DC2 Type R, 1998, 80,400 miles, £17,490: Car makers once knew that less (it weighs 1140kg) is so much more.
image : autocar.co.uk
Lotus Elise
1.8, 1998, 63,600 miles, £14,995: Lotus’s stunning return to its lightweight roots and one of the very best back-to-basics performance roadsters.
image : autocar.co.uk
Porsche Boxster
2.5, 1999, 60,221 miles, £5500: The years have been kind to what is one of the best routes into serious sports car ownership.
image : autocar.co.uk
Peugeot 106 GTi
106 GTi, 1998, 72,000 miles, £10,990: The French had this market sewn up and this is one of the best of the breed. Tiny, light and purposeful.
image : autocar.co.uk
Seat Ibiza GTI
GTI 16v, 1999, 95,000 miles, £1650: At a time when the Golf GTI wasn’t great, the VW Group was making a lighter,, better-value, Polo-based quick hatch.
image : autocar.co.uk
BMW 5 Series
535i V8, 1998, 92,000 miles, £3500: Fact: 1996 is the point at which the Bavarians built the perfect business express.
image : autocar.co.uk
Alfa Romeo 156
2.0 T.Spark, 1999, 45,682 miles, £5750: No one saw this coming. Here was a pretty Italian saloon with some wonderful engines.
image : autocar.co.uk
Audi A4
2.6 V6 SE, 1997, 17,500 miles, £5495: The BMW 3 Series suddenly had a credible rival when this A4 arrived.