The Rise of the Once Unwanted

While writing yesterday’s Auction Car of the Week post, we ended up going down something of a rabbit hole. The car we were writing about was the rather pretty Ford Escort XR3i in the image below. A car that, in today’s market, is most definitely hot property. People are falling over themselves to get their hands on pretty much anything from the ’80s or early ’90s. But, as we pondered in the aforementioned article, that wasn’t always the case. In fact, cars like this XR3i were, for a long time, snubbed. Unwanted, in fact. They weren’t considered as worthy stablemates to their tin-topped siblings. In fact, cars like the XR3i convertible weren’t just snubbed. They were mocked. But thankfully, that’s not the case today.

Without generating some sort of deep dive into the psychology of the petrolhead, we’re not going to be able to come up with a definitive reason as to why these cars were ignored. To our mind, a convertible version of anything is surely better than one with a fixed lid? The convertible has always been seen as a status symbol, as a sign of speed and excitement. It’s a body style that exudes vehicular sexiness and verve. Yet in the ’80s and ’90s, the fragility of the male condition and the unfair ‘hairdresser’ stereotype meant that convertible versions of hot, sporty models were ignored by the very people the manufacturers hoped to sell them to. Unless the person walking into the showroom happened to be female, but that only served to further support the male argument of the car not being manly. But a convertible Mercedes-Benz, or BMW, or Porsche… that’s fine. Testosterone is a weird thing.

But what about the cars? Were they inherently flawed? Not really, no. Okay, so chopping the roof off an Astra GTE did indeed leave it with all the torsional rigidity of custard, but that only really matters on the track. Not the A62 just outside of Oldham. But, because the magazine reviewers – while flinging the convertibles around airfields with reckless abandon – said the cars weren’t as stiff as their hard-topped brethren, people took it as gospel and avoided said models. Despite being Nigel from accounts, not Nigel Mansell.

The reality of course, was that these cars were in fact brilliant, if you leaned into how much fun they were. And thankfully, time has been kind to how we look at them. Any car of this era is desirable right now. But some of the sharpest risers have been these beheaded hatchbacks. The Escort above, the Golf Mk1, the Astra and even the 205Cti are all finding a passionate following. Why? It’s somewhat ironic, really. Firstly, there is the impact of time and rust and boy racers parking the tip top versions in places they shouldn’t be parked. Like canals, and bus stops. The dwindling numbers result in supply/demand shift that leans firmly into the former’s favour. But, because the demand is high, the prices are too. All of a sudden, the convertibles become a more appealing proposition.

But this works in the favour of these once unwanted cars. Prices are on the rise for them, too. These cars, that were once unfairly mocked, are now the belle of the automotive ball. And deservedly so, because who doesn’t love the thrill of being in a convertible?

It’s not just convertible versions though. This trend of the once unloved and unwanted can be seen across the classic car world, and it is brilliant. Cars like the offerings of Rover are finding a passionate, vibrant following. Old Skodas that we used to joke about breaking down? Today there will be fisticuffs over any Estelle or Favorit that hits the market. Nissan Bluebirds are cool. Volvos are positively A List, so on and so forth. And this newfound inclusion and acceptance is the shot in the arm the classic car world needs. These cars might be thin on the ground due to those years of being unwanted, but now they’re being actively sought out by a younger enthusiast. Take a look at events like the utterly brilliant Festival of the Unexeptional and you’ll see a crowd of young faces drinking in the atmosphere while admiring each other’s weird, eccentric retro rides. Brilliant.

So don’t scoff at that old ’80s hatchback or awkward looking saloon. Don’t dismiss the XR3i above over one with a roof. Instead, buy them, celebrate them, use them as a means to encourage and nurture the next generation of enthusiasts into this world. They were unwanted oddities once upon a time, but now they are the affordable, accessible lifeblood this scene needs in order to survive. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to go and have a look for a Skoda Favorit…