Kia Elan review

Kia claimed it was a brand builder, and for a car that was never sold in the UK, it has a certain status and following. It also allowed the firm to build links into Europe. However, we do wonder if there’s more to it than that. So here’s a bit of speculation. Given Kia’s previous fodder was rebadged Mazdas, we wonder if they’d asked to build a version of the MX-5, got a blunt, flat no, and this was the riposte. Where the Japanese firm took inspiration from Lotus, the Koreans took an actual car.

Either way, buying one new wasn’t a walk in the park, so it’s little surprise to learn that neither is picking up a second-hand example 25 years after the Kia Elan was so curiously conceived. As we write there’s a sole import listed in the UK classifieds, advertised at £12,000.

So you’re better off chasing a Lotus Elan, as the motoring gods always intended. Those used to be dirt cheap, but like the Porsche 924 they once rattled around the bargain bin with, things have changed. We’d say £15,000 is your entry point, with some cars touching thirty grand.

Too much of stretch? Well, there’s far more abundant choice if ‘Eastern origin’, ‘pop-up headlights’ and ‘trim shinier than tinsel’ are right at the top of your list of criteria and you're happy to look elsewhere. Mk1 Mazda MX-5s start at £3,000, with good ones nudging ten. And they’re actually rear-wheel drive…