Techzle recently went out with two high-profile coupes from different times: The Opel Manta and Opel Calibra. Many car enthusiasts may think with melancholy of the time when there were still many such affordable coupes on the market. A great time to take a look at the current range of very affordable coupes on the used car market.
Unfortunately, we must immediately disappoint lovers of the Manta and the Calibra; we look at the offer up to € 2,000 and for that money we do not find it. Maybe a Calibra will pop up here and there for under € 2,000, but that probably won’t be much more. Because of the fan base for that model, the prices of the Calibra are rising rather than falling. However, what we do encounter below € 2,000 does not have to be uninteresting.
Peugeot 406 Coupé
How could it be otherwise; the ‘poor man’s Ferrarithe Peugeot 406 Coupé. With its sleek design by Pininfarina, the 406 Coupé managed to get its hands together in its time. To be fair, it’s still a tasteful design that has stood the test of time. This is in contrast to its successor, according to many. Where the charming coach of the 406 Coupé can still put a smile on your face, the same does not always apply to the technology that resides underneath. Unfortunately, they are anything but hassle-free, but you can still look good in it. Like this one, they are increasingly available for less than € 2,000. If you throw a little more money at it, you may run a little less risk of trouble.
Honda Prelude
Another coupe that admired admiration in its time: the Honda Prelude. The fourth and fifth generation of the Prelude now and then dips every now and then under € 2,000 as an occasion. For that you get a car that is basically well put together and will not disappoint in terms of performance. Unfortunately, a large part of the Preludes in our country have fallen victim to people with a somewhat debatable taste, so you may occasionally need to look for parts to restore the car to a more original condition. Of course you have to pay a little extra for that.
Toyota Celica
What applies to the Prelude certainly also applies to the Toyota Celica. The somewhat older generations (five and six) are increasingly showing up for less than € 2,000. Nice cars that are basically considered to be of high quality, but for this money it is of course often the cars with a little more experience. That does not mean that they are only scrapped copies. There are plenty of them with potential for years of driving pleasure. If you give him a little love, you’ll be driving around in a high-profile coupe with a smile, especially when it comes to the fifth generation – with the double headlights – or a canary yellow like this one!
Alfa Romeo GT
Alfa Romeos tend to drop in value quickly and the Alfa Romeo GT is the youngest in this list. There is in itself a good reason for this; they are not all equally well constructed. Alfas are often very nice to see and they sometimes say that you must have had an Alfa Romeo. In that case you can of course go for a 156 of € 1,000 (and some money put aside for maintenance), but why not look at a GT with the same ease? Maybe less practical, but extra special. What about this 2004 copy, with less than two tons on the counter?
Hyundai Coupé
Another relatively young car for very little money: the Hyundai Coupé. The second generation, that is. The first Coupé can of course also be found for less than € 2,000, but then you have to find it first. The offer of the second generation is more extensive and that is probably the car you prefer. In general, it is known as reliable and also quite good steering. Not the first car you might have thought of, but definitely worth considering. There is a fair amount of offerings under € 2,000, including this example, which is ready for more with a little love.
Ford Cougar
A bit of a stranger in this list, the Ford Cougar. A fairly large American coupe would probably gather dust in the Dutch showrooms at the moment, but 209 of the Cougar were still sold here over time. Not too much, but enough to still pop up regularly as an occasion. It is relatively heavy, very American, certainly not top in terms of finish, but it is nice and separate and is often packed with accessories. There was never much demand for this and that is now completely negligible, but for a habbekrats you do get something special at home. Like this, for less than € 2,000.
Opel Astra Coupé
When Opel launched the second generation of the Astra, the brand received a lot of praise for the completely new design of its compact mid-size car. That went a step further when the Bertone-signed coupé version of the Astra was unveiled. Although the Astra Coupé is much more similar to the regular variant than, for example, was the case with the Peugeot 406 Coupé, clearly more has happened than giving the ordinary Astra an oblique roofline. Nowadays the design is a bit dated, but the Astra Coupé has never been ugly. And because it’s an old Opel, it costs next to nothing. There are still quite a few for sale for less than € 2,000, including this dark blue one that has lost its logo in the grille over time.
Mercedes CLK
Okay, maybe not the most creative choice, but it is certainly worth noting that there are plenty of CLKs for sale for less than € 2,000. Then of course we are talking about the first generation CLK and that is unfortunately (by far) not the most indestructible Mercedes ever made, especially when it comes to the rust devil. Nevertheless, it does offer the opportunity to drive a Mercedes for a relatively small amount, which was certainly very popular with the general public at the time. And of course you soon have a whole range of luxury accessories on board, which is also worth something. There are plenty of silver CLKs, so perhaps this red is worth considering.
BMW 3 series coupé
Like the CLK, the BMW 3 Series coupé might be a bit of an obvious choice, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s just an interesting car to look at in this category. The range of E46s is still quite large in the Netherlands, and that also applies to the coupé version. Of course in this case it pays, just like with the CLK, to look with a somewhat wider budget. However, there are also more and more below € 2,000. It is wise to take into account that these cars are often not treated very subtly and that, just like with the CLK, there is quite a nice danger in the form of the rust devil. Fortunately, the range is wide enough, so you don’t have to go for the first one.
Mercedes C-Class Sports Coupé
You can say that at Mercedes they may have been somewhat free in the use of the term ‘coupé’ with the C-class Sport coupe, but we can not help but take this in this list. After all, there is still a lot of supply of this model, for a large part under € 2,000. If you want, just like with the 3-series coupé, the well-known driving behavior of the regular model in a somewhat more striking jacket, then you have come to the right place with the C-class Sports coupé. The striking butt and the abrupt end of the sloping roofline must be your taste, it is certainly special. Perhaps the fact that this type of car quickly fell out of favor explains the low average asking price, because for € 2,000 this is still quite a neat car? Oh yes, here again you have to be on your guard against rust.
The rest?
Because we want to stick to a row of ten cars, there are of course quite a few of them. In the ‘coupes under € 2,000’ category, you can also look at common occasions such as the Opel Tigra, Ford Puma, Saab 9-3 Coupé, Renault Mégane Coupé and Honda Accord Coupé or various older Japanese coupes, such as the Nissan 100NX and Toyota Paseo. Or a nice really old fixer-upper, but then you are of course not ready for € 2,000.