The Rover CDTi Contemporary SE was the most luxuriousy equipped of the Rover 75's produced before MG/Rover's tragic demise in 2005. With a 0-60 time of 10.3 seconds but an average mpg figure of 48.8, this civilised and extremely comfortable car made a very practical everyday vehicle for anyone wanting to cover a high mileage. As one of the last cars produced at the famous Longbridge factory, its future classic status is for sad reasons assured.

The fifth generation Vauxhall Astra has brought some design imagination back into GM's mid-size range. This has shown to be a good move on Vauxhall's part as the car has certainly taken sales from the Golf and Focus owners drawn into Vauxhall dealers by it's styling. The 1.6SXi five door modelled here, backs those looks up with perfomance offering a 0-60 time of 11.5 seconds and a top speed of 115mph.

The original avant-garde Sierra hatchback of 1982 was, initially, not received well by a buying public more used to the thoroughly conventional Cortina. Familiarity and a re-style, which made the car look a little less like it was on the set of 'Space 1999' meant it sold strongly in the later parts of its ten year life.

With a major facelift of the Sierra planned in 1987, Ford spent £228 million developing a boot and a more conservative frontal style and introduced it as the Sierra Sapphire.

Release date unknown.

The 127mph 2.8i really was the ultimate standard Capri. The Cologne 2.8 litre V6 replaced the Essex 3 litre in March 1981 and gave much more to the package than the 22bhp power increase that appeared on the specification sheets, for it was both freer revving and smoother. The first fruit of Rod Mansfield's new Dunton based Special Value Engineering (SVE), the 2.8 also had a much improved ride and handling that kept the Capri competitive in both production based motorsport and the sales chart long after its natural pension date had been reached.