Buy them before we do: second-hand picks for 23 August

Chrysler Sebring Convertible, £3750: Perhaps not Chrysler’s finest hour, but today, with the sun blazing, this Sebring cabrio is tempting. It’s a genuine four-seater, too. The 2008/08-reg car has done 67,000 miles. There’s no mention of service history, but it looks pretty straight.

Vauxhall Ampera Electron, £10,690: Vauxhall’s trail-blazing plug-in hybrid could travel 33.4 miles on electric power. Using its 148bhp 1.4 engine and regen assistance, it returned 54.2mpg overall. This 2012-reg Electron version has done 78,000 miles. New, it cost £31k post-grant.

Lancia Beta S2, £4990: Here’s a rare thing: a rust-free Lancia – and what a pretty one it is. So many Betas have been scrapped that this 50k-mile 1983 example is gold dust. It’s a left-hooker but that just makes it more authentic and all the excuse you need to have that Riviera holiday. 

Daimler Double Six, £5495: If Andrew Frankel’s V12 tribute got you thinking, why not try your luck with this? It’s a 1990/G with 78k miles, restored in ’07. It’s just had a gearbox and oil service, plugs and fuel pipes. It’s just been Waxoyled, so check there’s no rust underneath.

Auction watch 

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (996): In case you’re wondering, yes, this 911 has had a new intermediate shaft bearing. The 996 of 1998-2004 has such a poor reputation – in particular pre-facelift cars such as this one – that without it, it would probably have been knocked down at least by the price of the bearing job, not to mention a rear main seal (which can also let go). The car showed 85,000 miles, was registered in 1999 and sold or £10,000. Its four previous owners seem to have taken care of it, if the 12 service stamps plus sundry later service receipts are anything to go by. 

Future classic

Abarth 124 Spider, £17,995: Everyone raves about its sister car, the Mazda MX-5, but the chances are that the Abarth 124 Spider will be the one people pay a premium for in years to come. Its 168bhp 1.4 MultiAir turbo develops maximum power earlier than the 2.0-litre unit in the Mazda, so you don't have to wring its neck anything like as hard. There’s a sports exhaust, Brembo brakes, Bilstein dampers and a limited-slip diff, too, but it’s the car’s Italian associations and its exclusivity that will attract future enthusiasts. And the fact that it isn't an MX-5. 

Clash of the classifieds

Brief: Find me my first EV for less than £7k.

Nissan Leaf (24kWh), £6995

Toylander Land Rover Series I, £4150

Max Adams: Oh, crikey Mark. You appear to have taken John’s words way too literally and gone for something only a five-year-old can drive. 

Mark Pearson: John said to find him “my first EV”, so what we have here is a wonderful homage to the Series 1 Land Rover, beautifully made and fully electric, brand new and ideal for a spot of (very) light off-roading. It’s got lights, a folding windscreen, even a tow hook for a small trailer.