2001 Honda Insight Mk1

First registered on the 20th March 2001, this low-mileage UK-supplied Honda Insight is finished in Silverstone Silver has been cherished and is said to presents in “incredible condition inside and out.”

Delightfully original, we are told that it “drives extremely well and comes with all supporting history, documents and keys along with a full service history.”

A wonderfully left-field choice for the discerning enthusiast with an eye to future values as well as present-day running costs, we can see this slice of automotive history is going to attract an awful lot of interest…

The bodywork might be somewhat quirky in design but its distinctive and utterly fit for purpose, cleaving the air cleanly with its Cd of 0.25 - and with, dare we say, considerable style.

That’s a style it’s maintained to this day too because it’s still in a lovely condition. Mind you, having only covered an average of 2,750 miles per year, this isn’t surprising.

The Silverstone Silver hue suits the car’s lines to perfection, giving it a hewn-from-solid appearance that is utterly in keeping with its mission statement of slicing through the atmosphere with as little kerfuffle as possible. (We also can’t help but think that if Citroen were to release a modern-day GS/GSA it would look quite a lot like this, so bonus points for that, surely?)

The wheels still look good and they’re fitted with matching Continental Eco Contact tyres, all of which appear to have a 2017 date stamp so are still relatively fresh.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but it does perhaps give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Faults? Well, aside from the inevitable stonechips and minor marks any car will pick up over the years there are a few light scuffs to the nearside rubber corner of the rear bumper.

We can see the Honda’s new owner will probably want to pop on a new bonnet badge to replace the rusting one that’s there at the moment, and maybe fit a new rear numberplate while they’re at it.

These small points aside, we think this is an above-average example that needs nothing other than continued cossetting.

The two-seater interior is both simple and distinctive, an appealing combination that is, in part, a result of Honda’s obsessive search to save weight.

It’s in good shape though, so while the Japanese firm might have used some clever design to achieve this aim it seems to have maintained its use of high-quality materials while doing so.

So, the seats remain comfortable and good-looking and only the light bobbling on the outer edge betrays their age.

The dashboard, with its quirky LED design, all works as well now as it did when it was new, and the door cards, carpets and headlining are still very good.

It features a pair of ‘Honda Insight ACCESS’ genuine overmats too, which is a lovely touch and one that hints at careful curation over the years.

Faults? Well, apart from a little wear ‘n’ tear here and there we have spotted a small ink stain on the rear of the base cushion of the passenger’s seat and a small amount of light scuffing to some of the hard-plastic trim on the door sills.

The Honda’s service history reads as follows:

• 12.05.2007 and 19,210 miles – service by Amethyst Motor Company

• 22.08.2007 and 20,191 miles – service by Maidenhead Honda

• 09.11.2012 and 31,895 miles – service by Johnsons Honda

• 03.09.2014 and 37,671 miles – new front discs and pads plus new tyres by Downes Auto Services

• 42,709 miles – service by Auto-Tech Thirsk

• 16.02.2017 and 48,112 miles – service by Littlewickgreen including fresh gearbox oil

As you can see, the little Honda engine starts immediately and revs beautifully. It isn’t making any untoward noises either and, as you can see, it returning over 57mpg even in the sort of stop/start driving a photoshoot involves.

The underbonnet has a few rusty bolts but they’d be easily replaced after which you could enjoy what is still a very fine engine bay.

The underside is similarly good, being straight and undamaged and in need of nothing other than the occasional pressure wash to keep it looking this good.

The vendor informs us that there is a high voltage IMA battery charger fitted to the car, which keeps the IMA battery balanced. This technology wasn't available when the car was new and helps prolong battery life beyond the original's capability. Furthermore there is a IMA control panel fitted which constantly monitors the battery performance. The benefits of the IMA C&C system are manual IMA control, increased mpg, increased performance, lower emissions, stronger assist and regeneration and better management of the IMA battery condition.

The car will come with a new MoT certificate – and the vendor is such a perfectionist that he’s done a pre-MoT first to make sure it doesn’t accrue any advisory points.

It has a large number of expired MoT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, stamped service history, book pack, and storage wallet.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

The Honda Insight is one of those cars that almost no-one ever thinks of when they are considering a modern classic – but they’re also one of those cars that get more and more interesting the closer you look.

That three-cylinder engine, for example, offers a top speed of 112mph, which means you can easily keep up with motorway traffic while still sipping fuel like a nun at a whist drive.

It’s got the desirable manual gearbox option; combined with those super-skinny tyres there’s some genuine driver engagement on offer, so much so that Chris Harris rated it highly for its driver appeal when he tested it, back in the day.

Cheap to run and offering the tantalising opportunity of future appreciation once people start to cotton on to how important it was in making drivers like us appreciate the possibilities that electric power offers, it’s going to be fairly cheap to buy, too.

Rare when it was first launched and all but almost impossible to find in this sort of condition today, we’ve given it a guide price of between £8,000 and £11,000.

Best of all, it’s being sold with no reserve so will sell from the very first bid. So why not pop in a cheeky bid and see what happens? After all, this a modern classic you can buy with your head and your heart, all the while stilling your inner Greta Thunberg.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Alderley Edge, Cheshire; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.