Investing in cars can be a very profitable business which doesn’t have to mean a large bank account and a stream of flashy supercars.

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A tidy sum can also be made at the lower end of the market.

The skill though is knowing which currently affordable car will appreciate in value.

One way of spotting a potential trend is by studying Hagerty’s Price Guide.

The guide covers all sorts of makes and models of classic cars, stretching from the Edwardian era right up until the modern day.

Over the past year the majority of the cars, 75 per cent,  in the classic car market have remained static in value while 14 per cent have fallen.

There has been some growth though and these are the top 10 cars, which cost less than £30,000 that have risen in value in the past 12 months, according to the guide.

BMW Z3 M Roadster – up 36 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £20,000
Avg Price Dec 2023: £27,275

When BMW started producing the Z Series in 1989 its modernist look was miles away from the usual BMW styling.

The Z, standing for zukunft, German for ‘future’ meant the car was design wise, ahead of its time so perhaps it’s not unexpected its popularity has been on the rise.

Every one of the six BMW Z Series cars tracked by Hagerty’s rose in value this year.

The most collectable is the very limited edition Z8, but the Z3 M has also taken off recently  with its 90s styling combined with M variant upgrades proving to be a hit with millennials.

Vauxhall Calibra 2.0 8V – up 37 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £1,750
Avg Price Dec 2023: £2,400

The Calibra was Vauxhall’s answer to the rise of Japanese sports cars that hit the market in the early 1990s.

The futuristic coupe was famously the most aerodynamic production car on its release in 1989.

Nowadays though they are extremely rare, with fewer than 500 of all types left on the road.

That rarity, combined with a low price, has led to a huge percentage rise, which is equivalent though to just a few hundred pounds in real terms.

Talbot Sunbeam Lotus – up 42 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £16,350
Avg Price Dec 2023: £23,275

In its day, the Sunbeam Lotus was Talbot’s answer to the nippy Fords and European GTi models which were all the rage towards the end of the 1970s.

It’s had rise in its fortunes lately though thanks to its appearance in the Forza series of video games as well as an appearance on the TV show Bangers and Cash.

Also marking it down as hot hatch was a ‘reimagined’ version produced by Tolman Engineering which had 242bhp.

With all the recent interest then it’s not surprising the car has seen a significant rise in price.

Renault 4CV – up 42 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £6,850
Avg Price Dec 2023: £9,475

While most of the other saloons from the 1950s are decreasing in value, the Renault 4CV is bucking the market.

It is eligible for the ultra-exclusive Mille Miglia retrospective event and it has a very keen following by collectors in France.

Those collectors have been splashing the cash as a few, very unusual and valuable versions have come on the market including both Découvrable (convertible) and Barquette (open-top sports) models.

Ford Escort XR3 – up 43 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £7,700
Avg Price Dec 2023: £10,975

In the early 1980s the Ford Escort XR3 was the stuff of dreams for any young man.

It was seen as a working class British hero next to the more pretentious hot hatches coming from European makers like Volkswagen and Peugeot.

That attraction hasn’t diminished either and in August a sub-1,000-mile XR3 sold for a record £33,750.

It’s sales like that, that have helped push the price upwards.

Citroen CX – up 43 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £6,825
Avg Price Dec 2023: £9,750

The Citroen CX has seen a revival in its fortunes lately and is seen now as something of a motoring icon.

Its sleek design is almost up there with its iconic DS forebear and prices have been starting to shoot up, especially in France with particular interest in the GTi versions.

In the UK, prices are more affordable but have also been rising particularly for rare versions in good condition.

Lancia Beta Berlina – up 44 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £4,000
Avg Price Dec 2023: £5,750

A Lancia Beta is a rare sight on British roads at the best of times, with the four-door Berlina a particular rarity.

While its fastback design was all the rage in the 1979s its blunt front grille makes the Lancia stand out from the crowd.

Manor Park Classics sold a 1600 Berlina for a hefty £12,938 in October this year, which no doubt helped push the value skyward.

Ford Escort XR3i (MkIII) – up 75 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £7,875
Avg Price Dec 2023: £13,750

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The Escort XR3i is another Ford which has seen rising interest and prices in 2023.

Dealers are pushing the values of this model – as well as the later Mk IV – upwards, with the better examples reaching nearly £20,000.

With the way values of other fast Fords have risen recently, especially the Sierra RS Cosworth, the XR3i’s value is predicted to carry on going upwards.

BMW Z3 Roadster – up 131 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £6,000
Avg Price Dec 2023: £13,850

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The rise in price of the more desirable Z3 M has meant there’s been a knock-on effect of the more standard version.

But because prices are lower, this has translated into a higher percentage rise – up by 131 per cent over the year.

Big auction prices paid in Europe haven’t yet been felt here in the UK for the convertible but prices are on the rise.

Subaru Impreza Turbo 2000 – up 161 per cent

Avg Price Dec 2022: £5,000
Avg Price Dec 2023: £13,050

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Prices for the Subaru Impreza have been rocketing this year.

Colin McRae’s prototype 22B sold at Silverstone in August for a whopping £480,500, setting a world record.

All 15 of the top sale prices for Subarus have been made in the past two years.

The WRX, sold in the UK as the Turbo 2000 from 1994, has followed its illustrious brother, near tripling its average value in the past year.

And prices are expected to rise even further.