2002 Citroen Saxo VTR – Classified of the Week

We’ve seen it happen. We have sat here and, in recent history, watched cars of old go for astronomical amounts of money. And we’re not talking about the rare or the exotic here, oh no. We’re talking about cars we used to see in dealerships, the cars we used to see everywhere, the cars that we never thought would be all that coveted. Though out of those cars, it always seems to be the hot hatches that set records with their modern day pricing. For example, a few years back a Series 1 Ford Escort RS Turbo sold for (are you sitting down?) £62,000. Admittedly that was a mint, low mileage, unrestored car, but still. That’s a car that in the ‘90s was mocked for being a boy racer’s chariot of choice. But oh how times have changed. 

And that’s what brings us neatly to this week’s classified of choice. Yes, you may look at a Saxo VTR and think of it as a boy racer car, though more fool you if you do. If you’ve got your wits about you, you’ll identify this as an opportunity to buy a slice of motoring history. And no, we don’t have delusions of grandeur here. The Saxo VTR was a car lauded for its speed and handling, it was the foundation for a culture of modifying, and it was a car many of us aspired to own. The Saxo was, good or bad, an important car from a social standpoint, let alone a motoring one.

Not only that, the Saxo VTR was, like all hot hatches before it, a car that those of us who were too young to drive at the time, lusted after. But now we’re older, we have a bit of disposable income, and as such, we want to get that slice of our youth that we missed out on at the time. As such, prices are on the climb, especially for cars like this unmodified, mint condition, low mileage example. Just 40k on the clock in fact, and only two owners from new. This really is the best one out there.

As we said, prices are on the up for these Saxos. The 8-valve VTR (as featured here) and the 16-valve VTS are surprisingly hard to find. Most were modified into oblivion, and never made it back from the Ripseed isle. Plus, there’s the fact that today’s buyer doesn’t want a modified example, they want to experience it as they would have done back in 2003, had they have been in a position to afford one. 

It’s easy to dismiss the Saxo, but think about the Nova, the Astra GTE, the RS Turbo cars, the Golf GTi models… they all have a following and they all enjoy their residence within an extremely strong market. The VTR and VTS Saxo are on their way to join them, especially the cars untouched by aftermarket exhausts and speakers. At £2,600, this particular VTR is an incredible bargain. All you have to do is buy it, and then laugh as you watch the price go up and up.