Fast forward to today, and cars like the Lotus Elise, TVR Sagaris, and McLaren F1 are now some of the most desirable and valuable cars on the planet.
British motoring offers so many iconic classics from throughout the ages. Some were great, some were terrible, and many fell in between. It's true to say that back in the '80s and '90s, the British car industry was in a bit of trouble and rejected by buyers. The industry was failing and so "British cars" weren't very well received by the general public.
Here are 10 British cars that, for various reasons, nobody wanted to buy ten years ago; from the muscular Jaguar F-Type R to the exotic Lotus Evora; and even the beautiful and performing Bentley Turbo R; these expensive British cars have also been underappreciated in the used market in the past. Now, however, things have changed dramatically, with prices for some of the UK's most expensive used cars steadily rising, with many models fetching hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction and showing no sign of stopping.
Do you love British cars? Here are the best British cars to buy right now that are returning owners thousands over MSRP.
The Lotus Elise was a replacement for the legendary S1, which fell short of European crash standards. The Norfolk-based company created the second series, lasting an entire decade and funded by General Motors. The S2 Elise is responsible for the Opel VX220 and the chassis found on Hennessey Venom GT.
This British roadster was powered by a Rover 1.8-liter unit and produced an astounding 120 hp, generating a whopping 124 lb-ft of torque. Later models received a 1.8 liter Toyota VVTL-i, taking the figures way up to 218 hp; the Elise was a genuine Lotus, sporting Colin Chapman's lightweight handling ethos. Prices for this petite Brit average $40,000 but can plummet as low as $17,000 in the past. However, Lotus replacing the Elise is only going to increase that average.
Rolls-Royce Motors created the last 'Imperial' Bentley in the form of the Turbo R, spanning from 1985 to 1999. The luxury bus with 350 hp generated by a rather British 6.8-liter turbocharged V8 replaced the Mulsanne Turbo R and boasted a stiffer suspension setup alongside wider tires than its predecessor.
Bentley's 1997 Arnage T, with a Garrett T03 turbocharger, took seven seconds to go from 0-60 mph. The 5,401Ib car's value plummeted from $195,000 to $12,000 in recent years. This once $200,000 leather-stuffed barge has since made a comeback to an average of $30,000—some even going for $130,000 when sporting the RT badging of 1997.
The Jaguar XKR-S is a British muscle car that was equipped with a new active exhaust system and ECU tweaks by Jaguar in 2012. The 5.0-liter Roots-Type Supercharged V8 produced 500 horsepower and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just four seconds, making it the fastest production 'Jaaag' at the time.
The XKR-S is not a very British car at all, weighing 4,061 pounds. It sends all 549 horsepower to the rear wheels and is manipulated by a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission. Prices started at $134,000 and fell rather quickly, with the cheapest examples falling as low as $30,000. Today, this villainous Brit can fetch up to $60,000 due to Jaguar announcing an all-electric lineup by 2025.
Just like the Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige, the Lotus Evora is climbing in value. In fact, the 2021 Evora earned similar figures to its $95,000+ MSRP when it was released. As the decade-old trilogy of Elise, Exige, and Evora comes to an end, early models of the Evora are also climbing their way up the appreciation ladder.
The Lotus Evora was the last new model before Chinese automaker Geely took over the British brand in 2017. It can do 0-60 mph in under five seconds thanks to its 3.5-liter V6 engine, which made it Top Gear's sports car of 2009. The original Evora cost as little as $30,472, but prices are now closer to $47,000 for this burnt orange variant! As Geely begins offloading its fleet of new Emiras, now is the time to invest in the outgoing trilogy before prices rise even further.
The Range Rover P38 debuted in 1994, and its successor fell to Land Rover Styling Director George Thompson. After a six-year run and 167,000 units sold, the vehicle has recently seen a resurgence in popularity. Nicknamed the ‘Chelsea tractor’ for its luxurious—yet utilitarian—design, this Land Rover has become a quintessential ‘90s symbol.
The second-generation Range Rover was available with a 4.0- and 4.6-liter V8 from the factory. A later BMW diesel variant also hit the market, sporting a 2.5-liter displacement. Customers didn't care for the 230 horsepower rating on their British barge, and they bought a Range Rover simply because they could. As a result, specific examples fell as low as a couple of thousand dollars. However, a recent surge has seen models shift for $20,000+.
Jaguar's F-Type has been a concept ever since the 1990s. In 2013 it went into production, with an S and R variant soon following. The F-Type R is a supercharged RWD coupe producing 549 hp from a familiar 5.0-liter V8. It sat atop the model lineup before the introduction of the SVR in 2016.
The Jaguar F-type R started at just under $100,000. But the car's price dropped dramatically when its more powerful sibling, the Jaguar SVR, debuted a year later. In fact, some examples sold for around $22,000! Currently, the F-type R lists for about $41,645, according to Kelly Blue Book. This hike is likely due to Jaguar announcing an all-electric lineup beyond 2025.
When Ford purchased the British manufacturer Aston Martin in 1993, it brought back the famous DB name for its new flagship model, the DB7. Like Sir David Brown, who had rescued the brand with the DB4 and DB5 decades earlier, Ford used Bloxham Manufacturing to produce 7,000 units of the DB7 between 1994 and 2004. The same plant was also used to create another Ford-owned vehicle: Jaguar's XJ220.
A 3.2-liter supercharged engine is available on base models, while a 5.9-liter V12 producing 420 hp can fetch investors $60,000+ these days. It's an increase from the few sold for around $10k in recent decades. DB7 was the only Aston created away from the Gaydon plant, setting the foundations for the record-breaking DB9.
The Rover 75 was an average sedan produced by Rover before it fell into bankruptcy. Funded by BMW, the plucky British company managed to get a V8 variant over the line for 2004, with a longitudinally mounted 4.6-liter modular V8 from Ford. This sedate Rover could produce 256 hp, which was unheard of at the time; this was Rover's first V8-powered vehicle since 1986, and sales reflected this.
Of the 883 MG ZTs and Rover 75s sold in 1999, Rover dealers sold only 166 of these cars. Because the ZT 260 had a 5-speed manual transmission and Rover dealers were selling cars with 4-speed automatics, the unreliable Rover name never stood a chance. The obscene MSRP of $40,000 quickly dropped, with some examples reaching just shy of $6,000! On the contrary, this example is being marketed above MSRP. Could this be a sign of things to come?
The Land Rover Defender was a British SUV that saw production variants between 1990 and 2016. It was used for farming, military purposes, and even by members of the Royal family! These shoe boxes crossed the Atlantic for four short years (1993-1997). Unfortunately, marketing as Defender 90 and 110, depending on wheelbase size, safety standards were not met in America, so production was stopped.
The time is for those who have been waiting to own a Land Rover Defender MKI. With the 25-year import threshold being reached on post-1997 models, these iconic trucks are worth $50,000 in certain specifications. Although the rarest Defender on US shores is the 1993 NAS Defender 110, providing you have the five-speed manual 3.9-liter V8, prices can go beyond $140,000 for this one of 534 hand-built vehicles.
Aston Martin's Cygnet is pretty cute if you can get past the fact that it's really just a Toyota IQ. Unfortunately, the little two-seater was only available in Europe and sold very poorly. Aston Martin could have done better for a car that costs £36,950 ($47,800). I mean, come on, Aston Martin — even the Toyota IQ is ugly! Still, this little robot-mobile is quite the gem of British engineering, with super-slick styling and a 1.3-liter engine.
Yes, if you buy carefully and choose the right model and vehicle, you can make an Aston Martin Cygnet an excellent investment. Some models appreciate the value and can increase your investment return over time. For example, Cygnet is going for $39,000 second-hand in recent sales.
| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Volkswagen |
Germany |
| #2 |  Toyota |
Japan |
| #3 |  Stellantis |
Netherlands |
| #4 |  Mercedes-Benz Group |
Germany |
| #5 |  Ford Motor |
United States |
| Rank | Company | Country |
|---|---|---|
| #1 |  Michelin |
France |
| #2 |  Bridgestone |
Japan |
| #3 |  Continental |
Germany |
| #4 |  Goodyear |
United States |
| #5 |  Sumitomo |
Japan |
