10 RAD Cars to Buy Now from £10k to £100k

Cars of the RADwood era from 1980-1999 are hotter than a sweaty Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots Part Deux.

They’re the motors of the moment, and hundreds of them will go on show at Chatham Historic Dockyard on 7 September for 2024’s RADwood festival.

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It’s not too late to join in the fun – by buying a ticket or even a suitable ride to arrive in.

At Hagerty we’ve been tracking prices of RAD cars over the last five years to help you choose an appropriate automobile – whether your budget is as big as an 80s’ hairdo or pocket-sized like a Motorola flip phone.

Up to £10k

Some may say that the Volkswagen Corrado was just a Mk2 Golf in a pretty frock, but though the basic underpinnings are shared, this coupe offered more than just style over its hatchback stablemate. When it arrived on the scene in 1988, the hottest Corrado came in supercharged four-cylinder G60 guise with a chunky 158 bhp driving the front wheels, however, it was the VR6 of 1992 that confirmed the Corrado’s status in Volk-lore. The 2.8-litre 190bhp engine could propel the Corrado to 62mph in just 6.7 seconds, while its penchant for cocking a rear wheel in cornering made it a favourite among road testers and roundabout enthusiasts. We have seen Corrados hit prices as high as £25,000 but our research shows that the average cost of a #1 Condition car is £7,000. That figure hasn’t really changed in the two years we’ve been following Corrado sales, so now could well be a good time to buy.

The Jaguar XJ40 is also holding steady, and, while you could pick one up for less than four grand, you’d be advised to buy the best – and latest – example you can find, which we reckon would set you back £7,800 or so. At its 1984 launch the XJ40 was offered with a choice of 2.9-litre single-cam or 3.6-litre DOHC six-cylinder AJ6 engines, of which the lacklustre former should generally be avoided. By 1989 a four-litre took over and those are probably the optimum all-rounders – if you can resist the temptation of a V12, that is. It was a massive re-engineering job to fit the six-litre, yet it was on sale for less than two years.

It’s been quite some years since Saab sadly sunk and values still seem to be dropping. Our data shows that over the last three years prices for Saab 900 Turbos have fallen nine per cent, meaning you should be able to find a #1 Condition car for £9,100. At the very summit of these Swedish sales we’ve seen a 1991 Turbo Carlsson go for £17,000 but there have been plenty of others sold for £6k or less. It’s the OG 1978-1994 version we’re talking about, of course and it’s full of characteristic quirks from the centre console key that you can only remove when the gearshift is in reverse to the unusual engine layout which sees the inline four canted over at 45 degrees with the crank at the front and the transaxle transmission bolted to it. In peak Aero form the engine mustered 160bhp but thanks to its legendary turbo lag that’s not always exactly on demand. Still huge fun, though.

Up to £20k

With all the 007-driven hype around the Esprit and the lightweight love of the Elise the Lotus Excel gets rather overlooked. As a result prices have dropped by nine per cent over the last three years according to Hagerty’s research. That means you ought to be able to find a truly excellent Excel for £13,500. The Excel was built for ten years between 1982 and 1992 and, as a 2+2 was (almost) a Lotus for all the family. It shared the 912-series 2.2-litre twin cam engine with the Esprit S3, and, although the engine was mounted up front instead of amidships, it still maintained a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. For those concerned about reliability the Excel actually used a fair number of Toyota parts such as the differential, gearbox and steering column, so at least those should be sound. The fibreglass body meanwhile won’t rust, but can still suffer badly from paint problems.

Also composite-bodied and even more unusual is the Alpine GTA. With its V6 engine slung out at the rear and almost-usable back seats it could be considered as a Gallic 911 rival. Not that it was ever as successful as its German counterpart despite providing quite scintillating performance, whether in normally-aspirated 158bhp 2.9-litre or 197bhp 2.5-litre turbo guise. When it made its debut in 1984 the GTA was one of the most aerodynamic cars of the day, with a drag coefficient of just 0.28. Driving one is an odd experience from the pilot’s position to the U-shaped handbrake. It’s light and agile, but with all the weight slung out the back caution is certainly required – especially in the wet. The GTA is a rare thing, with only 26 examples of the 1990 Le Mans edition making it to the UK, for example, and that scarcity is pushing up prices. Over the last five years we’ve seen the average price of a top condition GTA rise by 75 per cent. If you can find one for £19,300 (our mean price) then it’ll probably be a pretty sound investment.

If making money on a RADwood-ready motor is your priority then look away now. You’d be wiser to put your cash in frozen concentrated orange juice or pork bellies than a Bentley Turbo R, with prices dropping around five per cent over the last five years. On the upside you do an awful lot of metal for your money – from the brutish bodywork that paid no attention to aerodynamics to the 296bhp 6.75-litre turbocharged engine. Bentley built the Turbo R from 1985 to 1997 and the later four-speed models from 1992 onwards are a bit nicer to drive. That said there is a surprising amount of joy in any Turbo R. You sit high in the opulent interior, with the large and thin steering wheel canted away from you. It’s a super light tiller, but still communicates as you barrel down the road on a wave of torque. Fuel consumption might well drop to single figures if you do this too often, adding not insignificantly to the £21,000 price of a #1 condition example. Mind you, if you’re exceptionally brave Turbo Rs can still be found for well under ten grand, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Up to £50k

A pair of autobahn-storming German saloons have been moving fast up the value charts. Over the past five years we’ve seen the Mercedes-Benz E36 AMG rocket by 123 per cent to an average #1 condition price of £33,200. The 1984-1995 W124 E-Class was truly one of the greats, arguably the last of the built-to-last Benzes and the rare E36 AMG “Hammer” is the most sought-after of them all. Somehow AMG squeezed a 5.6-litre V8 making 360bhp under the bonnet, uprating suspension and brakes to boot. It could sprint to 60mph in five seconds flat and top out at 178mph on a suitably long stretch of unrestricted autobahn. Even more exceptional is the fact that AMG made an estate version, but good luck catching one.

At a similar time Alpina had turned its attention to the E28 BMW 5-Series. The 1985-1987 528i was the starting point, with Alpina enlarging the straight-six engine to 3.5-litres and increasing power to 261bhp. It could do 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and go on to 155mph. It got bigger wheels and tyres, bigger brakes plus a set of Bilstein dampers, while the interior added Recaro sports seats. Only 749 were made, so it’s not surprising that prices continue to rise. During the last five years there’s been a 13 per cent hike, meaning you can expect to pay £42,100 for a prime example.

Up to £100k

The Shamal is that rare beast – a Maserati that holds its value. Looking at prices over the last five years it’s up one per cent. A fraction under £70,000 could get you behind the wheel of the ultimate iteration of the infamous Biturbo in top condition. With a shorter wheelbase and Marcello Gandini restyling that included quirky slanted rear wheelarches the Shamal stood out amongst the more than 50 different iterations of the Biturbo. The 326bhp V8 under the bonnet, six-speed Getrag manual gearbox and Quaife Torsen limited-slip differential also happened to make it the best-driving of the bunch. Although it was on sale for six years from 1990-1996 only 369 were built and scarcity should equal stability – price-wise at least.

Once touted as a replacement for the 911 and famously driven by Tom Cruise in Risky Business there’s nothing risky about buying a Porsche 928 GTS – at least according to our study of sales numbers. Over the last five years values of the GTS have gone up by 49 per cent, which means you’ll need to find a whopping £94,000 if you want one in prime condition. The GTS was the last of 928s, introduced in 1992, and sold until 1995, with a 345bhp version of the 5.4-litre V8 and a manual transmission. It also offered flared rear wings to house 17-inch alloys and fatter tyres along with firmer suspension. As a last hurrah it was the sportiest car in the 928’s long history and hence the most desirable.

Will any of these cars be on show at RADwood? You’ll have to join us to find out. General Admission tickets cost £25 per car, or £15 for a motorcycle, which includes entry to the display area if you’re driving something RAD. For £35, you can enter your car in the Show N Shine, but you’ll need to move fast, as just 50 slots are available.

Get your tickets here.