Six '60s classics for less than £20k

Iconic motors that are still within reach

Few decades carry as much cultural weight as the 1960s. From the emergence of rock bands who didn’t wear suits to the birth of peace and love, the swinging ‘60s were, in retrospect, a fine time to be alive.

In motoring terms the decade was a time of plenty, too: in a few short years, Ferrari presented us with the 250GTO, the 275GTB, the 330GTC, the Daytona and the Dino. The Porsche 911 and Jaguar E-type both appeared on the scene, MG and Triumph were doing battle with Midget and Spitfire, and Mercedes-Benz presented the sublime Pagoda.

Alas, values for most of those models have either always been strong or have recently gone into the stratosphere – but all is not lost if you fancy a slice of 1960s magic for the price of a new Ford Focus.

From the unsung heroes of mass production to genuinely iconic models, there’s plenty out there to get you grooving. Allow us to guide you through six of the finest cars from the ‘60s, each of which you can find for less than £20k.

Words: James Page, Paul Hardiman, Malcolm Thorne, Martin Buckley, Julian Balme, Simon Charlesworth

Lotus Elan

The lovely Lotus Elan launched in 1962, with the S2 coming along in ’64, the S3 in ’65, and the S4 in March 1968, identifiable by its squared-off wheel arches.

Nippy and nimble, the featherweight British runaround is an absolute treat to steer, while a 115bhp motor in a 710kg shell means you get brilliant bang for buck (roughly 160bhp per ton, if you’re counting).

This is a ‘60s machine that really makes you happy, with light, accurate steering and plenty of power – even if it can get rather hot in the cabin.

Lotus Elan

For this budget, if you want an Elan it’s most likely going to be a +2, or you’re looking at a part-completed project.

But if you search long and hard enough, earlier cars do exist at the right money.

We found a 1969 drophead coupé for £20k, with three owners and probably on its original chassis. If you fancy getting your hands dirty, there are also plenty of projects out there, such as a 1967 S3 we found for £15,750, albeit without its engine.

Lotus Elan

When you’re buying an Elan, there are a few things to watch out for. The engine is a Lotus/Ford Twin Cam and they all leak a bit, but you don’t want to see leaks from the water pump – it’s a horrible job to replace.

Chassis rust is also a problem, so you need to check the original folded-steel backbone very carefully for structural integrity.

Finally, cracks in the paintwork take up to six months to appear; if the car was resprayed a while back and none have appeared yet, it’ll probably be okay.

Lancia Fulvia Coupé

Unveiled at the Turin Salon in 1965, the Pietro Castagnero-designed Fulvia Coupé shared its underpinnings with the eponymous four-door that debuted two years earlier.

Clothed in a crisp suit of upright but endearing lines, it’s elegant and stylish without being overbearing. Its V4 motor might seem small, but its diminutive size – much like that of the car itself – is deceptive: blessed with a sophisticated soundtrack, it partners with featherweight steering and good visibility to deliver agile, accessible performance. Disc brakes mean it’ll stop, too.

Lancia Fulvia Coupé

Lancia might be a spent force today, but the Fulvia is the very definition of a ’60s Italian classic, and it’s still a bargain.

One that’s in need of tidying will cost £8-10,000, while a well-presented example can fetch £15k or more. Projects (£3k-plus) are uncommon in the UK, as are right-hand drive examples. Only the HF fanalone and Zagato variants are beyond our £20,000 budget. All things considered, it’s a very tempting package.

Lancia Fulvia Coupé

If you decide a Fulvia Coupé is for you, it’s worth keeping a few points in mind. In terms of mechanical components, water pumps are a known weak point (check for overheating during your test drive) as is second-gear synchromesh, while the sills, floors, inner wings and wheel arches can be rust spots.

Lastly, the relatively low value means that carrying out a complete restoration is rarely cost-effective, so project cars with parts missing are best avoided.

Citroën DS

The Citroën DS is one of the most audacious cars of the 20th century: no single automobile has ever introduced so much technical novelty in one giant push.

Here was a spacious five-seater saloon that floated – and self-levelled – on hydropneumatic spheres and harnessed engine-driven hydraulic power for brakes, steering and gear changes.

Crowds marvelled at its mono-shell clothed in unstressed panels, frameless door windows and single-spoke steering wheel. It never got the engine it deserved, but it set a new benchmark for comfort.

Citroën DS

Sold to the tune of 1.3 million examples, there were cavernous Safari estates, super-chic two-door cabriolets and de-specified ID versions for those willing to forego the benefits of powered steering.

With a production history as complex as the car itself, it’s simpler to say that the DS/ID achieved maturity in the ‘60s – and the dates to remember are ‘65 and ‘66, by which time the engine was more refined and hydraulic issues had been ironed out.

You can find plenty of good ID19s and 20s for less than £20,000 if you skip the Pallas trim.

Citroën DS

You do need to inspect carefully for rust, though.

On a ramp, check the sills and the box sections beneath the rear suspension, peel back the ’screen rubbers and look at the inner-wing tops inside the boot.

Be wary of cars that have been off the road for a long time, too, because the DS is a particularly costly car to recommission. As long as you go for a green-fluid car, the hydraulics aren’t generally a huge problem; any reliability problems with a DS are more commonly related to the electrics.

MGC

As a fast, good-looking, practical tourer that’s easy to live with, the MGC holds rather more appeal as a classic than it did as a new car.

At launch, a lethargic engine and tendency towards understeer left the MGC’s reputation in tatters – but an MGC today makes an impressively composed high-speed tourer, with handling limitations only really unmasked if you throw it too enthusiastically into a tight corner.

Most of the time, it’s a comfortable, undemanding companion with a crisp engine note.

MGC

As a sports car, the MGC is no Elan or Mini – but not many things are. As a quintessentially 1960s classic, though, it ticks an awful lot of boxes and now offers a good-value alternative to a Triumph TR5 or Healey 3000.

GTs generally command less than open cars but – barring the odd, perfect exception – most come in at less than £20,000, with a handful available for less than half that amount. There are even a few survivors with the automatic ’box that was fitted to 1282 examples.

MGC

Once you’ve browsed the classifieds and tracked down an MGC you fancy, check everywhere for rust, in particular around the scuttle seam, inner wings, sills and the rear spring mounts.

Heavy oil consumption and breathing could indicate a tired engine, but might just be valve-guide seals. Helpfully, parts are readily available to rebuild the powerplant.

Finally, if the car’s been modified, ensure the upgrades have been correctly done.

Ford Mustang GT

The joy of buying an early Mustang is the same today as it was in the ‘60s: choice. Prospective owners could customise Ford’s new pony into almost anything, from frugal six-cylinder college-commuter to sporty V8 fastback.

By taking the five-year-old Falcon and clothing it in an exciting body, Lee Iacocca and his team invented a whole new class of pared-back performance cars. In US terms it was small, while in Europe it was considered extravagantly large for a two-door and its less-than-sophisticated mechanicals offered archaic handling compared to contemporary GTs.

Fifty years later, it feels somewhere in between.

Ford Mustang GT

Unveiled as a ‘notchback’ coupé, Ford introduced a fastback variant in the autumn of ’64. This became the basis of the Shelby GT350 and values have risen by association, putting it out of our budget. Convertibles, too, are closer to £30k.

The notchback was always considered the least desirable, yet one with all the right bits can cut it with classics worth 10 times as much.

Until recently, it was more viable to buy in the States and import one, but there are now plenty of examples in the UK, covering a huge range of specs and desirability.

Ford Mustang GT

The challenge is to find a Mustang you want and can afford. We found a 1966 GT V8 variant, tastefully restored and with an upgraded manual transmission, bang on the money for £17,500.

With any pony, it pays to make sure it’s what it’s supposed to be, so run a check on the driver’s door data plate. An excess of aftermarket parts, especially under the bonnet, is the sign of an over-enthusiastic home mechanic.

Oh, and as a rule of thumb, never buy an American car that hasn’t got the factory air cleaner.

Morris Mini Minor

Small but perfectly formed, The Mini was and remains an egalitarian motor car. It taught millions that small, economical cars can be fun and lovable.

Born of the ‘50s but latterly a ‘60s legend, the Mini was a packaging tour de force, crammed with novel engineering solutions that helped make the most of its diminutive stature.

To everyone’s surprise, it also handled like a dream, zipping around corners without an ounce of body roll. Steering is swift and fingertip light, letting you have bags of fun well within the speed limit.

Morris Mini Minor

Sure, the driving position can be uncomfortable and the lack of refinement can grate. It can also be said that only the good bits of the Mini’s biography are remembered at the expense of the bad. Yet none of this matters as much as the grin it paints on your face following a cracking drive over your favourite roads.

In terms of size, impact, legacy and cultural Swinging Sixties-ness, you really can’t buy a more intensely concentrated package of grooviness than this renowned 10-footer.

Morris Mini Minor

Coopers have long topped our £20,000 limit, but there are plenty of tidy examples out there.

We found a low-mileage 1961 850 for five pounds shy of £15k. Originality is increasingly desirable, so do check for modifications, some of which may be unintentional: the length of Mini production means that incorrect parts for the year might have been fitted.

Having the gearbox in the sump makes regular oil changes vital, so watch for clouds of smoke on acceleration, and it’s also good to look out for corrosion in the A-pillars, sills, bulkhead and the boot floor.