CARS OF 1998
The PC team rewinds a quarter of a century to mark some silver anniversary superstars
Time whooshes by, doesn’t it? To some of you reading this, 1998 was just yesterday. To anyone else who remembers being alive 25 years ago, it’s entirely possible you felt the same way about 1973, too. But look what happens. As sure as the sun rises, a new generation of enthusiast arrives on the scene and suddenly… you feel just that little bit older.
At car shows, in social media groups and car clubs across the land, younger enthusiasts in 2023 are now at the wheel of some cherished 25-year-old motors. Here, we present to you a selection of them as chosen by our writers – all of whom have themselves discovered the joy of the Nineties in recent years.
The key to the survival of cars from this era is in the quality of the build. Engineering standards took a big leap in the Nineties. Sure, some still rust (yes, we're looking at you, Ford), but while the construction and tech is leagues ahead of previous generations, all are fixable in a traditional sense and very usable. Add to that support from a legion of loyal owners, it makes for a fulfilling ownership experience.
Environmental concerns, politics, clever new car marketing and more attainable finance deals have seen off many a modern classic. Those remaining are the great survivors. Having lived through neglect and misguided scrappage schemes, these quarter century classics are our new hero cars.
AUDI TT
When the original concept was displayed at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi had nothing like it in its model range. The firm took inspiration from the past in both its name (from the NSU TT) and the styling, said to evoke the gargantuan Auto Union racers of the Thirties. Yet it looked futuristic, and still did three years later when the production version came on stream.
But the TT isn’t just a pretty face – it’s a pretty good drive too, with even entry-level models offering a decent level of go. The mainstay of the range was the VAG 1.8T turbocharged petrol engine. Punchy and keen to rev, it’s a motor that’s a joy to use and, when the TT made its debut, it was the only engine offered. Buyers could choose between 180bhp or 225bhp outputs, both engines getting quattro four-wheel drive as standard. With 0-62mph in just over six seconds available from the more powerful car, the TT is no slouch.
A convertible appeared within six months and, by 2003, there was also a penny-pinching version of this with 148bhp and front-wheel drive. Something far fruitier arrived a few
