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1,400cc Club: The quirkiest and coolest 1.4-litre cars

Auto Express celebrates 1,400 issues by driving our favourite 1,400cc cars from the last 25 years

Auto Express has reached the incredible milestone of 1,400 issues, and to celebrate we’ve gathered together 10 of the quirkiest and coolest 1,400cc-engined cars of the last quarter of a century or so.

Like Auto Express itself, the fashion for 1.4-litres started in the late eighties, when the cheapest company car choices needed to have engines that squeezed in below the 1,400cc threshold. The way that Benefit in Kind tax is calculated has changed a lot since then, but the appeal of 1.4-litre models remains.

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From the Rover 214, our first-ever cover star, to the ultra-modern Volkswagen Golf GTE and everything in between, the 1,400cc engine has been at the heart of some of the cleverest and most characterful cars to hit the UK’s roads. 

So join us as we celebrate an Auto Express landmark with a very special road test gathering.

Plus don't forget you can pick up your copy of our special 1,400th issue in shops now.

Click the links below or on the left for the 1,400cc cars that have made our list.

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New & used car deals

Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £3,066 off RRP*Used from £15,476
Vauxhall Corsa

Vauxhall Corsa

RRP £19,690Avg. savings £4,589 off RRP*Used from £10,999
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,415Avg. savings £6,416 off RRP*Used from £13,539
Renault Clio

Renault Clio

RRP £16,160Avg. savings £2,921 off RRP*Used from £6,795
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
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