Second Edition: 1989 Volkswagen Golf GTI MkII

The Volkswagen Golf was a huge sales success for Volkswagen in the '80s & '90s because it combined family car capabilities with a light and nimble chassis.  The hopped up GTI version was the one to get, with a powerful engine, Recaro seats, and some GTI-specific road hugging suspension.  The MkII version night not be as iconic and OG as the original, but like every new generation of Golf it was just a bit nicer and more liveable for daily commuting. Today's example isn't some perfect trailer queen, but it does offer a decent amount of that grand touring injection that is much needed in your life. Find this 1989 Volkswagen Golf GTI MkII offered for $4000 in East Palo Alto, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Sub-$2k MkII: 1992 Volkswagen GTI

It's getting pretty tough to find any running & driving car for less than $2,000 these days - the proverbial $500 car may still exist, but more than likely the engine is long gone and a family of feral cats have set up base camp where the back seat used to be. Blame a variety of market forces: inflation, gentrification, consternation, whatever. A fun, early '90s hot hatch for less than $2k though - there has to be something wrong with it...right? Find this 8-valve 1992 Volkswagen GTI for sale in Covina, CA for a paltry $1,800 via craigslist.

8k: 1 Dollar Per Mile: 1962 Austin Healey Sprite, 7,613 miles

Of all the reasons to not drive a car, none are very convincing. They usually go like this: fear of damaging the car, fear of the car damaging them, sheer forgetfulness, or a plan to hold it for future value. The thought of a greasy Hooters patron with a ponytail and white gloves pushing a British roadster around a humid stage in Arizona gives me the willies, so someone buy this before a collector does. Find this 1962 Austin Healey Sprite with just 7,613 miles for sale in Sacramento, CA for $7,750 via craigslist.

5k: Original Hot Hatch...Redux: 1991 Volkswagen Golf GTI MkII

The Volkswagen Golf was a huge sales success for Volkswagen in the 1980s/1990s and combined family car capabilities with a light and nimble chassis.  The hopped up GTI version was the one to get, with a powerful engine, Recaro seats and some GTI-specific suspension tuning.  The MkII version isn't as iconic as the original, but like every new generation of Golf it was just a bit nicer and more liveable for daily commuting.  Find this 1991 Volkswagen Golf GTI MkII for sale in Foster City, CA for $4850 via craigslist.  Thanks to tip from Kaibeezy!

5k: Savage Apex Hunter: 1968 Ford Cortina MkII Essex Race Car; TrackRat

The Ford Cortina was a compact sedan built by Ford of Britian and exported around the world to compete with BMW 2002, Chevy Corvair and similar sporty small sedans.  The Cortina isn't commonly seen on this side of the Atlantic, but a welcome change from the typical overweight Ford from the 60s and 70s.  Find this 1968 Ford Cortina MkII Essex Track Rat for sale in Sonoma, CA currently bidding for $5,000 on ebay with 4 days to go.