106 Rallyes had been pocket change for years, and therein lies part of the problem with buying one now. First of all, you really want to find one that’s as original as possible. These may be low-powered cars, and cheap when new – the Series 1 was just £8995 back in the day – but they’re very rare and actually very special.
Which one to go for? Personally, I’m always attracted to the original, partly because I owned one many years ago, and partly because it’s that bit more distanced from the regular 106 than the S2. The unique little 1294cc single cam ‘four’ revs to 7400rpm, producing 100bhp and just 80lb ft of torque, and was chosen to enable the car to fit into the right category for international rallying.
So while 0-62mph in 10.6sec sounds feeble in today’s currency, with just 826kg to lug around there’s never a dull moment, especially when the road turns twisty. Series 2 cars benefit from a larger, less peaky 1.6-litre engine with 103bhp, and disc brakes on the rear axle, unlike the S1’s drums. The biggest issue, after finding a car with its original engine and ’box, is rust; there are many corrosion hotspots, and it can easily write a 106 off that looks respectable on the outside. Watch for tired suspension and oil leaks, too. In fact, beware of just about everything. It’ll all be so worth it though.