Ten family car favourites from 70s to 90s and their value today – from iconic Ford worth THOUSANDS to budget Vauxhall

SEVERAL iconic family favourite vehicles from the last three decades have a new worth today.
From the Ford to Vauxhall, these cars that were once common among British families in the 1970s, '80s and '90s still have value in 2025.
9
9
9
Austin Allegro (1973-1982)
Value today: £1,200 (Allegro 1.0 saloon) to £7,600 (Allegro Equipe, concours condition)
The Allegro was one of the popular vehicle choices for car buyers with families, as well as being company vehicles for employers.
In typical shades of Russet brown and Applejack green of the seventies, the Allegro brings a nostalgia.
This is despite its known maladies as a vehicle in the contemporary world, and even back in the day.
They have been justified to be a worthy classic car and collector item, due not only to the Austin brand, but also its unique Hydragas suspension and style.
Editor of the UK Hagerty Price Guide, John Mayhead, has witnessed the steady rise in value of all Austin Allegro variants over the past decade whilst monitoring the value of classic cars in auction prices and policyholder quotes.
He said: "Last year, only 7 per cent of all models in the Hagerty Price Guide rose in value."
From the late 1960s up to the 2000s, families in Britain were likely to have one of the five generations of Ford Escorts.
Children could enjoy riding in the back of these vehicles, whether in the lower trimmed Mk2 or more spacious and utilitarian third and fourth generations.
Classic car graveyard found in field where a 1960s classic with rare feature worth up to $150K has been left to rot
The Mk3 and Mk4 had a transverse engine layout, with a hatchback style rather than saloon.
Models ranged from three and five-door hatches, as well as cabrio or sport versions with the XR3, XR3i, and RS1600i variants.
To this day, there's still a lot to admire about the Escort, particularly with the Fast Ford racing and performance versions.
They are highly collectable with a thriving club scene, and base models can still be found for cheap at around £3,000.
Reliant Scimitar (1975 - 1986)
Value today: £3,300 to £9,000 (GTE SE5a)
The Reliant Scimitar GTE was an attractive choice of vehicle for those wanting something more exciting than a saloon or estate, but also looking for practicality.
It became a performance motor offering a four-seat layout to appear as a family car too.
In addition to the layout, the GTE provides a glass hatchback and proper boot, fibreglass body more durable against rust and well-proven Ford mechanics.
Cost around £2,300 in 1973, the GTE became a viable cheaper alternative to something like an Audi 100 or 3.0-litre Granada GXL.
Since last year, the Scimitar GTE has seen a slight dip in value, but remained relatively stagnant since 2016.
John adds that some have been restored to a very high standard: "Lots of very cheap restoration cases available, but not for the faint-hearted."
Austin Montego (1984 - 1995)
Value today: £800 (Montego 1.3 saloon) to £11,000 (MG Montego Turbo, concours)
Montegos have been considered the "most ordinary" of vehicles, but were certainly among the most popular of its time.
A solid family car by Austin that had built its reputation for decades,
Specifically, as a blue saloon built in 1989, they could regularly be seen parked in driveways or out on roads.
Whilst they where just about everywhere in the 1980s, they became almost extinct by the 1990s.
The Montego has increased in value as a vehicle model in 2025, following a flat period.
9
9
9
Citroen BX (1982 - 1994)
Value today: £900 (S1 1.4 hatchback) to £10,100 (BX Sport, concours)
This French saloon spanned the years of 1982 to 1994, with a styling that became a major success.
The BX's lineup of XUD four-cylinders were among the best frugal diesels of the '80s.
Whilst demand for the Citroen BX was not exceptionally high in the UK, the model reached great heights in France.
A well-preserved 1992 BX 16S even sold for over €47,000 in 2021.
Renault Espace Mk1 (1984 - 1991)
Value today: £1,100 to £12,400 (Turbo D)
Despite famously being a flop when first released for sale in 1984, the Espace soon became a European favourite as parents recognised its value.
With several back seats, it was one of the easiest cars for loading kids in the back, who were able to thereby see through the vehicle's large glass windows.
Families warmed up to this Renault's bold box shape, following 12 months of struggle for sales of this multi-purpose vehicle.
John suggested: "Early versions of this groundbreaking vehicle are beginning to become very collectable.
"Now rare in any configuration, they are not expensive cars and if you can find one, a fair runner could be under £2,000."
Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk2 (1983 - 1992)
Value today: £900 (Driver) to £23,800 (GTI 16v)
The VW Golf GTI Mk2 was an exciting release for car-loving families, coming with five doors and more space for practical and better riding.
It was a reliable car too with its Volkswagen reputation, better fuel economy and improved comfort.
It was also capable of reaching more than 130mph.
John said: "For a long time, Mk 2 Golf values lagged far behind their Mk 1 predecessors, especially in the iconic GTI configuration, but in the last couple of years, they have gained ground.
"There's a lot of love for this model, and although prices are down a little from their 2023 high, the general trend has been growth for the past 12 years."
Ford Mondeo Mk1 (1993 - 2000)
Value today: £800 (first-generation 1.6) to £8,500 (ST220)
After their release in 1993, Mondeos became a common sight on roads through the mid-90s.
They served as private motors, company vehicles, police cars, trade workhorses, and even appeared in the British Touring Car Championship.
"Excluding motorsport variants, the Mondeo is a very affordable classic with even performance versions being available for under £5,000," John said.
They are likely to become increasingly collectable as first generation cars that are more of a rarity.
Rover 75 (1999 - 2005)
Value today: £900 (2.0 CDTi) to £16,100 (MG ZT, concours)
The Rover 75 featured a retro design both internally and externally, providing class and comfort, more than image or rock-hard suspension.
Popular particularly among the older enthusiasts, the 75 has not seen a major decline in customers since first releasing in 1999.
It is a car that is greatly designed for the pothole-riddled roads of Britain, known for its toughness and rarity.
The model has therefore not seen much of a change to its value, holding their price as many other classics are dropping.
Vauxhall Zafira A (1999 - 2005)
Value today: £550 (1.6 Base) to £7000 (1.8 Elegance, concours)
Sales of this smaller MPV skyrocketed after being put on the market.
As a seven-seater hatchback, it was a clever car with fine driving characteristics, and based on the Astra G platform.
Today, they are rare to find in good condition.
9
9

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Top Gear

2 hours ago

• Top Gear

Good news, Assetto Corsa Competizione racers: 'We're not done yet,' says Kunos

Good news, Assetto Corsa Competizione racers: 'We're not done yet,' says Kunos The esteemed sim's developer suggests there's more content still to come Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Turn on Javascript to see all the available pictures. It's been ten months now since everyone's favourite GT3 racing sim Assetto Corsa Competizione last received a significant update, and with developer Kunos Simulazioni hard at work on a new title, Assetto Corsa Evo, ACC's future has become murkier than Red Bull's second seat. But there's a glimmer of hope for the community, which still hits over 4,300 players per day, six years after release. Just a glimmer, mind you. Advertisement - Page continues below The game's official Instagram account responded to a comment on a post announcing the BMW M4 GT3 in AC Evo which proclaimed 'ACC is abandoned'. In reply, Kunos wrote: 'We're not done with ACC yet, keep giving us the feedback.' Nothing concrete, then, but it's an encouraging rumbling noise that suggests there may be further updates to the sim. With Evo still in Steam Early Access development and not yet close to completion, it's not clear whether all the GT3 content and features will migrate over to the new game verbatim. Advertisement - Page continues below Top Gear Newsletter Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox. Success Your Email*

The Sun

2 hours ago

• The Sun

Major car brand issues ‘stop driving immediately' recall after 700,000 motors in France – check if you're affected

A MAJOR carmaker has recalled thousands of motors due to a defect that could prove deadly. Owners of popular Citroën models - built between 2009 and 2019 - have been warned to stop driving their cars immediately. 4 4 4 Stellantis has told all owners of 2009-2019 Citroën Mk1 DS 3s and Mk2 Citroën C3s in the UK to stop driving their cars immediately. This includes both the Citroën DS 3 and later examples of the supermini - sold solely under the DS brand. It comes a week after a driver died after the Takata airbag in her 2014 Citroën C3 exploded. The 37-year-old woman in Reims, France, suffered fatal injuries - prompting the recall of the popular car model. France's Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot called for all C3 and DS3 vehicles with Takata airbags to be taken off the road on Tuesday. French carmaker Citroën had already recalled the affected cars - replacing airbags in just under 70 percent of the 690,000 vehicles. But Tabarot said the company's response had been 'unacceptable and scandalous' and had 'not matched the scale of the risk'. Citroën's new director Xavier Chardon later told AFP the brand would be placing all affected cars across Europe under a "stop-drive" order "to speed up repairs". Affected C3 and DS 3 owners will be informed by letter, said Stellantis. The company is urging owners to check their address and contact details with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) are up to date - so they can be reached without delay. Ford Recalls 148,000 Vehicles: Fire & Crash Risks Explained Motorists can also use the Citroën UK website to check if their car is affected - using a vehicle identification number (VIN) search. Stellantis UK has urged owners of affected vehicles to register for an airbag repair immediately. This can be done online or by calling either the company's recall helpline or Citroën customer care. Stellantis said it is 'mobilising its full network of suppliers, retailers and manufacturing plants' to ensure the repairs take place as quickly as possible. It added: 'Stellantis remains fully committed to acting swiftly, transparently, and responsibly in addressing this issue.' Faulty Takata airbags were responsible for the largest vehicle recall in history. Taking place in 2017, the recall affected over 100 million vehicles worldwide across multiple car brands - including Honda, Toyota, BMW, Ford, Nissan and Stellantis. The airbags, manufactured by Japanese company Takata Corporation, were found to have defective inflators that could explode with excessive force during deployment. It comes as numerous other car models with Takata airbags - sold between 2001 and 2018 - have been urged not to use their vehicles. These include models such as the Toyota Yaris, Toyota Corolla, Mercedes A-Class II, and the Mercedes C-Class II and III. The new announcement came in April as at least 29 airbag-related incident have been recorded in France - including 17 deaths - since 2016. Meanwhile, Ford is recalling over a million cars after discovering a software glitch that could increase the risk of a crash. The recall affects 1,075,299 vehicles across the UK and worldwide. The problem involves rear view cameras freezing or failing to display properly when the vehicle is put into reverse. The American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed the fault, warning: 'A frozen or missing rearview camera image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.' Ford has acknowledged the issue, confirming that there have been no reported injuries linked to the fault so far. 4

Auto Blog

3 hours ago

• Auto Blog

Volkswagen GTI Edition 50 Revealed With Golf R-Rivaling Horsepower

Introducing the new king of FWD hatchbacks A few days after confirming that it's the quickest production Volkswagen around the Nurburgring, the brand has officially taken the covers off the Golf GTI Edition 50. It arrives at the perfect time for the iconic Golf nameplate, which celebrates its 50th anniversary next year. With this reveal, we have more insight into how VW managed to get a front-wheel-drive GTI around the famous Green Hell more quickly than the all-wheel-drive Golf R, which is quite an achievement. Thanks to a Performance Package and even more power than we were expecting, this hottest Golf GTI achieved a Nurburgring lap time of seven minutes and 46.13 seconds. Nearly As Powerful As Golf R The final specs are in, and this is clearly no ordinary GTI. Whereas the standard GTI produces 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque (making it slightly less powerful than the European GTI), the GTI Edition 50 gets achingly close to the Golf R with outputs of 321 hp and 310 lb-ft. That's only 7 hp less than the R, and torque is exactly the same. This GTI is also more powerful than the Civic Type R (315 hp), often considered the king of FWD hot hatchbacks. Riding on a special Performance chassis, VW used half a century of experience in developing the GTI to perfect this model. The Golf VIII GTI Clubsport was used as a starting point, before the team added semi-slick tires and more precise steering. The front differential lock was also tuned for this application. Source: Volkswagen Go for the GTI Performance package, and the car gets higher spring rates, a further lowering of the ride height, special suspension mounts, lighter forged wheels, a weight-saving Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, and 235 Potenza Race semi-slick tires from Bridgestone. The cumulative effect of these changes left racing driver Benjamin Leuchter deeply impressed. 'For me, the Golf GTI EDITION 50 is the most precise and sporty Volkswagen I've ever driven,' says Leuchter. 'It reminds me a lot of the Golf GTI Clubsport S from 2016. However, the Golf GTI EDITION 50 has been systematically enhanced once again. Because it's so intuitive and precise, I have a lot of confidence in the car and can really push it to the limit.' Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. Sporty Looks Match Record Pace Outside, the GTI Edition 50 gets a choice of five exterior colors: Pure White, Moonstone Grey, Grenadilla Black, Tornado Red, and Dark Moss Green. The red is especially closely tied to various VW performance cars from the past, including the Golf VR6 Mk3. GTI 50 logos, a black roof and mirrors, and a distinctive side stripe combine to visually differentiate this special Golf. Inside, the nostalgic check pattern has been applied to the supportive seats, which has red detailing. The GTI 50 logo can be found on the steering wheel, which also houses paddles for the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. 'The Golf GTI EDITION 50 is our fastest and most powerful GTI to date. With the optional Performance package, we have taken the GTI concept to a whole new level,' explains Sebastian Willmann, Head of the Chassis Development and Driving Dynamics Department at VW. There's no word yet on pricing or availability, but we expect a figure far above the $32,445 starting price of the normal GTI. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile