Cars Turning 40 in 2025

The term ‘classic car ownership’ used to portray hours spent in a garage covered in engine oil whilst trying to figure out where the part you are holding is meant to actually be fitted. It often involved a drive out in your pride and joy, only when the weather was nice to prevent the car rusting, but not too hot so the engine didn’t overheat. They were usually a purchase of only those who knew their way around an engine bay and could quote the part numbers off the top of their head having had to order them so often.

The deciding factor these days for what is classed as a ‘classic’ car is a vehicle that was built 40 years ago or more and subsequently is no longer required to pay road tax or to undergo an annual MOT. It is then classed by the DVLA as a ‘historic vehicle’ and as such can be considered a classic and its collectable appeal is instantly assured. Or is it.

These days there are a number of vehicles which now fall into that category which to many of us seem like to they were built much more recently than 1985. Cars that were either a common sight on UK roads, or seem to have aged so well in terms of looks that they seem a lot younger than they actually are. Whether they are an iconic supercar that you had as a poster on your wall, a sought after sports car from your childhood or a car that your parents took you to school in, there are some surprising cars that turn 40 years old this year.

Alfa Romeo 75

Introduced in 1985 as a successor to the Giulietta and so named to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the company, the Alfa Romeo 75 was a front-engine rear-wheel-drive saloon. Offering the definitive styling theme at the time of angular lines and wedge shape in appearance, the 75 was actually fairly advanced for its time and improved handling was a key feature of its conception. With near perfect 50:50 weight distribution, expensive to produce suspension set up and in-board rear disc brakes, the car had features that even many sports cars could only dream of at the time. It also featured an advanced dashboard mounted diagnostic computer to monitor systems and report of potential faults on the car, something owners of 1980’s Alfa Romeo’s would probably rather it didn’t have.

Performance car fans were well catered for with the 2.5-litre V6 that later became the 3.0-litre V6. Then came the introduction of the limit numbers ‘Turbo Evoluzione’ homologation special brought in for Group A requirements with just 500 produced and featuring deeper bumpers and a host of aerodynamic changes. Despite the looks, the model kept the 1.8-litre turbocharged model from the ‘regular’ model and power remained at a not so significant 155hp. The Alfa Romeo 75 was commercially very successful for the brand, with almost 400,000 sold by the time production ceased in 1992. A quick search on popular classic car marketplace Car & Classic saw just 6 examples of the 75 currently for sale. Theses tarted at £15,000 for a reasonable mileage example to nearly £70,000 for a sought after low mileage Turbo Evoluzione.

Bentley Turbo R

The Turbo R took the soft and comfort-first approach of the Mulsanne and added a degree of handling prowess for those wanting their Bentley to corner a bit better than a barge. In fact, the ‘R’ actually stood for ‘Roadholding’. The initial plan was to increase stiffness by just 10% but it was soon upped to a target of 50%. By upping the anti-roll bar rates by 100% at the front and 60% at the rear and at the same time increasing the damping, the Turbo R retained a large part of the comfort yet was much less likely to wallow its way through the corners. The original plan was to run the two models side-by-side however demand for the new model was so much higher than for the Mulsanne, the latter was dropped in the same year.

The near-300hp Turbo R cost £115,000 back in 1985, a substantial sum of money back then. Despite this almost 6,000 were sold of the original ‘R’ over its 1o year production before the reworked Turbo R, Turbo S and Turbo RT followed. A low mileage Bentley Turbo R can be found on Car & Classic for around £25,000, with some just tipping over the £30,000 mark. A whole lot of car for the money and a very statesmanlike way to get around.

BMW M5

The 1985 E28 BMW M5 in many ways is Genesis. The original. The Godfather. There were performance cars for the every man that went before but not like this. When BMW gave the world the M5 they took their best motorsport engineers and showed the buying public what they could do with a regular saloon car. What resulted was the start of a legacy that still survives to this day and is credited with creating the whole performance saloon segment. Producing 286hp from a 3.5-litre inline 6-cylinder engine was only half the story, the way the car handled and performed against its rivals meant it was a class above everything else.

The fact that this capability and engineering came from a sedan that also offered lashings of luxury, refinement and style was a new concept at the time. Yet an ethos that every ‘M’ car has had in abundance ever since. No examples of E28 M5 were listed at time of writing on Car & Classic such is the demand and rarity of the model, however valuation experts Hagerty state that an example in excellent condition could be worth in excess of £50,000, while a concours level car would be over £70,000. Not bad for a car that started with a list price of £34,850 forty years ago.

Ferrari 328

In 1985, the successor to the ageing 308 came in the form of the updated 328. Rather than reinvent the whole formula Ferrari decided to merely enhance what they already had. Whilst the mechanicals are based on its predecessor, the chassis, engine and body were modified to produce the new model. As is the way with the majority of the brand’s naming structure throughout the years, 328 signifies the now 3.2-litre engine and the fact that it has a V8.  With 266hp from the naturally aspirated V8, the 328 could accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.5 seconds and had a top speed of 166mph.

The reworked Pininfarina styling is one of the most iconic shapes of its time, being both aerodynamically efficient and curvaceous yet with a reworking of the popular wedge design at the time. Available as a coupe bodied GTB or Targa GTB, the luxurious and well appointed interior was not only well equipped but far more refined than most rival supercars.  More than 7,000 328’s were built over a 4 year period, with the Targa roofed GTS outselling the coupe by almost 5 to one. The 328 is widely considered amongst enthusiasts as one of the most reliable and user-friendly Ferrari’s of its era, being both easier to maintain and to drive on a regular basis. As a result it has seen steady appreciation in value over recent years and prices for a good condition low mileage 328 are around £75,000-£90,000 as seen on those currently listed on Car & Classic. Valuation experts state that an early concours example could be valued in excess of £100,000.

Ford Scorpio (Granada Mk III)

Heavily based upon the radically styled Sierra, the Scorpio (or Mk III Granada in the UK) used a lengthened floorplan and similar styling to create a more luxurious executive vehicle aimed at rivals BMW and Mercedes Benz. In order to try and steal customers from the German brands, as well as Vauxhall and Rover, the Granada/Scorpio was remarkably well equipped and offered such luxuries as air conditioning, an electric sunroof, leather seats, a heated windscreen, cruise control, electrically adjustable seats front and rear and later came with all-wheel drive. It also was the first car to have anti-lock brakes fitted as standard across the whole range on a mass-produced car.

Despite having slightly reserved styling, especially compared to the Sierra, and the fact that at launch it was only available as a hatchback, the Granada was actually praised in many areas. So much so that it was later awarded European Car Of The Year. Over 95,000 were sold before the controversial Scorpio redesign stunted sales so much that Ford pulled the plug on their luxury saloon in 1998. A sector that they never returned to. Starting at just £8,800 when new, a Mk III Granada or Scorpio could be one of the cheaper ways into classic car motoring, especially as Car & Classic prices for a 1985 model start at just £4,000. Valuation experts Hagerty state that a concours quality example could be worth up to £16,000, if you can find one.

Honda Integra

These days the Honda Integra, especially in Type R guise, has become a performance car legend amongst fans of JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) vehicles. But its introduction in 1985 was far from those ideals. Launched as a downmarket alternative to many mainstream models, the Civic-based original Integra didn’t feature such creature comforts as painted bumpers, central locking, air conditioning or electric windows. This was seen as a drawback to its European rivals from Peugeot and Renault. Despite this, the model was often praised in motoring publications for its styling and general road performance.

It may have started with humble beginnings but it eventually gave us one of the most revered front-wheel drive performance cars in the shape of the Integra Type R. Also, with original Honda Civic models now seeing a rise in values, especially those that are unmodified and highly original examples, could the Integra potentially see the same uplift now that it has reached its 40th anniversary. Only time will tell.

Lancia Delta S4

From something with a very humble beginning to something quite the opposite. The Lancia Delta S4 is a product of the fire breathing largely unrestricted world of Group B rallying. A category that was quicky banned after a few short years thanks to a series of major accidents caused by the sheer power and speed of the cars. The S4 was a no holds barred highly-sophisticated version of the Delta hatchback that was now mid-engine, all-wheel drive and almost 500hp from a supercharged and turbocharged 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine. The S4 shared almost nothing with the road going Lancia Delta and featured a tubular space frame chassis, long travel double wishbone suspension, carbon fibre composite body panels and a wild aerodynamic bodykit. It didn’t even have door handles or opening windows.

To meet homologation rule at the time, Lancia had to build 200 road going versions, the Delta S4 Stradale, of which fewer than 100 were actually built. The car was priced at 100 million Lira at the time (around £41,000), more than five-times the cost of the most expensive Delta so far, the HF Turbo. Thanks to its rarity and appeal values have risen quite considerably and the car has become very sought after. There were two non-UK examples listed on Car & Classic at time of writing for over €700,000, a 1985 model sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction five years ago at almost £1million.

Peugeot 309

Spurred on by the success of the 205 yet without the budget to create something entirely new, in 1985 Peugeot launched the 309. To save costs the vehicle was to use as many existing parts as possible and as such was based on a stretched 205 floor plan. Not only that but despite its extra length, it also used the same door shells of both the 3-door and 5-door 205 models resulting in slightly awkward styling. Even so, Peugeot in the mid-1980’s and early 1990’s were on a roll, especially in the UK, and the 205, 309 and later 405 were big sellers. Despite the proudly French roots, right hand drive 309’s were actually built near Coventry to keep up with demand. By the time production stopped in 1993, more than 1.6 million 309’s were sold.

It may have been somewhat cobbled together but the 309 was praised for its poise and handling, particularly when the 309 GTi was introduced a year later. The 205 GTi may be seen as a hot hatchback legend, but the 309 GTi is widely considered to be just as good, if not better. The GTi is the most sought after of all 309 models and as such its value has now passed it’s original £13,900 list price when new. Find a low mileage clean example and you can even expect to pay in excess of £20,000 for the privilege.

Renault 5 GT Turbo

Speaking of iconic hot hatchbacks, brings us nicely to the Renault 5 GT Turbo. Following the success of using turbocharging for the mid-engine rally monster Renault 5 Turbo, Renault looked to repeat the motorsport development for the road with the introduction of the Renault 5 GT Turbo in 1985. With lowered suspension, stiffer anti-roll bars, a stylish body kit, upgraded 13″ alloy wheels and very French-looking yellow fog lights, the GT Turbo certainly looked the part. Thanks to a Garrett T2 turbocharger and intercooler the power had increased to 115hp, which doesn’t sound like much, but in a car weighing just over 800kg it was plenty to shout about. The light weight not only meant that 0-62mph was despatched in a brisk-for-its-day 7.5 seconds, but that through the corners it was more than capable and easy to drive on the limit.

With more than 3.5 million Renault 5’s sold in total and the appeal of the new all-electric version bringing the appeal of the original back into focus, there has probably never been a better time to be looking at purchasing a Renault 5 GT Turbo. With 11 listings currently live on Car & Classic there are varying degrees of originality and condition to choose from, starting at £14,000 and rising to over £22,000 even for one with over 150,000 miles on the clock. Valuation expert Hagerty suggest that £15,000-£18,000 should get you one in good condition, yet if you’re looking for concours quality, expect to pay closer to £25,000.

Subaru XT

Not exactly a common sight on the roads, even when it was new, the Subaru XT was quite an advanced car for its time. Despite its relatively small dimensions it was actually a 2+2 that was once called the ‘ultimate in jazzy design’ by the New York Times. Its wedge shape aesthetic was very era appropriate and not only looked good, it was the most aerodynamic car on sale in the US at the time. The 2.7-litre flat-six engine meant that the front of the car could be kept very low to reduce drag along with the use of pop-up headlights. Retractable door handles, the fact that the windscreen wiper remained concealed when not in use and the small rubber spoilers in front of the wheels that diverted airflow enabled the XT’s impressive airflow results. Further advanced features included on-demand all-wheel drive switched via the gear shifter, computer controlled engine and transmission, adjustable height transmission and the option of a digital instrument cluster. It even had a speed alarm that could be operated by a separate key to let you know you’d exceeded the limit.

Globally almost 100,000 Subaru XT’s were sold with less than a tenth of that in their native Japanese market. Despite this it was never a big seller in the UK and as such you may struggle to find one at all, let alone one in good condition with low miles. Popular car marketplace Auto Trader had just a single example for sale, yet at £18,000 it obviously shows that the value is currently only going one way. Very advanced for its time and a rare find indeed, one thig is for certain, if you do end up buying one you’re unlikely to pass one going the other way any time soon.

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