The man who said the magic line "Ray, fire up the Quattro" is Gene Hunt, a fictional detective in 'Ashes To Ashes' - a TV series set in 1980's Britain - and he drives a bright red Audi UR Quattro. And while Hunt's completely un-PC view of the world makes compelling viewing, it's undoubtedly the Quattro that's become the star of the show.
They're fetching £8,000 on eBay, the internet forums are alive with people trying to track down a model for themselves, and for the 30-somethings who were teenagers living in the 80's, it's made them realize that the cars they loved then could be classic cars of tomorrow.
Some people think, with some justification that the car they've had for 20 years might now qualify for a great classic car insurance deal. Others have found some spare cash, gone out and bought a Mk1 Golf GTi Campaign and are now firmly in the mindset of the classic car fan.
Except this time, the talk isn't of Morris Minors and Triumph Heralds (although we love them, of course) it's about what will make the classic cars of the future?
Sports Cars
Mazda MX5 - A brilliant two-seater soft-top which has a huge fan base for the original Mk1s with the popup headlamps. Started life with a 1600cc engine and then enlarged to 1800cc. Offering 'old' styling with cracking reliability and an excellent spares backup.
Fiat Barchetta - Weird, but strangely appealing. Left-hand drive and only sold in limited numbers in the UK, it has distinctive looks and this makes it a future classic certainty.
Lotus Elan (1990s models) - The guys at Lotus went a bit crazy and plumped for front wheel drive and an Isuzu engine. But with sharp handing and the Lotus badge, it has an appeal. But be aware of the fact that the front wheels are responsible for both steering and laying down power.
TVR S - Based heavily on the curvaceous sports cars of the 1970's like the 3000M and introduced at the 1986 Motor Show at Earls Court in London. A retro-styled low priced model to give punters an introduction to TVR ownership. S1 had a 2.8i Ford engine but the V8s delivered 4-litre V8 madness. Of course it will break down, it's a TVR! Vauxhall VX220 - Yes - a Vauxhall. The VX220 was built by Lotus, is very similar to the Lotus Elise, and is interestingly, rare and different. Not available in huge numbers, handles fantastically, and is every inch the future classic car.
Aston Martin DBS - Probably your best chance of a 'bargain Aston' and if you can, hunt down one of the original 6 cylinder DBS's of the early 1970's, launched as a stopgap until the V8 came out. Later models like the DB7, Virage and Vanquish already have classic kudos.