Here are five used Nineties convertibles for up to £10k you should consider this summer

Let’s get this one out of the way early, since the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz SL is the perfect choice. It’s usable, it’s fast enough and it has aged like the finest of red wines. They’re also going up in price, as such vintage metal does, so investing in an example like this SL320 may be as safe a bet as property right now.

Perhaps another slightly obvious choice, but the fact you can get a genuine high-revving convertible Porsche for under £10,000 still amazes us. You can snatch one for as low as two or three grand with ease, but stretch your search parameters to the bigger 3.2-litre engine and you’ll find something like this. Yes, we know its a 2000 reg, but don’t be that person.

A Lotus Elan. In (fading) white. With a manual gearbox. A used car purchase doesn’t get much better than that. If not purely for its low-weight construction and mechanical acumen, the M100 Elan’s gorgeous design should be plenty to tempt your coffers open. It’s also got a stainless steel exhaust and retrimmed upholstery, in case you needed further encouragement. 

When placed alongside the Elan, the Jaguar XK8 really does show the depth of Britain’s classic roadster lineup. Finished in a double serving of deep blue atop a cream leather and wooden dash combo, this example has a wafty 4.0-litre V8 lump to haul you across the countryside. And all that for under eight grand. Bargain.

Perhaps a little short on the sportiness offered by some of the above alternatives, but one thing you’ll almost always get with a Golf is reliability. And though it’s ‘just’ a Golf, the styling of these late second generation models have really grown on us over time. The fact it’s not the first cabriolet that springs to mind when you think back to the Nineties only makes it that much more appealing.