Retro hot hatches heading to CarFest 2026 auction

Time to start hatching a plan

This weekend sees the return of the epic CarFest event, bringing motorsport and automotive culture together with celebrities and live music.

Taking place at Northamptonshire’s Silverstone Circuit, CarFest also includes a two-day auction being held by Iconic Auctioneers. The sale will be held on Saturday, 29 August, and Sunday, 30 August 2026, and can be accessed without needing a ticket for the main event itself.

Amongst a wild array of classic cars up for sale, hot hatchbacks with a combined value of almost £500,000 will be crossing the auction block.

Ahead of the sale, we have picked out some of the most intriguing hot hatches on offer, ranging from icons of the 1980s, through to modern rally heroes.

1987 Peugeot 205 GTi Dimma

Possibly one of the wildest retro hot hatches up for grabs in the CarFest sale is this Peugeot 206 GTi, which has undergone a dramatic transformation, thanks to its Dimma widebody kit.

Inspired by the Group B Peugeot 205 T16 rally cars from the 1980s, the Dimma kit includes huge flared rear wheel arches, new bumpers, and three-piece alloy wheels.

This particular car has been a one-off build undertaken by a Peugeot engineer, including Gaz coilover suspension and the engine from a later 306 GTi.

It comes with a pre-sale estimate of between £18,000 and £22,000.

1989 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9

For those who prefer their Peugeot 205 GTi hot hatchbacks unadorned with additional styling, the CarFest auction does not disappoint.

More than £24,000 has been spent on recent restoration work, including a complete glass-out respray in its original Graphite Grey. The brakes, suspension, and engine have all received attention, too.

Complete with the desirable 1.9-litre engine, the 205 GTi comes with a guide price of £15,000 to £18,000.

1998 Peugeot 106 Rallye S2

If you happen to remember the second iteration of the Peugeot 106 Rallye being released, yes, it is actually old enough to be considered a proper modern classic.

Essentially a no-frills version of the 106 GTi, the Rallye S2 boasted an eight-valve version of its 1.6-litre engine, offering 103hp. Steel wheels, a basic interior, and a set of exterior decals set the Rallye apart from its fancier GTi stablemate.

Fresh from a detailed restoration, this Rallye could sell for between £12,000 and £15,000.

1983 Volkswagen Mk1 Golf GTI

With Peugeot hot hatchbacks up for sale, no auction would be complete without its Volkswagen-badged GTI rival also on offer.

This includes an original Mk1 Golf GTI, finished in Mars Red paint, and wearing its iconic Pirelli ‘P-slot’ alloy wheels. What makes this GTI more impressive is the fact it has clearly been driven and enjoyed, with some 230,000 miles recorded on the odometer.

With a hefty maintenance file, this Mk1 Golf GTI could be driven guilt-free, and comes with a guide price of £10,000 to £15,000.

1989 Volkswagen Mk2 Golf GTI 16v

At the other end of the usage scale, this Mk2 Golf GTI has accumulated just over 40,000 miles since leaving the production line in 1989. This is backed by a comprehensive history file, showing only two previous owners.

Finished in Tornado Red, this ‘small bumper’ example of the Mk2 Golf GTI is hugely desirable, aided by having the 16v version of the 1.8-litre engine.

With its low mileage and desirable specification, the Mk2 GTI could achieve £14,000 to £18,000.

1991 Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet

Summer may be coming to an end, but now is the time to start planning for drop-top cruising next year with this Golf GTI Cabriolet.

Offered for sale by its original owner, the Karmann-made Cabriolet has been kept in the same garage from new. This has helped preserve the bodywork and interior in original condition, as has the mileage of less than 40,000 miles on the odometer.

Featuring a history file that shows 36 service stamps, plus a host of other maintenance items, the guide price of between £15,000 and £18,000 is easy to understand.

1989 Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 2

Fast Fords continue to attract plenty of attention at auction, and the CarFest sale includes a desirable Escort RS Turbo, featuring just 5,740 miles from new.

In later Series 2 specification, the RS Turbo is finished in Radiant Red with Zolda cloth trim for the Recaro seats. Treated to a complete overhaul by its third owner, this included a professional respray.

The star of the show is, however, the turbocharged 1.6-litre CVH engine, which should help attract bids of £45,000 to £55,000.

1990 Ford Escort 1600 Sport

Possibly one of the rarest modern performance Fords, just 28 examples of the Escort 1600 Sport are still left to be in existence, with only five of them left in the UK.

Subject to a complete restoration, this Radiant Red 1600 Sport comes with a Vulcan Engineering-built 1.6-litre engine, featuring twin Weber 45 carburettors. Upgraded Wilwood brakes, Gaz suspension, and a set of period-style 16-inch Compomotive alloy wheels are all included.

Despite the rarity, and recent overhaul, the 1600 Sport comes with a guide price of just £13,000 and £15,000.

1986 Vauxhall Cavalier SRi

We may be stretching the definition of hot hatchback with the Vauxhall Cavalier, but as a five-door model it undoubtedly still qualifies to be included here.

In sporty SRi trim the Cavalier gained 14-inch alloy wheels, a two-tone exterior colour scheme, and a set of stylish spoilers front and rear. Recaro seats boosted this Vauxhall above regular rep-mobile Cavaliers, although the 115hp 1.8-litre engine was warm, rather than scorching.

Well-regarded amongst Vauxhall fans, this Cavalier could achieve between £10,000 and £12,000.

1988 Vauxhall Astra Mk2 GTE 16v

The Iconic Auctioneers CarFest sale also includes a more obvious Vauxhall hot hatchback offering, with this fully restored Astra GTE set to cross the auction block.

Finished in a striking combination of Mauve Purple over a grey cloth interior, the Astra’s 2.0-litre 16-valve ‘Red Top’ engine has also received recent attention.

Backed by its history file, and fresh from its two-year restoration, the GTE boasts a guide price of between £10,000 and £15,000.

2008 Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition

Pushing the limits of 2000s hot hatchback performance, the Vauxhall Astra VXR came equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine sending 240hp to the front wheels.

Built to celebrate the Astra’s record-setting lap time around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, this special-edition model gained a Remus sports exhaust, Recaro leather seats, and unique body decals.

Number 647 of the 835 examples produced, this Astra is guided at just £8,000 to £10,000.

1984 Renault 5 Gordini Turbo

Compared to the later mid-engined versions of the Renault 5 GT Turbo, the earlier Gordini Turbo models are rarer and subtler in their performance.

Featuring a 110hp turbocharged 1.4-litre engine, the performance of the Gordini Turbo was suitably sprightly. A lightweight chassis made for nimble handling, with deep dish alloy wheels adding some visual flair.

Expected to achieve between £10,000 and £12,000 on the block, only 13 examples of the Gordini Turbo are believed to be left in the UK.

2004 Renault Sport Clio V6 255

Less hot hatchback, more miniature supercar, the Clio V6 still looks as wild as when it first left the Dieppe factory. With a 3.0-litre V6 naturally aspirated engine mounted in the middle, the two-seater Clio barely had space for luggage in its tiny hatchback boot.

This later Phase 2 model saw the V6 engine enhanced to deliver 255hp, along with suspension changes that made it easier to handle at the limit. One of around 1,300 examples produced, the Iliad Blue paintwork provides a contrast against the silver air intakes.

With bold looks and performance, a guide price of between £35,000 and £45,000 is far more affordable than other mid-engined supercars.

1985 Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC

For those in search of a rare Italian hot hatchback, this Fiat Ritmo Abarth 130 TC was imported to the UK from Sicily in 2024.

Benefitting from a comprehensive restoration, it offers an intriguing alternative to other hot hatches from the 1980s. A 2.0-litre Twin Cam engine provides the power, combined with a five-speed manual gearbox.

The Grigio Alluminio paintwork is contrasted by the black Nappa leather upholstery, with diamond cut alloy wheels completing the package. Expect to bid between £10,000 and £12,000 for this imported hot hatch.

1987 Fiat Uno Turbo i.e.

Placing a 105hp turbocharged 1.3-litre engine into the body of a compact Italian supermini made for explosive performance, especially one weighing around 900kg.

Being able to accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds was properly quick for the standards of the time. Even with such big performance on offer, numbers of surviving Mk1 Uno Turbo models are barely into three figures.

Backed by a comprehensive history file, this example has a guide price of £17,000 to £22,000.

1990 Lancia Delta HF Turbo i.e.

The rally-bred flame-spitting Lancia Delta Integrale models may be the ones which attract all the attention, but the Delta HF Turbo was the precursor to these all-wheel drive versions.

In front-wheel drive form, the HF Turbo i.e. featured a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, producing 140hp and being able to accelerate from 0-62mph in under 9 seconds.

Nero Black paintwork, Alcantara seats, and 14-inch Cromodora alloy wheels are all featured on this example, which boasts a healthy history file, too. This could see it achieve between £20,000 and £25,000 at auction.

2015 Abarth 695 Biposto Rosso Officine

Built to be used as a courtesy car at official Ferrari dealerships, Abarth manufactured only 99 examples, with only 14 coming to the UK.

Making them stand out from other Abarth 695s was the use of Ferrari Rosso Officina paintwork, along with an Akrapovic exhaust system, and carbon fibre seats. The back seats were replaced with a titanium roll cage, although they may have been overkill for a 190hp hot hatch.

Driven for just 4,802 miles from new, this is a particularly special Abarth, and comes with a £40,000 to £50,000 guide price as a result.

1992 Mazda 323 GT-R

In the world of Group A homologation specials, the Mazda 323 GT-R is certainly one of the more obscure rally creations to be sold to the public.

Featuring a host of bespoke upgrades, a 210hp turbocharged 1.8-litre engine was matched with a four-wheel drive system, and limited-slip differential. Only 200 are believed to have been made in UF White, like this example.

Some £15,000 has been spent on this car, including a complete respray, whilst 17-inch OZ Racing alloy wheels and coilover suspension have been added.

A guide price of £18,000 to £24,000 reflects the novelty of this Japanese rally machine.

2025 Toyota GR Yaris RC Lightweight

Acting as a spiritual successor to the Mazda 323 GT-R, the Toyota GR Yaris is Japan’s latest rally homologation superstar. The hype generated by this compact hot hatch does seem to have subsided, and this particular example is even more special.

Believed to be one of only two RC Lightweight models in the UK, this stripped-out version is intended for competition use. The Japanese-specification engine produces 304hp, with the car weighing 30kg less than a normal GR Yaris.

Featuring a six-speed manual gearbox, 18-inch Enkei alloy wheels, and a rear limited-slip differential, make for a desirable package. Get ready to rally with bids between £32,000 and £38,000.