it oozes 1970s cool. A super- rare Italian GT with supercar pace for a super-reasonable price? If that’s not interesting, I don’t know what is.

Alex Robbins 

Verdict:

Man, that Lele is cool and as 1970s as an episode of The Persuaders. But I’m not sure I can resist the cluster of slashes that is the Alfa SZ.