RS TURBO REACHES WORLD RECORD SETTING PRICE OF £60,000
At this years NEC Silverstone auctions a 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo sold at auction for an astonishing £60,000 with buyers premium, 10 times more than its original showroom floor price of £10,073
Having been stored in a temperature controlled garage for the last couple of decades it is said to have been the lowest mileage version in existence with a mere 6,000 miles on the clock interestingly also at last weekend's auction a 50's Triumph TR3 failed to get a bid... There has been a notable rise of interest in 80's poster cars in general that are now considered modern classics. Children and young adults of Thatchers decade who lusted after these cars are now established financially, their children may have left home, their businesses or respective career's are giving a good return and with that higher disposable income they can now turn their attention to satisfying their unfulfilled dreams.
Indeed this has been happening for generations and now its the turn of the plastic bumpered eighties cars...the beginning of the electronic age. Does this now mean that the 1980's hot hatch's are a good investment? In my opinion yes, but get the best ones, not molested or modified, low miles and original just like any other classic however there is one problem, rarity! Unlike a Jag E type (Or even a XJS) or any Aston Martin or sports cars in general, hot hatches were not generally cherished, they were languishing in the under £1000.00 ads for many years and no one saw them as of any great importance so their numbers have dwindled to nothing, their survival rate compared in percentage terms is v v low meaning the good ones can command big prices as has been demonstrated.
I wonder how long it will take the classic car comics to stop regurgitating the same front cover's they were displaying in the 1980's for the cars of the 1980's??? That will probably take a number retirements within editorial staff.....
