Citroen Saxo, For boys who like to race

The humble Saxo is essentially the first step on an automotive journey that will, most owners hope, culminate in trading up to a current Ford Focus RS and proceeding to go on a nationwide tour of retail centre car parks, hopefully sponsored by Max Power. That's because there's no car as synonymous with start-up DIY car modification as Citroen's pesky little tin-box supermini. Basically, if the Focus RS is Metallica, the Saxo is McFly: a stepping stone into the good stuff, but hardly hardcore.

And for that reason it's getting harder and harder to find a decent one. Bag yourself a genuine 'one lady owner' example, though - preferably in VTS spec and blue - and you're onto a winner. It's cramped and the quality is suspect, but it's light, feels quicker than it is, has pointy steering and is easy and cheap to tinker with yourself if needs be. Cheap parts are plentiful too, aided by the fact that the Saxo is based on its near identical twin - the Peugeot 106.

Compare prices on the Citroen Saxo: Find a deal on Yahoo! Cars

Mark Nichol