Because Swift has a light body, all engines offer adequate performance. The 1.0 has an enthusiastic sound and is fine for town work and short motorway trips. 0-60mph comes in a leisurely 15.5 seconds and it has a top speed of 90mph; its combined fuel consumption figure is a very impressive 53mpg. Go for the 67bhp 1.3 if you do a lot of longer trips, as it’s less stressed than the 1.0.

The 100bhp 1.3 GTi was the fastest 1.3 of its time – acceleration is good and it has the feel of a ‘proper’ GTi. The downside is that it feels a little thrashy. All cars have a five-speed manual or three-speed auto gearbox.

All Swifts are easy to drive, though lacking in finesse and dynamism. Steering is not power-assisted on many models (especially on early cars), which can make parking and manoeuvring more difficult. Safe roadholding and good grip on most surfaces. The ride is very unsophisticated: crashy, rough and jarring at times.