Outside of some 1950s microcars and a certain rounded two-door with an air-cooled engine that sold 21,529,464 examples over the course of 65 years, German automobiles have not typically been known for their affordability. Thankfully, the passage of time tends to temper that trait, and some vehicles that were once out of reach of many enthusiasts can now be purchased for a small fraction of their original prices. We’ve rounded up a selection of classics and modern-classics that we feel represent surprisingly good value in today’s hot market. You may find an example or two of these on the various marque pages in the pages of Hemmings Motor News, along with suppliers of parts and services to bring them up to snuff or keep them in fine roadworthy condition. If you’re ready to enjoy the understated style, quality, and precise road manners that vintage German engineering offers, read on, and then peruse the Hemmings’ classifieds.
1995-’99 BMW 318ti
What to Pay: $1,400-$3,800
BMW’s last attempt at marketing a true entry-level, sub-$20,000 model in the U.S. came with the 1990s E36-generation of 3-series and its funky 318ti. This compact two-door channeled the spirit of the rare and stylish 2002 Touring with its hatchback body style and 138- hp twin-cam four-cylinder engine. Status-conscious Americans didn’t warm to this offbeat BMW even though it promised athletic rear-wheel-drive handling acumen in a segment dominated by front-drivers like VW’s Golf GTI. Special ti variants included the big-sunroof California Edition and M-fettled Club Sport, and they are the cars that tended to attract enthusiast owners who maintained them. While price guides peg 318ti’s as sub-$5,000 cars, classic.com suggests they’re gaining value with an average of $9,076; out of 19 North American auction sales between 2017 and 2022, eight broke the $10,000 barrier. Even still, a 318ti is a bargain since its likes will never be built again.
1976-’82 Porsche 924
What to Pay: $8,550-$23,000
It’s been dismissed and disparaged for decades, but the basic 924 has always represented a finely balanced, surprisingly practical, fun-to-drive-a-slow-car-fast type of sports car. A Volkswagen project that was designed, engineered, and ultimately marketed by Porsche, the water-cooled, inline-four/transaxle-driveline 924 2+2 hatchback coupe would be developed into a no-excuses performance machine as the 931 Turbo, the 944-powered 924S, and the subsequent 944 and 968 models. The original 2.0-liter, 95 to 115-horsepower 924 is both an approachable entry point into the marque and a great tool that keen drivers can enjoy modifying and use to improve their car-control skills. You’ll find 924 cars, parts suppliers, and specialist firms in Hemmings’ pages. It likely won’t appreciate much, but compared to a 911, the 924 is cheap to maintain and improve, and as the least expensive Porsche on the market, it offers a lot of bang for the buck.
1985-’93 Volkswagen Cabriolet
What to Pay: $1,650-$4,025
The specialists at Karmann had decades of experience hand-building Volkswagen’s low-volume convertible versions of the Type 1 Sedan and its front-drive successor, the Golf/Rabbit. VW’s second-generation soft-top shared crisp Giugiaro styling with the solid-roof variants but added the iconic reinforcing roll hoop and snug, triple-layer folding roof. While it entered our market in 1980 as the Rabbit Convertible, this model got a notable upgrade in 1985 when it was renamed Cabriolet and fitted with the Mark 1 GTI’s sprightly 90-hp 1.8-liter engine. VW’s 1988 facelift gave it modern monochromatic styling; multiple special editions drove showroom traffic. It’s believed more than 90,000 Cabriolets were sold here, and surviving examples are reasonably priced, although the best can command upwards of $10,000. Fans love fitting Cabriolets with performance upgrades to enhance their delightful dynamics while retaining their classic 1980s style.
2005- ’11 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG
What to Pay: $20,000-$25,000
Kicking yourself for not buying the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé that RM Sotheby’s sold for $135 million Euro ($134 million U.S. dollars) back in May at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart? Same here. Luckily, there are other fast, sporty Mercedes-Benzes available out there for a little less than the cost of a private island and a lightly used Gulfstream to fly you there. Take the under-the radar SLK 55 AMG, for instance. This unassuming, compact roadster boasted a lot of outsized features: a retracting “vario-roof” hardtop, a 355-hp 5.4-liter V-8 paired with a seven-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission, 18-inch AMG wheels, AMG sport suspension, disc brakes with six-piston calipers, AMG-tuned exhaust with four outlets, and more. It also boasted outsized performance: 4.3 seconds to 60 mph and a 12.7-second quarter mile when Car and Driver tested one back in 2005. The SLK 55 AMG was also the first Mercedes-Benz to receive the Black Series treatment, which raised horsepower to 400, lowered the car’s weight by 99 pounds, and shaved about a half-second off its 0 to 60 mph time. Only 100 were built, but the car wasn’t officially available in the U.S. SLK 55 AMGs stickered north of $60,000 when new, but today they can be found for $30,000 and less—much less for higher mileage cars.
1973-’79 Audi Fox
What to Pay: $875-$4,500
Today’s “B9”-chassis Audi A4 can directly trace its lineage back to the early-1970s B1 Audi 80, sold here as the Fox in handsome Giorgetto Giugiaro-styled two- and four-door notchback sedan, plus wagon forms. A popular car in its day—more than 100,000 were imported!—the efficiently packaged front-drive Fox was hugely important for its parent company, spawning VW’s equivalent Dasher/Passat and sharing engineering and small-displacement SOHC four-cylinder engines with the A1 Golf/Rabbit and Scirocco. If you can find a 1978-’79 Fox GTI, you’ll have the sport sedan that introduced us to those three famous letters. Sadly, like the 100LS, few Foxes remain roadworthy today, and those holdouts trade hands for a pittance considering their historical significance. According to classic.com, just three Foxes have sold at auction since 2016: the outlier, an enthusiast-modified ’76 wagon used in a 2019 Audi commercial, brought nearly $14,000 in 2020.
1982-’86 Bitter SC
What to Pay: $15,000-$32,000
The art of coachbuilding limited-series-production cars with seven-figure price tags is the purview of ultra-luxury automakers today, but 40 years ago, there was a stylish, Opel Senator-based luxury-sports coupe that was within reach of well-heeled, but not necessarily filthy-rich, buyers. Today that car—the SC by Bitter—is genuinely affordable in comparison to the average new vehicle, and it offers real exclusivity. With 461 examples built over five model years and a fraction of those remaining roadworthy in America, you won’t fi nd a Bitter at every cars-and-coffee gathering. The SC has the benefit of using a largely standard Opel straight-six engine linked to a General Motors automatic or Getrag manual transmission, as well as an active international club, and some U.S.-based specialists. If you’re considering a Mercedes-Benz SEC or BMW 635 but prefer to spend less and stand out, consider taking the alternate route with a sweet Bitter.
1970-’73 BMW R75/5
What to Pay: $6,000-$18,000
In 1969, Honda unveiled the four-cylinder CB750—a revolutionary machine that created the superbike segment. You know the names: Triumph Trident, BSA Rocket 3, Norton Commando, Kawasaki H2 Mach IV, etc. But the BMW R75/5… a 750 super bike? Well, in the words of Cycle World’s editors, circa-1970: “Kind of.” No one ever nicknamed a BMW “the widow maker,” but the R75/5 was more exciting than BMWs of yore. The iconic opposed twin engine remained, but it was lighter and more powerful with new alloy barrels, redesigned heads, and more. Telescoping forks replaced the Earle’s leading link front end and the frame was lighter, yet very rigid. The overbuilt BMW stuff was there too: an automotive-type dry clutch, a 200-watt alternator, an automotive-type starter motor, and shaft drive. Today, original superbikes are hot collectibles and prices often reflect it. With a little searching, well-maintained and reasonably priced R75/5 airheads (as well as their 500 cc /50 and 600 cc /60 stablemates) can be found. Additionally, they’re bikes you could still ride daily, thanks to their bulletproof design, ease of maintenance, and abundant parts supply. You can even rely on BMW dealer support.
1965-’67 Mercedes-Benz 200/230
What to Pay: $3,650-$12,000
Proving that even the vaunted engineers at Mercedes-Benz were subject to the whims of fashion is the existence of the heckflosse, or “fintail” cars of the late 1950s through mid-1960s. While the pointy backsides of these midsize sedans soon dated their styling, the engineering under that skin was state-of-the-art, with heavy focuses on occupant comfort, safety, and build quality. The 200 models, using gas or diesel four-cylinder engines, and the six-cylinder 230, offered an athletic European driving experience compared to the isolating, floaty ride of contemporary Cadillacs and Lincolns. Nearly one million fintail Benzes would be built over nine years, and they’ve long represented an inexpensive way to enjoy classic-Mercedes ownership. That the pages of HMN contain numerous well-regarded parts and restoration specialists— including the factory-sponsored Mercedes-Benz Classic Center!— to keep them on the road makes them virtually timeless.
