Too Nice to Rice: 1989 Honda CRX

The Fast and Furious franchise is in its eighth instalment now, serving as a blight on petrolheads and movie-goers alike since 2001. However, the franchise has victimised more than just people; it's wrought some of the worse crimes against cars seen in the last few decades. An un-riced Honda CRX is like a satisfying high school reunion: rare, and distinctly 80s. Find this 1989 Honda CRX for sale in Yagoona, NSW, Australia for $6,000 AUD ($4,500 USD at the time of writing) via gumtree.com.

The Aussie sun is always harsh on cars - especially red ones, so faded paint and dull grey plastic trim are not unusual for a car this age. Hopefully the paint can be buffed back and the plastics can be repainted, after which this car would look pretty well sorted. Fortunately, the interior hasn't suffered the same fate as the exterior; it's worn its 190,000km well.

Lithe, light, and nimble, the CRX was brilliant through the corners. Based on a Civic chassis, it was originally intended to be no more than an economy car with its aerodynamic kammback design. However, it became the definitive proof that you don't necessarily need a lot of power, or even rear wheel drive, to make a great sports car.

Classic cars have always made an enticing investment, after all, you can't drive a share portfolio or a house. However, they've always been somewhat risky - there are only so many cars that are legendary enough for big returns down the track. It's especially hard to pick a valuable classic when the car wasn't particularly rare off the dealership floor. Although, if there was any model we'd bet on, the CRX would likely be it.

See another car economy car that isn't tantamount to torture? Email us at tips@dailyturismo.com

Michael is a teenager who's been obsessed with cars since he was able to talk, but has no ability in mechanics whatsoever. His daily driver is a manual transmission Nissan Maxima - the Australian Infiniti I30.