But few of us could manage to drive one every day – the likelihood of an obscure part breaking and leaving us stranded is too great. And then there's the lack of contemporary features like air-con and power steering.

The good news is there are some cars which combine classic style with modern sensibilities. Stuart Milne looks at the options.

Caterham Seven

Graham Nearn, Caterham's founder, bought the license to build cars to the original Lotus Seven design in the 1960s and has been building the lightweight two seater ever since.

It's hardly a car for everyday use – it doesn't have a proper roof or doors for starters – but thanks to the genius of Lotus' founder Colin Chapman, is a sensational car to drive.

Today Caterham produce the Seven (pictured above) with a range of engines from a 1.4-litre through to the 2.3-litre CSR, which can blast to 60mph in just 3.1 seconds, and many can be found competing at racing circuits or on trackdays.

Eagle E-Type

Perhaps the most celebrated British sports car of all time is the Jaguar E-Type. Its sensational styling looks even better today than it did at its launch in 1961.

But more so than any other classic, the E-Type was better to look at than it was to drive – every journey was a workout, with heavy steering and gears, and brakes which fall short of those from even the most basic modern hatchback.

Eagle realised this, and for a substantial amount of cash, will restore an E-Type to better-than-original condition, and equip it with decent brakes and suspension, cooling, heating, fuel supply, lighting and electrical systems worthy of a new sportscar.

HMC MkIV

The Austin Healey 3000 was one of the sexiest British cars of any era. Its huge chrome grille and trademark two-tone paint was a familiar sight on European rally stages in the 1960s.

Birmingham-based HMC carry on the Healey legacy with its MkIV (the originals only went to an MkIII version), and say it's recognised as one of the finest reproduction motor cars hand-built today.

It's certainly got all the bases covered on paper – a 3.9-litre Rover V8 engine with modern independent suspension, power steering, Wilton carpets and a mohair roof.

But most importantly, it stays faithful to the Healey's timeless look and yours for around £40,000 – or £28,000 for the lightweight roadster.

Mitsuoka Ray

Taking a Mazda Carol city car and bolting a huge chrome grille on the front, bonkers Japanese car maker Mitsuoka has created a car reminiscent of the Wolseley Hornet.

The Hornet was a bigger and more luxurious version of the original Mini, which sold more than 28,000 models in its eight year life.

Mitsuoka produces a range of Japanese cars with the front ends remodelled to look like classic British cars of the 1950s and 60s. Other cars include the Jag Mk2-inspired Viewt (based on a Micra) and the Yúga which is a Nissan Cube-based take on a London Taxi.

Morgan 4/4

The Morgan 4/4 is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the car built for longer than any other. It entered production in 1936, and is still built today at the company's Malvern factory.

It's still built using a steel ladder chassis, with a coachbuilt ash and aluminium body fitted on top. Buyers can choose from 50 different colour leather trims, and a staggering 40,000 colours.

The 4/4 might look old, but it doesn't go like a vintage car – it's powered by a modern 1.8-litre Ford engine, which produces 125bhp. It's soft on the environment too, with a low CO2 emission count, and the possibility of 50mpg on a motorway run.

Nissan Figaro

Rolling out on Nissan's stand at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, the Figaro was launched under the slogan 'Back to the Future'.

The Figaro's styling is a Japanese take on small sporty cars from 1960s Italy, and was an instant success.

Despite being based on the humble Micra with a turbocharged 987cc engine, Nissan quickly sold its entire run of 8,000 cars, and built another 12,000 to satisfy the market.

Although never officially sold in the UK, they're becoming a common sight on our roads thanks to a legion of fans and importers keeping the dream alive.

TD 2000

The MG T series was a hugely popular range of models in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Ranging from the TA to the TD and TF, it was a simple but very effective sports car.

TD Cars, which is owned by Malaysian and Australian investors today, produces versions of the T series with Toyota engines at a state-of-the-art factory.

With a 130bhp engine and a fibreglass body, performance is brisk – far more so than with the breathless engines fitted in the original.

Volkswagen Beetle

OK, so it's not made any more, but it still needs an honourable mention. After 65 years, the final original aircooled Beetle rolled off its Mexican production line in 2003.

Volkswagen halted European production in 1975, but thanks to its Mexican factory, more than 21 and a half million Beetles were built.

There were importers which specialised in shipping them to the UK, and it's not unusual to see late models sporting new-style numberplates.