CCAR Market Segment: ’80s Hot Hatches
VW Golf GTI vs. Peugeot 205 GTI vs. Ford Escort XR3i vs. Renault 5 GT Turbo
The hot hatch boom of the eighties spawned some of the car world’s most coveted and iconic badges; GTIs, XRs and of course that most 1980s of words, TURBO.
Offering a combination of practicality, affordability and performance, the hot hatch hasn’t left us since it’s rise to prevalence in the 1980s, but many regard these ’80s originals as the purest of the form. Sure they might not have the 200hp+ engines of some of today’s hot hatches, but their light and direct feel wins many fans.
Beyond their inherent value however, is the value of nostalgia, which undoubtedly contributes to their appeal. For many, these hatches where the performance icons of their youths, or the neighbour’s car they were always jealous of.
While all car’s tend to seen an increase of value as they age from ‘banger’ to ‘classic’, where going to see how each of these classic hot hatches has fared in the past twenty years.
VW Golf GTI
The big daddy, the elephant in the room, we had to tackle the Golf GTI first. Regarded both as the first hatchback (it wasn’t) and the first hot hatch (sort of) by many, the Golf GTI is no doubt the most iconic of the lot.
The success of the Golf GTI as a model for Volkswagen, as well as its survival rate, is clear from the amount of results on the graph. What is also clear to see however, is an obvious upward trend in results.
Our first result in 1998, saw a good condition car sell for £3000, while last year, this proved only enough for a rough project or the less desired convertible model. There seems to be particularly massive growth at the top of the market, with the best examples fetching almost four times the amount of that 1998 sale.
Peugeot 205 GTI
The constant thorn in the Golf’s side, the 205 GTI was for many the connoisseur’s choice hot hatch, substituting some of the VW’s solidity from a more lively driving experience. In truth, the 205 was still something of a mainstream choice, as is reflected in the number of results we are picking up for the car.
Values are incredibly similar to the Golf, with just one freshly restored, low-mileage 205 pushing up the graph. So too, a similar increase in prices has occurred, particularly in the last 7 or 8 years. Similar to the Golf, £3000 used to be a good car, but is now half of what the better examples are fetching.
Ford Escort XR3i
The common man’s choice, the XR3i was a British favourite that had little of the pretensions of the VW and Peugeot, but was perhaps the rougher diamond of the group. Indeed the more traditional three-box shape (although it is still a hatch) pointed to this car’s no-fuss approach.
While the Ford was never quite as sophisticated as its European rivals, its profligacy in Britain has helped numbers stay high, as reflected in the results. Unfortunately, we haven’t picked up more than three recent results, but they suggest a split market. While high-miler cars in need of work are fetching less than £1000, immaculate low-mileage examples are breaking their estimates and being bought for as much as £21,000 – far outstripping the best VWs or Peugeots.
Renault 5 GT Turbo
Undoubtedly the most eccentric car in this line-up, the positively geometric Renault 5 Turbo attacked the hot hatch brief in bizarre fashion. Rather than fit a tuned version of the largest capacity engine they had available, as with the VW, Peugeot and Ford, Renault took their ancient 1.4 litre engine and stuck a turbo on it. Results were predictably crazy for a mid -’80s turbo, but the car remains a cult icon.
The relative rarity of the 5 GT Turbo is plain to see from our graph, with just four results registering. While the results aren’t conclusive, there’s clearly again a big variation in prices. Original condition cars commanding large premiums on over-used modified examples.
Conclusion: With the exception of the Renault, which seems to be more a question of finding one rather than what to pay for one, it’s clear that ’80s hot hatches have seen a large period of growth over the past 5-10 years.
What’s also clear however, is that condition splits the market dramatically, with the best cars being intensely fought after. What does this mean for the future?
Well, when it comes to buying the cars, the bargains are still there if you can deal with a rough diamond. The car’s that appear in worse condition than they are will be the ones to get – savvy buyers take note.
As for their values? The cheaper examples need to increase in value before the overall values can increase much further – why buy a mint car when you could get a bargain and restore it for less? This brake is likely to hold prices for a short while at least though, so our advice is to buy these cheaper cars, choosing those with the most superficial problems .