James Ruppert: it's still spider season

[Mark-x]

 As our magazine points out, it is off the price lists, presumably because its Multiair engine now struggles to reach the latest emissions regulations, so they are either re-engineering it, or just pretending that it was never on the price lists. 

There is also the point that the 124 Spider is a Mazda MX-5 with an open shirt and a medallion and perhaps lots of buyers aren’t keen on that. Indeed, the sad fact is that many new car buyers would rather have an SUV than a proper sports car. You are not like that – that’s why you are reading this magazine – so what can you buy? 

Well, 124s that are not brand new start at about £13,000. That will buy a 2016 1.4 Multiair Classica with around 10,000 miles. So why bother with a boring hatch instead, assuming you don’t need that sort of practicality? Personally, I’ve always found convertibles surprisingly accommodating anyway. By all means upgrade to a 2016 Lusso Plus with lowish miles (around 5000) for £16,495. There seem to be quite a few with that spec so presumably there was a fleet release of them. 

There must be 124 sales issues because it is possible to bag yourself an unregistered Lusso Plus for £21,995. When they were on the price lists, these were north of £26,000. So that’s interesting and it means you can still get one if you really want it. 

 Then again, you might prefer something a bit older. If you don’t fall for the charm of a Fiat Barchetta, then you must have a granite heart. It is perfectly formed and ultimately is going to hold its value in the coming years, provided it behaves itself. Left-hand drive should not be an impediment to fun, and although I’ve seen cheaper, a ‘part-exchange to clear’ 2000 Barchetta at £2800 is the entry level now. The going rate starts at just £4000 and that will buy a few-owner 1996 60,000-mile example. Top money seems to be £5995 to £6995 and it should be pretty much mint for that. 

Compare that with the £18,995- plus you will pay for one of those 1970s or 1980s 124 imports, which were all the rage back then. Left-hand drive again and more than likely to break down, they are insufferably cute and one would hope that all the Eastern Bloc rust has been cut out and replaced by the good stuff. 

Although we’ve proved you can still buy a freshly minted 124 from the unregistered overspill car park, don’t panic as you can get an Abarth-branded one. A 2016 car is £18,000 with about 13,000 miles. Maybe that’s the way forward: hardcore(ish) versions with scorpion badges  Looking like the product of a paint sprayer high on Dulux, the Polo Harlequin, known in the trade as the Joseph (he of the coat of many colours), was a special edition released in 1996. They’re rare (for obvious reasons) and this one, which has full service history, has done only 35,000 miles. Ours for £3000, if we hadn’t thought better.