Car appreciation... the aesthetics, the engineering, etc

1. Honda Jazz.
   

Old Fiat Panda 4x4 all day

Original twingo would be up there on my list, i mean, look at the interior.

Now to be deadly pragmatic, how near a bigish town and what are the crit air category the car comes under.

Depends how the car copes with sitting still and modern fuel going off. Then getting the thing to start and run. I'd say don't get a small smart car. They are shite and hate sitting about for time.

You know about car buying and the differences to the UK? I can't seem to get a definitive answer.

Also you are in the price bracket that the current french scrappage scheme super values cars against new cars that are getting cheaper as car sales have dropped.

I did a lot of kms in Mk1 Twingos that my mates usually borrowed off their mums. It's a great littlecar, but you'll struggle to find one in good nick now... Mks 1 Pandas were great fun to drive, more so than my Super 5, the Citroen AX was the best though (you've seen that Nürburgring video, right?).
Still plenty of 4L around, used as dailies, if you're not doing any motorway driving.

My mate just bought a Fiat Panda 100 for under £1,500 and it is a ripper. I'd really recommend it.

Peugeot 205
Renault 5

Either of these would get my vote.