It's 2019, and we're now seeing some well-kept pocket racers of the high school parking lot from a quarter-century ago become unaffordable. It's a slightly jarring experience to witness something like a 1998 Acura Integra Type-R sell for $65,000 on Bringatrailer.com, but that's where we are as a nation -- a nation that didn't get the car it wanted back in the 1990s and now has at least some money that's not going to student loan payments or house payments.

The ship has definitely sailed on a number of boy racers from that blessed dial-up decade. Forget trying to find a clean Mazda RX-7 FD from those years -- they're all in enthusiast hands now. They know what's they've got and they're not letting go. Even wagons like the wood-sided Buick Roadblaster or some other GM B-body wagon now command at least $15,000, and you get golden retriever hair thrown in for free. But there are still a few cars out there that haven't inspired bidding wars on eBay Motors or a pillaging of one's 401k.

Here are five cars of the 1990s to keep your eye on -- before they become Bringatrailer frequent fliers.

Autoweek

1. Mercedes-Benz R129 SL-Class

Mercedes' drop-top flagship of the 1990s is one of those cars that can still be found on the cheap and with minimal mileage, having long been the summer driver of choice for wealthy elderly couples living on either coast. You'll have Sheldon and Barb to thank for racking up minimal miles on their garage-kept SL-Class and for taking it to the dealer to get windshield washer fill-ups. Deferred maintenance can be a problem with these, though, and we now hear that some parts are becoming unobtainium, even at an official dealer. The R129-generation SL-Class exists in that in-between area now where very tidy examples are starting to command some respectable money, but condition and spec can vary widely.

The V12-engined beasties have always been pricey unless they were obviously mistreated. There is still a good selection of SL500s and earlier six-cylinder models that are very tidy and can be had for a minimum amount -- but bargain hunters are still scared of their maintenance bills. The most sketchy examples are gone, and we still have another five years of bargains to find. But after that, the ship will have sailed.

Nissan

2. Nissan 300ZX Turbo

The 300ZX was another street fighter back in the dial-up days, but even before the decade of the '90s ended, this coupe began to seem like an artifact of an earlier era. This coupe entered a long period of hibernation and has only begun to emerge as values of its competitors started to notch upward. As with its main competitors, the worst-kept examples of the 300ZX dropped some time ago, leaving only the best-kept ones and the slightly scuffed and neglected but repairable examples that could use a visit to a specialist shop.

The 300ZX Turbo has been ignored for some time, and we have the timing of its debut to blame for that, in addition to a relatively high price when new. Collectors are coming around to these coupes just now, which means the door is rapidly closing on the best examples of this model. Canadians are importing the JDM Nissan Fairlady version of this car, which should be a sign of things to come.

Autoweek

3. Mercedes-Benz W124 E-Class convertible

The W124-generation E-Class debuted in the late 1980s, and the values of the tidiest examples have been giving the SL-Class a run for its money. Codenamed A124, the convertible was offered 300CE and E320 flavors, the latter one being the version offered during the last two model years with a new nomenclature. The smooth inline-sixes served up enough power to get from a luxury condo in Miami down to the marina for a lobster lunch.

Being a leisure-mobile, a lot of these convertibles were used sparingly and typically in very favorable climates, not counting a few hurricanes that battered the South Atlantic coast. So gently used examples with plenty of golf balls in various interior seat pockets are still very easy to find, along with mistreated examples that can swallow up some service bills. The hydraulics for the powered tops in these are said to be expensive items to fix, but the cleanest examples are starting to bring serious bucks. Values are inching up slowly, and there are still some bargains to be found.

Dave Saunders

4. Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo

The Celica itself may draw yawns from collectors of six-figure cars, but the All-Trac Turbo flavor was something of a secret menu item back in the day. Serving up 200 hp courtesy of a turbocharged inline-four paired with a five-speed manual transmission, a lot of these were used up and thrown out (or wrapped around a fire hydrant) way before the clock rolled over into the year 2000.

The reason these are becoming a bit of it a hot item in unmessed-with condition is identical to that of the MR2 Turbo further down: It was a niche performance car back in the day for those interested in hoonage, so now it's difficult to find one that hasn't been hooned. But the surviving examples serve as a window into the best-handling cars that Toyota had to offer a quarter-century ago, now overshadowed by the NA Miata Industrial Complex.

The fact that Canadians are already importing JDM versions of this car, called the GT-4 there, should be enough of a sign that there is demand for these.

Dave Saunders

5. Toyota MR2 Turbo

The 200-hp second-generation Mister Two of the '90s got a turbo to play with, also gaining a more luxurious interior, rounder styling and a much-improved suspension. Just like the first-gen Miata, the MR2 Turbo looks tiny viewed through today's eyes -- more like a jet pack that you'd wear or a low-slung motorcycle with reclining seats than an actual car. And that's what made it so great, quietly eclipsing the somewhat finicky first-gen model. The second-gen MR2 Turbo served up very sharp handling, helped by a modest curb weight and more power than a Miata of the day, all while offering a very engaging driving experience and also being able to be driven slowly when needed.

Enthusiasts are snapping them up, but later MR2 values haven't crashed through the ceiling just yet. In another couple of years, these will all be swallowed up by enthusiasts and collectors who will want a king's ransom for one.

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