Years of manufacture: 1913-1927 
Price when new: £1,350
Price now: £400,000-plus
Engine: 4,244cc 4cyl petrol, 115bhp
Top speed: 100mph

The pre-war Vauxhall 30/98 might look like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but in its day it was one of the ultimate supercars. The 30/90 Velox was produced to satisfy a racer who complained that no car could maintain 100mph at Brooklands race circuit.

Vauxhall came up with a new 115bhp, 4.2-litre four-cylinder that it proved could – unlike contemporary Bentleys and other exotica. The car was relatively luxurious, too, with innovations such as electric lights and a starter motor. About 600 30/98s were built from 1913-’27; a third are thought to survive today.

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