In this article I will examine 5 legendary autos which were incredibly trendy when launched in the nineties and go on to be loved and desired since. In fact all the autos mentioned below have now received somewhat of a cult status and good samples are extremely sort after and difficult to obtain.

Position 1: Ford Escort XR3i RS Turbo

This is my personal favorite and without doubt deserving of attaining first place. When it was launched its innovative body styling which still holds up today, instantly caught the eyes of a youthful sporting generation. The regular XR3i was praise worthy by itself with extraordinary acceleration but if you were fortunate enough to feel the excitement of the RS Turbo then you would have to agree that this car was a real enjoyment to drive. The turbo model was not only quicker and louder but had the potential to have the body features modified in an infinite variety of approaches. My color of preference for this car was vibrant red with 17 inch after market alloy wheels. The front and rear bumpers could quickly be changed by much more extreme snow scoops as could the side skirts. Upgrading the normal exhaust to a sports exhaust like Scorpion gave the car an even greater road presence. Add a superior quality music system to this car and your ready to go. If you desired any level of street credibility then this car was the have to have of its day. However much like quite a few of its sister vehicles created by Ford were notoriously unreliable. Other than the mechanized failures and malfunctions this car will live in history as the defining look of a rebellious generation of boy racers together with individuals who dared to be different.

Position 2: Golf GTi Mark 2

This car came at a similar sort of time as the RS Turbo and once again instantly received popularity. This car was an alternate choice for individuals who desired the performance and status of the RS Turbo but devoid of the blatant boy racer image. The Mark 2 GTi offered much more advanced appearance and much improved reliability. My color of preference for this car was volcano grey. Although the body styling of this car was somewhat bland its efficiency outmatched anything in its class.

The GTi had extraordinary acceleration, excellent road handling and was good fun to drive round. This model could be modified in a variety of ways to enhance road presence. Normally the box like shape was difficult to work with but immediately after the typical BBS alloys were changed for 17 inch 5 spoke alloys the car looked unbelievable. It is superp how such a basic alteration would provide such a massive change in appearance. This particular model became legendary amongst individuals seeking a little bit more class with matching performance and reliability.

Position 3: Peugeot 306 GTi

This car although from the outside appeared modest and timid was a beast inside and quickly gathered a devout following. The body styling was different to both the vehicles mentioned above in that it was neither too daring nor too reserved. My preference of color for this car would have to be once again volcano grey. The car may not have looked as aesthetically gratifying as the other two but what it lacked in appearance it undoubtedly made up for in overall performance. This car had fast acceleration, superb road handling and was a dream to drive. However the regular body left restricted scope for modification. There was little that could be done to enhance the outside appearance of the car even by changing the alloys. The car was far from spacious and maintained a claustrophobic looking inside.

The car was neither known for its reliability generally developing mechanized issues. Even so this car has been priced reasonably for what it offered, great examples go on to change hands to this day.

Position 4: Vauxhall Astra SRi

This car was hugely underestimated when launched but quickly received notoriety in the late nineties. What hindered this car from gaining even greater status was perhaps the Vauxhall brand name. Vauxhall have ceaselessly been synonymous with bad build quality, unreliability and to some degree the poor mans preference. This car even so defied all those labels and became one of the few autos that Vauxhall can truly celebrate as a success. It had a simple but sporty looking outside which was open to modification. The colour of preference for this car should be seal grey. It had a spacious inside with plenty of leg space for both front and rear passengers.

The car had unbelievable overall performance in terms of acceleration and road handling. The one issue that stood out in this car was the comfort of the drive for on-board passengers which the other car rarely took into consideration. It is a true underdog owing to its brand reputation but would give any car in its class a run for their buck.

Position 5: Honda Civic

Quite a few writers would possibly disagree with my putting this car in fifth position. Some may even argue that this car should have been granted first place. The arguments for this would be down to the limitless possibilities this car offered. This car permitted individuals to communicate their personalities by the style of their car. The body shape was sleek, sporty and quickly modifiable. As with any Japanese car the build quality was the ideal of its class and incredibly reliable. The engine could be tuned, enhanced or even upgraded. The car did not take off hugely in the UK as it did in the US.

To this day, the early Civic remains the building block of any would-be modification enthusiast. Owners have been known to shell out many 1000′s of bucks in regularly upgrading and improving this car to offer greater efficiency and outside appearance.

For the reasons said above I have picked this as my fifth and final choice for vehicles that defined a generation.

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