These Are The Cars You Wish You Bought When They Were Cheap

Hello dear reader, the blog that follows is a handful of my favorite responses to my question from last week: What car do you wish you bought when it was still cheap? But before I get into that, I have a fun — actually more morose — anecdote that's frustratingly apropos in relation to this blog, so I shall share it with you.

I was taking photos of a press car this morning when a very kind, very old man stopped me and started chatting. When I told him about my job and why I was taking photos of the car, he shared some stories about his first car, a 1964 Volkswagen Beetle. He said it cost just $1,100 when brand new (which would be about $11,900 in 2026 dollars accounting for inflation), then asked me what the best new car for under $20,000 is. I had to break it to him that there are no new cars on sale with MSRPs below that number. I told him the average price of a new car is now over $50,000, and he said that was more than he paid for his first house in San Francisco. Recognizing the shambolic state of the American economy at the moment, he offered a less-than optimistic parting message: "I feel sorry for your generation, and it's only going to get worse." 

I'm sharing this with you because it just goes to show that we all made the grave mistake of being born too late to be able to buy anything important at a reasonable cost. Anyway, there were lots of other great answers that didn't make this roundup, so feel free to go back and read them if you want to make yourself resent being born too late.

In '97, after I turned 16 and got a job, my parents gave me a $3000 budget to buy a car. I found someone in my town selling an '86 Porsche 944 with under 40K miles for $3000. My dad refused to let me buy it, saying that the 944's were "junk" in his opinion. He also refused to let me buy an '87 Mazda RX7 with 50K miles, for the same reason.

My parents ended up taking the choice away from me and giving me a hand-me-down '86 Honda Prelude with 120K miles from my aunt (herself having received it as a hand-me-down from my grandma) with a laundry list of Day One issues (faulty transmission, leaking master cylinder, broken moon roof, one broken flip-up headlight, failing fuel pump, clogged fuel filter, etc). My aunt received my parents' $3000, and I spent $2k-$3k in repair costs over the next 2 years. I am still bitter 30 years later.

Submitted by: Wretched_Genius

DeTomaso Pantera. When I was in my 20s and very, very broke, I found several rough examples for under $25k.

I'd add the Lotus Esprit as well, even though V8 Esprits are relative bargains right now.

Submitted by: GrannyShifter

Air cooled 911. My sister bought a 74 911 in 1980 for $5000.

Submitted by: seasideclub

2nd gen MR2 turbo. We had a MK1 for years and I always felt it was too slow and underpowered–really wanted to experience the 2g to get the HP to go with the handling.

Submitted by: Putterjacks<3DeweyStreudelxtagstartz/em>

Honda S2000. They got really expensive some years ago. I don't need one, but I want one.

Submitted by: Psycho78

Way, way, WAY back when I was a freshman in college (1974), I looked at a 1970 Dodge Challenger convertible. I think it was around $1,500, maybe a bit less. My mom (who was paying for college and also the car) put her foot down, saying if I flipped it, they'd need a spatula to pick me up off the road. I still think about that car...

Submitted by: Jimmie G

I had an opportunity in 2005 to buy a 60k-mile, 11-year-old 928 GTS for under $20k.

I still kick myself for that.

Submitted by: potbellyjoe

Cheap being a relative term, but compared to what they go for now...

1995 Mazda RX-7. The second Mazda announced no more for the US would have been the time to get one and then baby it, keep it stock, and love it on Sundays. But in 1995, I had a year left in college and really wasn't in a place to plunk down a lot of money for a Japanese sports car!

Submitted by: Xavier96

Not me, but my dad passed on a plum crazy Hemi Cuda in the very early 90's for $15k.

Submitted by: Arnold Rimmer

Definitely remember seeing NSX's for sale in the $30k range. Of course I'm kicking myself for not picking one up then.

Submitted by: David Flores