One of the surest indicators of a nailed-on future classic for many years was motorsport pedigree - think what success on the race track did for the likes of the Porsche 911 2.7 RS and BMW E30 M3 - but in more recent times it’s become less of a factor.

Homologation regulations aren’t what they once were, after all, and manufacturers are no longer obliged to build road-going facsimiles of their competition machines. So which factors do apply?

Scarcity, for one, and reputation for another. If a car is rare and widely reckoned to be one of the best of its type to drive, it’ll probably reach classic status. Beauty is another factor and so too is significance; a car that changed the game in its sector is bound to be held in high regard for years to come.

Every one of the cars we’re highlighting here meets at least one of those criteria, if not two or three. There is a strong possibility that many of them will rise in value over the coming years, but we haven’t let that be our motivating factor. Instead, we’ve concentrated on cars that are great to drive or a pleasure to own. Now is the time to bag yourself a copper-bottomed future classic. We’ve split them into price ranges to make your life easier: