The market is swimming with German modern classic bargains! Now's the time to dive in

Didn’t things seem better in the early 2000s? Politics were less divisive, Lurpak was less than £2 a block and you could still shove small bottles of Italian olive oil into your hand luggage when returning from holiday. Times were good, and so were the cars. 

The German companies seemed to have an iron grip on the premium market, and this self-confidence, along with big profit margins, laid the groundwork for some absolutely cracking cars. 

Yet somehow, many of these incredible models still seem to be off the radar for used-car buyers, which is excellent news, because their values remain low. However, this is highly likely to change, with greater electrification and the arrival of new brands from all corners of the world threatening to upend everything. 

Look back, for example, at the original Audi TT. This Bauhaus-inspired coupe was a revelation, and while values are starting to rise on very specific examples, you can still find plenty of well looked-after models that don’t cost the earth, and could be about to explode in value – especially in silver. 

The same can be said for a few other select Audi models. For example, we’re thinking of the C5-generation Audi A6, whether it be in the stunning but rare 4.2 FSi form, or the hot rod RS 6 Avant. 

All you need to do is look at the original RS 4 from 2000-2001, which has already hit the big time. Indeed, unmodified examples are now achieving huge second-hand values, giving us a taste of what might happen to other models from the era. 

But it wasn’t just Audi building cars that are destined to rise in value. The Chris Bangle era at BMW generated some of the biggest automotive design controversies in decades, but some 20 years later, don’t early Z4s and the E63 6 Series look fabulous? This is really pushing the boat out, but I think the same can be said of the E65 7 Series (the car that started the furore) and even the E60 5 Series, especially when specified in a good colour and with the right wheels. 

While not quite at the premium level of Audi and BMW, there’s also Volkswagen to consider. The original Phaeton and Touareg are hideously expensive to run, but lesser models such as the Mk4 Golf and Lupo hold massive appeal, and prices are threatening to soar insanely quickly.

It’s worth remembering that unlike some models from the eighties and nineties, all the cars mentioned here have yet to truly capture the imagination in the way I think they might. A quick burrow through online marketplaces, including the Auto Express Buy a Car service, revealed models such as a 2001 Mk4 VW Golf V6 4Motion for sale at more than £15,000. I remember buying a Mk4 Golf GTI for less than £1,000 back in 2015, far less than what one costs now. Wish I’d held on to it…

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