Lancia Y10 GTie
Year of Manufacture 1989 Recorded mileage 87,782
Asking price £2000
Vendor Matthew Holland, Cradley Heath, West Midlands
For enormous fun, condition, history Against price, shape
When it was new
Price £8081 Top speed 106mph 0-60mph 9.5 secs Mpg 40
Max power 78bhp Mph/1000rpm in top 17.9

Two grand for a Y10! Steep, but, before you scoff too loudly, consider this as being one of the best - possibly the best - examples of this increasingly rare sporting classic in the UK. The GTie is the finest all-rounder in the Y10 range. An effective replacement for the boisterous but coarse Turbo, it has Fiat's (almost) refined 1301cc ohc engine in fuel-injected form, churning out a respectable 78bhp: enough for 109mph with 60mph coming up in a whisker under 10 secs.

This example is owned by Lancia Motor Club member Matthew Holland and is only for sale to fund the purchase of a Group 4 Fiat Mirafiori Abarth. It's obviously been doted on: the metallic grey paintwork is spotless with barely a stone chip and there's none of the usual Y10 rust bubbles around the rot-prone wheel arches or tailgate. The bumpers wear no sign of parking damage, the stylish alloys have recently been refurbished and there's plenty of life left in the grippy Pirellis. On buying the car two years ago, Matthew was determined to bring the car up to show standards: even such details as the original spec badges and the almost tasteful go-faster stripes have been re-instated.

Inside, it's the same story, with no marks or tears on the suede-effect Alcantara trim, the headlining being equally clean as is the carpeting which shows only slight signs of wear. Electrical problems are commonplace on Y10s - window motors especially being prone to failing - but there are no such problems here. Start up and the feared plumes of blue smoke billowing out of the tailpipe in typical Y10 fashion are absent. Under acceleration, the car pulls effortlessly, the gearchange reassuringly positive. Few 'superminis' are as much fun to drive cross country as the baby Lancia and this enduring buzzbomb is a hoot to hustle along twisty back roads.

Thanks to light weight and prosaic componentry - Fiat Panda front suspension and Lancia's own 'Omega' rear end - the car's ride is a little skittish, but it corners eagerly and still feels taut and together. If there is a major criticism, it's that it's almost too good to use.

Verdict

Expensive, but you'll struggle to find one better.