Summertime in the UK is a glorious period filled with motorsport events and concours, and some of the world’s finest cars come out to play. But such automotive glitterati might make you feel a little bit left out; however glorious the vanishingly rare chrome-era luxury cars are to take in at a concours, it can feel such luxury is far out of reach.
It needn’t be the case. We’ve corralled five cars that cost less than an electric Mini upfront, yet provide a taste of the millionaire lifestyle in terms of elegance, luxury, and refined style – and none of them would look out of place at an upmarket concours.
Let’s not be dishonest here – all of these cars will need a significant war chest to keep going. The purchase price might be surprisingly low, but these cars deserve proper love and respect from skilled specialists. That’s not cheap – but look at it this way, when you eventually finally hand over your driving license for the last time, isn’t it better to have lived the good life, rather than the could-have life?
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Forget the old clichés about celebrity owners – a suitably sorted Silver Shadow was always a superb way to make a journey in comfort, from the beautifully rendered interior to the whispery way you made progress. As time has gone on, the worst examples have been weeded out and those that remain have largely been looked after properly.
The car was a major departure from its Silver Cloud predecessor, with a fresh design that managed to be narrower and shorter, yet more roomy inside. This means that it is perfect for narrow UK roads. This also means that it’s eminently usable – if you can stomach the fuel bills – which means more smiles per gallon. A solid driver in #3 (good) condition) will set you back about £10,000, and with around 30,000 built, even the very best examples are within reach.
Alvis TD21
The TD21 was formed by necessity – the TC 108G upon which it was based had proved expensive and time-consuming to build. The answer came via Park Ward, who were more famous for coachbuilt Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Though the 3.0-litre straight-six dated back to 1950, by the time the Series II TD21 was launched in 1961, it had disc brakes at all corners, aluminium doors for lightness and, eventually, the option of a five-speed manual gearbox. Though never a true sports saloon – it was too luxurious for that – it could whisk along at more than 100mph.
These are truly exclusive vehicles. Just 784 Series I models were built, followed by 285 Series IIs, but despite this prices are still reasonable, with a #3 driver around £17,000. Just think what you get – exclusivity, a Park Ward body, and a stirring straight-six.
Jaguar Mark X/420G
This was Jaguar’s top-of-the-range cruiser, and as such was just as advanced as its E-Type brethren. It had unitary bodywork, four-wheel disc brakes, and independent rear suspension. It was quick, too, with a top speed of 120mph thanks to a 3.8-litre straight-six, which was later replaced with a 4.2-litre unit.
It was also very wide – in fact, it would remain the widest Jaguar ever built right up to the introduction of the XJ220. Aimed squarely at the American market, it wasn’t a huge seller in the UK, which then sold even fewer when the name was changed to the 420G in 1966.
Nowadays, the Mark X/420G stands as a magnificent example of more is definitely more; inside there’s wood everywhere, from the dashboard to the fold-out rear picnic tables, and more besides. The doors are so hefty; helical torsion springs inside the door pillars were needed to make usage easy. However, behind the wheel these are seriously “easy living” cars, where refined progress is the name of the day. Well, unless there’s a tight parking spot involved. Expect to pay about £16,500 for a car in good condition, with the best in the world around £31,000.
Bentley T1
The Bentley T1 may not have had the sporting verve that the firm’s foundations were built on (and since Volkswagen’s takeover, have returned to with gusto), but it did offer a slightly different take on luxury to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. It shares nearly all of its underpinnings with its Rolls-Royce brethren, and much of the exterior is the same.
However, there are some differences – the rounder, lower grille gives the T1 a more aggressive look. Perhaps you might see that as reaching a little, but the Bentley certainly has scarcity and exclusivity on its side. Whereas more than 30,000 Silver Shadows rolled out of Crewe, just 1703 standard-sized T1s followed suit. That rarity is cheaper than you might think, too, with a #3 car in good driving condition priced around £10,000.
Jaguar Mk II
If you’re in need of something a little more sporting to go along with your luxury lifestyle, the Mk II Jaguar is a perennial favourite. It’s easy to see why – its beautifully sculpted shape still causes hearts to flutter all these years later. Add in genuine competition pedigree with its motorsport heroics – plus its later role as a getaway car par excellence – and it’s a highly tempting, eminently usable sporting saloon.
Mk IIs were the must-have car in the ‘90s in classic circles, but unlike the E-Type, the post-Covid boom hasn’t caused the car to appreciate out of sight. Nevertheless, while you’re unlikely to get an #2 (excellent) or #1 (concours) example for under £30K, good 3.4s start at around £20K, while a good 3.8 sneaks in at around £29K.
