Bargain '90s heroes to buy now

This week brought news of two huge auction prices of 90s Japanese sports cars, an FD RX-7 SP and R32 Skyline GT-R, and that got us thinking – what other 90s classics are out there for the taking?

Though the price of these two cars, which fetched $166,000 and $142,500 respectively, and their ilk may not be attainable to the average punter, there are still some appreciating bargains to be had from the 90s performance era.

The values were little surprise to Street Machine scribbler, former Motor editor, Mighty Car Mods sidekick and all-round automotive thesaurus Iain ‘Marv’ Kelly - who pointed out on his Instagram page that as the income of a new generation rises, so does their desire to buy their own halo cars. Too young to have idolised V8 muscle of the 60s and 70s, they’re now willing to spend big for a slice of Group A (or tuner era) nostalgia.

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With anything rotary-powered commanding huge dollars, Marv advises turning to the hi-po Mazda 323 Familia GTX or GTR.

Packing a turbocharged 1.8 and a 4WD drivetrain, these cars were never sold new in Australia but plenty were imported around the turn of the century.

Kelly says they’re cheaper than a rival Pulsar GTI-R, too - possibly thanks to the 323’s notoriously weak ‘box. In 2019, our mates at Unique Cars valued a 4WD Familia at around $6250.

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For a less-exotic (though usually cheaper) option, consider a Ford KE Laser TX3. Built on the same platform as the 323, a four-paw version was available with a 100kW, 1.6-litre B6T.

There’s also the Capri Clubsprint, a two-door convertible Laser derivative with the same 1.6 feeding the front wheels only.

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“With JZA80 Supras worth old Porsche money now, the auto-only luxo barge Aristo seems like a 2JZ bargain in comparison,” points out Kelly.

To maximise value-for-money, he suggests a JZS161. You’ll easily find a tidy example for $20k - in fact, there are five Aristos listed online right now, none of which exceed $30,000. You’ll be cruising in far more luxury than a Mk4 Supra, too."

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Mitsubishi Galant VR4s seem to have mostly dodged the huge prices attached to their Evo successors, so they’re another item on the ‘buy now’ list.

“[As] the first 4G63 4x4 model to taste WRC glory, they're sleeper cool, and if you really hunt you'll be able to find an Aussie delivered example,” he says. "There’s an imperfect but mechanically good example on Gumtree right now, with an asking price of $16,000."

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WRX Imprezas are well-known to command strong money, so Kelly believes a tidy, stock WRP10 or Club Spec would make an excellent investment.

“The WRX can legitimately be said to have the cultural impact of classic Camaros in the JDM scene so you won't go backwards with a clean stock manual example.” Tidy manual WRP10s can be had for well under $30,000 right now.

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An icon of the Aussie streets throughout the 90s, the N14 Pulsar SSS packed an atmo SR20. Priced under $15,000, he says they’re “still a fun drive equal to any 4AG Corolla.”

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Whilst not quite at bargain-basement prices, it’s his view the BMW E36 M3 is bound to eventually skyrocket. Of course, six-cog cars will always present the best investment.

“If you find a manual example whose interior hasn't disintegrated, grab it. Especially if it is one of the 15 M3 R models!” A look online shows plenty of ‘standard’ M3s available below $50,000.

We’d love to hear your picks for affordable 90s heroes, so drop them in the comments below!