AUTOTRADER - june 1992 - suits you sir?

[Lord Sterling]

Ha! I used to read the weekly inklys  whenever I could get my hands on them (at a time when I was a tad too old for the Beano/Dandy and just about getting into Max Power/Fast Car/Revs) and dream of owning one of the old executive cars.

If I had a sub £1k to spend, these would be my choices (1 from each ad)

The Sierra was literally the closest thing to what I was looking for in terms of size and spec.

Yeah, a BMW 5er is more me. OK it's got the smaller engine but the looks of it, just nice.

3rd garage, the Granada Ghia whilst not having the full 2.9 would do me for the money.

Yep, now this is more like it. A nice big 7-series. However, for £100 more I could have the W123 Mercedes which would have been more me....

Ok, on the 5th garage, I literally couldn't see anything I liked. I guess I'd have to beg, borrow and steal to add to the price and maybe negotiate a couple of hundred off.....

[Spottedlaurel]

This T-reg 180B was the last car I can immediately recall buying out of AT, I got it on the rebound in 1996 after trekking down to Kent to view a 240K GT that turned out to be Not Good. Not wanting to waste a journey I picked up the local Auto Trader, saw the 180B, viewed it on the way home and went down a few days later to collect it.

From memory it was something like £675, from a private seller.

[KWhite]

4 hours ago, HMC said:

WAKEFIELD ROAD MO CO Can even satisfy the discerning buyer after an EMAX sierra @sierraman

I'd take the Cortina. A 2.3 GL must have been a rare thing

[EyesWeldedShut]

4 hours ago, Fat_Pirate said:

Do the rules permit me to borrow* £695 from my nan to afford that MG Montego?  It's a beautiful white stallion amongst a herd of scruffy donkeys.

@grogee would front you £695 even though it is not a Maestro?

[somewhatfoolish]

5 hours ago, HMC said:

an EMAX sierra

Was that the weird misery spec inexplicably fitted with a CVH rather than a pinto?

[Bren]

I have quite a few fast car magazines from late eighties to early 90's. While the cars were comparatively cheap tyres - and tuning bits - were very expensive back then.

[Markeh]

Regal - it has to be the Capri 2.8, the XR3i or the 2600 VDP with some haggling.

Atlantic - the Beemer or the MG Maestro

Delightful Demmicks - gotta be the 900 Turbo!

Rally Autos - Probably the Regatta?

Burton Street - Probably the XR3, maybe the XR2 - I might see if they'd do a deal on the Granada/XR2 and the 18TS for 1k!

Wakefield Road - 7 series, absolutely.

Canal Road - I'd love to sneak either the Audi 100 or the Capri, but if I had to keep it under £1k, I'd probably go for the Fuego or the Prisma.

[Shite Ron]

1 hour ago, KWhite said:

I'd take the Cortina. A 2.3 GL must have been a rare thing

Another vote here for the 2.3GL Cortina. Exactly what I was buying from 1987 to 2004 was Cortina’s for a week’s wages that would be good for 4 years as a daily driver. In 1993 I bought a 2.3 Ghia estate with 44,000 genuine miles, one owner from new and new MOT. It was a bent MOT and rusty, after a weldathon it was great reliable transport until 1998 when a 2.0 Ghia at £180 took over as a daily for the next 4 years. In 2002 another 2.3 Ghia estate bought for a weeks wages took over as a daily driver for the next 4 years, this was by far the best of the lot and the best car I have ever owned.

1992 was probably the best time for running great cars on a shoestring budget, so many much more interesting and exciting cars around then than now and for very little money .

[Billy - Medhurst]

Regal -  £495 Toyota Celica

Atlantic - £995 Mini 25

Delightful Demmicks - £795 BMW 320

Rally Autos - £425 Peugeot Estate if its a 305

Burton Street - Of all things there its the £150 VW Passat estate. Would do it up - Loved that model of passat  the GLS was a great car but that would do.

Wakefield Road -  £895 Subaru estate

Canal Road - £1050 SWB Land rover if they will drop £50 off it.

[IronStar]

To a degree, I’m glad I don’t live in 100£/€ for a car time, because there’s not enough storage space for all the cars I’d buy of those lists.

[Richard_FM]

I remember my local paper around this time used to have some interesting chod in the classified ads, if you every wanted a £150 Avenger that's a good runner & a LHD VW Beetle that always seemed to be in every week.

[Metal Guru]

5 hours ago, Shite Ron said:

Another vote here for the 2.3GL Cortina. Exactly what I was buying from 1987 to 2004 was Cortina’s for a week’s wages that would be good for 4 years as a daily driver. In 1993 I bought a 2.3 Ghia estate with 44,000 genuine miles, one owner from new and new MOT. It was a bent MOT and rusty, after a weldathon it was great reliable transport until 1998 when a 2.0 Ghia at £180 took over as a daily for the next 4 years. In 2002 another 2.3 Ghia estate bought for a weeks wages took over as a daily driver for the next 4 years, this was by far the best of the lot and the best car I have ever owned.

1992 was probably the best time for running great cars on a shoestring budget, so many much more interesting and exciting cars around then than now and for very little money .

Cars from the 70s and 80s were rust buckets though. I currently have a 20 year old car which is a bit rusty, about the same level as a my 3 year old Escort from 1984.

My choice? I’d try an haggle that £1195 XR3i down to £1000. 

[ProgRocker]

I sold a February 1992 issue of Auto Trader on eBay last year. Think  I got a tenner for it. Was 50p when new. 

Quite fascinating to look at it again before selling it and seeing all those rear wheel drive Fords for sale for a few hundred pounds. 

[2flags]

As I had three children in 1992, I'd take the Montego estate. I'd need the 7 seater in '93 as we then had our 4th child. 

[Wibble]

21 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Was that the weird misery spec inexplicably fitted with a CVH rather than a pinto?

No, it was a pinto that had been strangled, so less puff available, iirc.

[iainrcz]

I remember a young lass of my acquaintance from years ago who had delightful  Demmicks.

[Dan302]

As a young lad in the early 90s Thursday evening I'd buy AutoTrader from the village newsagent then go to visit my dad to have a chippy tea and we would watch Top Gear, bliss!

[GeordieInExile]

£99 Princess. WCPGW?

[vulgalour]

If it's got tax, you're quids in!

[The_Equalizer]

On 15/08/2024 at 17:38, Bren said:

The definition of excitement was buying the auto trader and poring over the piss poor quality photo's. While we mourn the loss of the traditional banger lets be honest - there was some utter turd for sale back then - some of it bought by me.

I have had cars full of filler. If I had hit a pedestrian the impact wouldn't have seen them off - it would have been the lung cancer from the filler.

Absolutely. At college we had 'Autotrader Thursdays' where, on a round robin basis, one person in the group would take the lecture notes while the rest of us poured over that week's, hot off the press, Autotrader. Was a real highlight of the week.

[HMC]

Meanwhile over at CAR ZONE

[HMC]

MEANWOOD VALLEY cheap car centre-

“definitely the best value for money in this area” 

And a bargain bucket section as well

[Rightnider]

I remember going to the UK as a teenager in the 90s, buying Autotrader, gasping over the fact that old cars, especially Fords, were so cheap and in such abundance. 

Mind you, I never thought of the insurance cost. When I started driving my first (running) car in 97 I think I paid approximately £150 a year. For a 3-litre Granada. 

 

[sierraman]

F Reg FSO please! 

[Metal Guru]

3 hours ago, Rightnider said:

I remember going to the UK as a teenager in the 90s, buying Autotrader, gasping over the fact that old cars, especially Fords, were so cheap and in such abundance. 

Mind you, I never thought of the insurance cost. When I started driving my first (running) car in 97 I think I paid approximately £150 a year. For a 3-litre Granada. 

 

£150 a year for insurance was incredibly cheap even for 1997 especially as it was your first car and a 3 litre Granada. My first insurance for a 1.1 Fiesta in 1982 was £450 . (equivalent to about £1500 today, about what I would expect to pay now if I was  that age).

I think that’s the most I’ve ever paid since even for the Impreza.

[HMC]

Onward and upwards* we go
STICKER LANE doesnt seem quite as competitive in the bargain bucket zone back in june 1992…

The 320 “good looker” has stick on chrome arches, speed stripes, a crumpled front wing and bumper and some 90s tastic placca after market wheel trims. 

[HMC]

Or take a walk to BARGAIN CAR SALES for GOOD CLEAN CARS where a sense of humour is part of the sales package…

[HMC]

And for completeness a few private ads from the under £1k bit

[Spottedlaurel]

Maybe it's my eyes, or perhaps wishful thinking, but the Cherry Jubilee at Sticker Lane looks rather like a Laurel....

Escort 2-door at Bargain Cars Sales for £95?!

[HMC]

Just now, Spottedlaurel said:

Maybe it's my eyes, or perhaps wishful thinking, but the Cherry Jubilee at Sticker Lane looks rather like a Laurel....

Escort 2-door at Bargain Cars Sales for £95?!

I thought so too re the laurel