We all have a soft spot for the Williams and I know there have already been discussions on here about where their values are likely to go in the next 5-10 years when/if the classic market latches on to them.
However, looking only at other cars what is out there from just after this time, say the late nineties or early noughties, that is perhaps towards the bottom of its value curve today but might become an icon of the future?
From the early nineties I have always had a soft spot for BMW E30 M3s and Lancia Delta Integrales. Values of both have strengthened noticeably of late. Both have a competition pedigree, one mainly in touring cars and one in rallying. Their values have already now reached the point where I’m unlikely to be buying an example of either!
So, if you guessed that in five years’ time the 'idols' from the next period might start to become 'classics' then what are they? The touring cars and rally cars seemed to depend less on special homologated road cars that drove their development and instead just became a shell to clothe a completely different competition car. The Xsara road car doesn't seem likely to become desirable off the back of the massive WRC success – they don’t even share a 4wd configuration for a start! A Vauxhall Astra has what kind of halo effect as a result of BTCC success? Very little I can think of. I can't think of many things from that period that are particularly desirable yet are cheap to buy today, but are there great cars that I have just forgotten about that I should be jumping on before the boat sails?