If there’s a car you really want, and it’s a type of car no one is making anymore, you gotta buy it now. That’s just the rule. While it’s not entirely universal in application, it became clearer than ever that my weird tastes are not unique, and other people out there are going to buy some of the cars I want before I get a chance.
I should have seen this coming. There were signs. Last month, someone spent $125,000 on a manual Porsche Cayenne. It’s not just that the price was are-we-sure-this-isn’t-money-laundering high. It’s that a part of me wasn’t surprised.
Can you buy a new Porsche Cayenne with a manual transmission? I suspect that, given enough money, Porsche would do that for you. Just give the automaker 2-3 years and maybe $600,000, and it’s possible you could make that happen. When you compare the two numbers, it doesn’t make the $125,000 seem that ridiculous.
Few of these cars were built, so rarity does play into it. But it’s not just rarity. A Mazdaspeed MX-5 Miata is rare, too, and a super clean one sold on BaT for just $15,000 earlier today. If you want a fast, manual Miata, you can get a new one. Or a slightly used one. If you just want a quick manual sports car, there are all sorts of Boxsters and Toyobarus, too. There are also rare cars out there that aren’t being built anymore that aren’t particularly valuable. The absolutely nicest Saab Sonett isn’t worth as much as a mid-spec Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
I’ve been noticing a trend and roughly forming a rule in my brain, which I will try to explain below. It’s premised on this Volvo V70R that sold on C&B for more than $40,000 after fees. It definitely proves the rule.
How To Know If You Should Buy Your Enthusiast Dream Car Now, Or Rule #33
I’m going to call this Rule #33, after Astros pitcher Mike Scott, who was within one out of a no-hitter on June 12, 1988, when Atlanta Braves’ Ken Oberkfell knocked a single to Kevin Bass in right field. This is a reminder that life is unpredictable, and you can think everything is going fine and then, bam, a $20k car becomes a $40k car.
Here’s the basic outline of the rule and my general thought process behind the criteria.
- The vehicle in question has to be desirable to more than just you.
This seems like a no-brainer, but I like super weird cars that not many other people care about. Would I like a Ford Festiva that’s been updated with the Kia Pride front fascia? Yes! Are there a lot of people like me? Not enough to fill your average YMCA swimming pool. I’ll be both delighted and terrified to find out there are, even though that means Kia-badged Festivas (or imports) are going to suddenly fall under rule #33. - The automaker still needs to exist and generate interest.
There are plenty of orphaned cars that are valuable, and if you don’t believe me, you can go to Pebble Beach next year and watch people spend real money on an Alvis. It’s just a lot harder because of some simple math implied in the first criterion. Eventually, the people who have wanted X car are not going to be in the market anymore… because they’re going to die. Automakers also help keep interest alive. Just look at Ford Bronco restomod prices. They were expensive before, but something about everyone walking around with a vintage Bronco t-shirt makes them that much more fashionable. The inverse can be true. Alfa’s fall from grace seems to have hurt the used Alfa market. Existing brands just create more fans than dead ones. - There needs to be a lack of good versions of that type of car in the universe.
If you can get a new, or even a relatively young used version of the car you want, that’s likely to reduce its value. I call this the E46 BMW M3 Paradigm. Though it’s an excellent car, E46 M3s have generally held a similar value. Look at this chart:
Values are creeping up, but because of the existence of the E90 M3 (V8) and other, newer M3 generations, it’s not like you can’t get another version of that car. To some extent, it just comes down to budget and taste (the more taste you have, the more you want an E46). Will this eventually change if BMW goes full EV? Sure, but even the latest M3/M4 is close enough to make that far out into the future. - It has to be in good enough shape and close enough spec to fulfill your dreams, but not so perfect you’ll be afraid to drive it.
This is the low-mile conundrum. Super low-mile cars come with just too much fear, too much baggage, and too much hassle. Can you enjoy the most perfect version of a car? In a dream, sure, but in reality, I kind of think the answer is “no.” Similarly, a car that’s in a super off-spec just doesn’t quite fulfill the dream scenario well enough. If everyone wants the slicktop manual coupe, the automatic sedan isn’t going to cut it. That’s why non-GT-R Skylines just aren’t worth all that much.
So those are my rules. I think if you’ve hit three out of four for a car you want, you’re in trouble. If you’ve hit all four, you might be too late.
The Perfect Example To Prove My Point
Ok, back to that Volvo over at Cars & Bids. I think this hits all the criteria, and also, it broke me a little because I have this on a list of cars I want to one day own.
Let’s start with the obvious, which is that I’m not the only person who likes Volvo wagons. I’ve had two of them, and both were sold pretty easily as there’s a going market for these vehicles. This particular model checks a lot of boxes in that it’s a spaceball (the Swedish minimalist six-speed manual six-speed shifter) car, with the dark orange Atacama interior, in the garulous Flash Green Metallic paint.
Obviously, Volvo is walking back its commitment to wagons, but it still exists and it still very much leans into its heritage. It’s far from an orphan brand, and even makes cars in the United States.
That being said, if you want a new manual sportswagon in the United States your choices are… you don’t have choices. There was the brief run of Jaguar XF Sportbrakes, but those were only automatic. Volvo did offer non CrossCountry V90s in R-Design trim if you did European delivery, but those couldn’t be had with a manual.
Was the last manual performance wagon sold in America the CTS-V Sport Wagon? That seems crazy, but it might be the case. A Jetta Sportwagen with the six-speed is close, maybe? What I’m saying is it’s a type of car we used to get a lot more of and now, other than the RS6 Avant and M5 Touring, we get none of in any reasonable price bracket.
This particular car is, as discussed, both the perfect spec and also not particularly low-mileage. It’s a daily driver, and it even has a few smart modifications.
It was probably always destined for a high price, and I’m kicking myself because it’s been on Craigslist nearby for months, and I can’t remember exactly, but I think it was being listed for like $25k. The asking price definitely wasn’t $40k. This exact car was also sold on BringATrailer in 2016 and it was a whopping $9,700. That’s a 400% increase in less than 10 years.
And it’s not a fluke! Something happened and these cars became way more expensive (especially if you toss out pandemic prices). I think it’s the E46 M3 Paradigm at play here. There were enough decently affordable sport wagons on the market and being made up until a few years ago, and now there’s almost nothing in the United States.
Can You Think Of Some Examples?
I’d love for you to challenge or modify Rule #33. Are there exceptions? Are there other perfect examples? What are some other cars that are on the verge of becoming a perfect Rule #33 car but aren’t quite there yet.
This is just something I’ve been kicking around, so I’m open to critiques regarding the criteria as listed. How does this rule apply when you consider that the sedans, while pricey, haven’t quite hit that same level of desirability? Is it just a wagon thing? A numbers thing?
Do trucks exist in a different paradigm? Is there a production volume where this rule just doesn’t apply anymore? Let me know in the comments below.
My weird attainable dream car was a 99-01 CR-V in manual. 4+ years ago, I bought the nicest one (MY00) I’ve ever seen in Electron Blue Pearl, 5MT, pretty perfect underbody, all OEM. I probably paid 2x the market value back in 2021. No regrets. It’s a fun little drive that brings me back to my favorite era of manual Hondas. I’ve only put 8k miles on it and only bring it out on dry days.
Two more points… Sorry.
Point 1. When I was in grade school, my best friend’s dad (who was kinda eccentric) special ordered a 1968 Buick Skywagon with a three-on-the-tree manual transmission for his exceptionally tolerant wife to drive. It took six months to get built and delivered. She drove it very competently for many years after it finally arrived. Imagine trying to resell something like that! RIP Barbara. You were a very cool mom.
Point 2. I live in Washington state and a couple moved into a unit a few doors down from me, from Nebraska with a beautiful V70R with a 5M and suddenly it was gone, replaced with a used Lexus NX something. With a noticeable dent in the roof. Had I known (they were the least communicative neighbors I’ve ever had) they were contemplating that, I might have been tempted to buy it from them for more than they likely got on trade in. OTH… perhaps I avoided a nightmarish experience. A car with demons? Rust issues underneath? (Nebraska probably uses salt, right?) I just don’t know. And never will. But it was a beautiful car. They have moved. She would at least say hi. He drove a later era Jaguar XJ but would never acknowledge a hello. I feel sorry for her.
What if the dream car you already own is getting too expensive?
A visiting buddy of mine who owns a relatively new GTI and a supercharged (from the factory) 2012 S4, his dream car, said after riding around with me in Washington state in my ’17 V6 sedan for a couple of days, if a manual was available, he’d buy an Accord tomorrow.
Like many aging German cars, his S4 is getting pretty expensive to maintain. And he’s trying to figure out what he will replace it with. We are both “save the manuals” guys. I had 165K + miles on my Jetta TDI on its original clutch when I sold it. He wants a fun sedan to drive with a stick.
He spent ~$6K this year getting his S4 up to par, after a couple of years of doing routine maintenance but putting up with stuff that wasn’t perfect. When he sells it, it will be an excellent example and a great used car. He’s a perfectionist that way.
I was kind of shocked when he said it, but we’re both retired in our late 60s, ride motorcycles for fun and now appreciate a bit more of a relaxed ride than ultimate cornering these days. He’s always been more adrenaline-based than me. (Trying to keep up with him on a motorcycle on a trip we did in New Hampshire, years ago, I made passes on two lane roads I’d never do on my own.) But he did smile when I gave the V6 some beans (in other words, nowhere near floored) merging into a gap into the express lane. It didn’t really even get into VTEC range (~5K rpm). But it does make some nice noise. Totally stock.
I know that an Accord will not corner like his S4. Touring Vermont last year, he approached corners at speeds I would never try in my Accord. Other than evasive maneuvers to avoid a crash, I have never approached its steering limits. He did every day we were exploring Vermont. And its ride was punishing. And being lower to the ground, made getting out of it when we stopped, more painful.
I haven’t driven a 2.0T Accord but from what I’ve read, it’s even a bit faster than the V6, so I think my friend might just like the sound the V6 makes. Or maybe it’s just about rowing your own gears. I’ll have to ask. I’d like to be able too. But those days are gone for an Accord with a stick, at least in the US.
And maybe it’s the pursuit of fuel economy, but the driving experience seems to suffer. The 6-speed AT in my ’17 drops down two gears very quickly, and competently on the rare occasions it is called upon to do so. I drove a loaner RDX with its 10-speed three years ago and it was almost annoying how frenetic it was.
My choice for Holy Grail is the “6-6-6” Accord – 2006-ish with the V6 and a 6MT.
Back then, I was driving a 2001 Jetta TDI 5MT and loving it. I held on to it for 165K+ miles until 2017, moving to Texas and finding that it really needed a 6th gear there. And the back seat was pretty tight for a long-legged niece and her friends. Hence the ’17 Accord and hey, why not the V6? But I do wish it had a stick. Maybe in ’17 I could have got a four-cylinder Accord with a stick? I don’t remember and that’s water under the bridge. I drove a couple of friends’ Hondas with sticks and if they weren’t the best in the world, I think they were right up there.
The Jetta’s wasn’t the best manual I over rowed around, but it was fine for me. I had a ’70 Peugeot 504 with a pleasant 4-speed. A Fiat Ducato with a 5 on the tree was fun for the 10 days I rented it driving around Italy.
When I took my kid around with his friends, up to metal concerts in Seattle or home from school, they were amazed with the fact that I was making the shifts and not some slush box they were used to their parents’ cars having.
And I taught my son how to drive one, in case he ever had to. Two of the three rental cars we, as a family vacationing in Europe, had sticks. In Ireland, I thought it’d be ok to have an automatic so I could concentrate on being on the right (left) side of the road.
I really can’t think of a manual I actually disliked. Other than my dad’s IH (4×4 with two sticks) and Kenworth (13-speed Roadranger) trucks. And with time, I would have mastered downshifting without synchros. Young me just was terrified driving things that big (and only bobtail. I didn’t have a CDL and dad took his life into my hands with me in that seat.) Their transmissions were just another part of that.
I will offer up my own car (well, my wife’s car now).
2006 BMW 530 XiT (E61, wagon) with a manual transmission.
For sale. Make me an offer, no fewer than 5 digits in the price.
749.99 $
I was going to ask if he minded the Decimal point, but you beat me there
Just remember, nothing limits you to two decimal places; think gasoline. Ergo:
$74.499
LOL! Didn’t expect that. Denied.
the older cars get the more crazy price the “super clean” ones get. after the 15 or 20 year mark prices will get ridiculous. so if you want a Perfect example and you are past the 10 year mark time is seriously not on your side.
Well, maybe not to the extent that a “Flashicama” V70R hits all 4 subsets of Rule #33, but the fun weekend car I bought in May 2025 may be close to hitting those subsets soon: ’02 E46 325it 5-speed with sport package and RWD.
And for whatever reason, wagons rule and sedans drool! LOL
This was/is a great car. If yours happens to be a wagon then even better – believe it or not I think the wagon drives better than the sedan.
You can just read his model number one more time and know if it’s a wagon or not.
Ahh, yes a wagon :-). Great car.
Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #33 is ‘ It never hurts to suck up to the boss.’ In this case, Rule of Acquisition #9 ‘ Opportunity plus instinct equals profit’ seems more apt.
Sorry to all but the 12 people (and Mercedes?) this comment makes no sense to.
The venn diagram of autopian reader and watcher of DS9 has significant overlap.
Or #59 – free advice is seldom cheap.
Just picked up a car I’ve been wanting for a while. I was into cars and was the right age where I thought 2 Fast 2 Furious was the best movie ever made. I no longer think the movie is so great but still liked the Lancer Evolution that was featured so I picked up an Evo 9. I overpaid and the car needs everything, but it is starting to come together. I do think values will continue to climb but my car isn’t an investment. I fully intend to daily drive it.
An Evo 9 MR was my dream car. Saw one in Motortrend in high school and fell in love. Gunmetal paint, those silly vortec(?) fins on the back of the roof, the huge wing… all of it.
It looks like there’s actually one for sale, but yep… unobtanium prices.
https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/JA3AH86C66U062998
I bought one of the first Evo VIII’s that came to the US, fully based on Gran Turismo test drives. No regrets on that decision.
These days, I keep one eye out for a nice Evo IX RS that doesn’t look like it caught a case of whatever std the Pep Boys were spreading around earlier in the century.
Decide what you can afford. Then if you find something that fits the budget that fits the”things what I’d like” criteria, buy it then. Don’t wait, just buy it. It’s too easy to agonize about the possible gain of waiting to see if a better version, with the right options or color or mileage, or slightly better price, etc shows up. It’s a classic search optimization problem where the cost of wait is just too high to not just buy the first thing that meets the criteria. If you later see something that you also like but can’t afford because you already spent the budget on another car, you can always sell the existing car. Deciding between a car you have that you could sell to buy a different one you could buy today is always better than deciding between a car you can buy today that meets the criteria and some hypothetical car tomorrow that may or may never show up (or be in your budget when it does)
sometimes its better to not meet your heroes. i had a elevate tuned V50 with a M66, which you’d think would be epic, except… it wasnt. it was merely a nice focus that wasn’t particularly comfortable or fast outside of a straight line. and every time i worked on it, it felt like a punishment. i WANTED to love it, but it didn’t really love me back. i sold it and got a fiat 500e, which has been far more fun. that being said, my 240 wagon has been lovely the 10+ years ive had it, and i honestly couldn’t imagine life without it. best $600 buy ever.
I swear 996 prices doubled when I went from casually looking at them to actually serious about it.
What covid did to enthusiast cars is super lame. Anything more than 15 years old is appreciating simply because people now think they “know what they have.”
I think that for the forseeable future, everyone my age (older gen z) and younger completely lost out on any opportunity to own an enthusiast car at a “normal” price.
EVERYONE my age that I work with has a responsible adult car. I work in a profession with a very high proportion of car enthusiasts and pretty decent salaries and most people my age that I interact with are priced out of the “place to live with more than 1 parking space” market, let alone the enthusiast car market.
Pretty much any BMW M engine costs more now than a whole M car of similar vintage did like 5 years ago.
For the most part, people are into the cars that were interesting during a certain time in their youth. 90’s cars are big now but their popularity will eventually fade (except for the most iconic examples of the era) once the kids of the 80’s and 90’s leave the enthusiast community or/and planet. You need just to look at the value of cars from the 40’s through the 60’s for proof of this. So, all that means is, you can’t afford to buy one today/right now but it won’t always be like that.
Also, new enthusiast cars are still being minted every year. So, if you are interested in a GR Corolla or a GT350 or a Camaro Zl1 1LE or any number of other enthusiast-type cars, try to buy one when they are 5-7 years old then hold it if you like it. It’s fairly easy to predict which recent cars will be popular in another 20 years.
You are Gen Z. You can afford to play the long game here. You just need to wait for the current cohort of monied car enthusiasts (late boomers to early Millennials) to leave the field.
There isn’t an era later than the 50s where “enthusiast cars” are priced like they have been historically. There has always been a bottom out in values for cars maybe 20-30 years old (often times even earlier) before they start to turn into collector’s items.
The equivalent price point of a cheap track car like a Miata or e36 M3 10 years ago is like an e46 325i, and it probably has a welded diff. A notable downgrade.
The bottom has been completely cut out of the market, regardless of vehicle age.
Good points were made. I used to think likewise. Every time I’ve limited a search too specifically, I’ve sold myself on getting it, paying too much, traveling too far, not up to the condition I wanted. Then within weeks, see something local, completely different type, jeez didn’t expect to see one of those in fine condition going for so little, and I no longer have the funds to snatch it up.
Rule #1 for everything; Keep your powder dry
Rule #2 if it is not to fill an immediate need, Be Patient
Rule #3 Go check it out, and grab it if it really is a winner (struggling to forgive myself for those missed)
I’d add “do not settle” to that list of rules. It’s somewhat related to the patience in rule 2.
You’ll be kicking yourself if you compromise too much on what you actually wanted. Small compromises are inevitable if age and rarity are a factor, but I would never settle.
6years ago I almost bought a V70R as a project / winter / camping in the back car. CTSV wagon was too pricey, TBH looked kind of ugly, but was probably my first choice if I could find a beat up one. Legacy GT was also high on the list but one of my best friends had one so that meant I couldn’t. Lucked out and found a rare is300 wagon halfway across the country.
Really happy about that choice as the only thing that’s broken yet is 1 o2 sensor. Also kind of annoyed that it showed up perfect for a car bought and shipped sight unseen. It was meant to be a project car, I’ve had a manual trans plus spare engine waiting around to swap into it before I do stupid things like turbos, ecus, fixing rear suspension geometry, etc. But don’t know what to do anymore as the car has to be one of the few perfect and stock models remaining and it’s more than doubled in value I believe.
What comes after rule 33?
The only time brute force doesn’t work is when you don’t have enough brute force?
5714 strikeouts.
I think Jason Torchinsky covered that, you should Google it along with his name.
*searches that* oh my god I know Jason loves taillights but I didn’t think he loved them that much
“No exceptions.”
The reader, presumably.
I’d mention a car, but I’m tired of everyone talking about how amazing it is, and how under-rated it is, and how it’s the last of its kind, and how the V8 sounds absolutely amazing. I want to buy one dammit, and I swear the social media buzz is keeping the value up over $100k CAD, and I’m legit worried it’s only going to appreciate in value from here. So I’m not contributing to the problem. I’ll just say that I know of one really good example.
Everyone is talking about the 2008 Chevorlet Trailblazer with the 5.3L V8 indeed.
Inside voices!!
😀
I had an 88 GMT400. Awesome. 98 Volvo V90.
Broncos and 60’s 70’s muscle cars got fashionable.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/market-trends/hagerty-insider/was-this-plymouths-plummet-from-1-65m-to-418k-a-reality-check/
Heavy Metal got fashionable. Grunge got fashionable.
Things get unfashionable.
I need fixed up a lot of the stuff on that wagon. It was pretty awesome rust free from Arizona. Voxx wheels. Was in the middle of fixing it up and had all the door cards and all that from the local junkyard. Sold it for vacation money.
Sold my 98 Dakota R/T that I bought from a buddy who neglected it. Sold it for vacation money.
Not all is bad, good memories from those trips
VW Golf Sportwagen 6MT 1.8T 4Motion (not the Alltrac version)
Add chip, and it’s a poorman’s GolfR wagon.
I bought exactly one of those new in 2018, and it was an awesome car for the money, especially since the dealer took over 20% of the MSRP off since nobody wanted it. Only downsides are modern VW quibbles, water pumps on a timer, 60-80k interval for intake valve cleaning, and haldex services. That said, the S 4Motion while not uber fancy, has enough features to be plenty comfortable, while not getting the always leaking 100% failure rate Panoramic sunroof of all SE/SEL Sportwagens and Alltracks. I miss it dearly on paper, but in practice the running costs and looming reliability concerns make me not miss it at all. At least I tell myself that.
No double the running costs of a VW Golf next to those, like the aforementioned E46M3 (or Aston Martin in the other article), would be so much more reasonable in comparison.
And would still make you smile while you’re taking the long way home from Ikea with the latest bookcase you don’t want to assemble.
Absolutely no doubt about that. I come from a family of Hondas and Toyotas, and now primarily Mazda’s, where the running costs are the most basic of maintenance imaginable, so the Golf was a big bump over what I was accustomed to, and for a car that was ultimately pretty slow. During my Golf ownership I bought a rough NA Miata, which was so much better to drive it ruined the golf for me a bit, so I got rid of it for a CX-30 Turbo instead. Not as sporty to drive, but more comfortable, nicer overall, and much much quicker, and for my lifestyle and area, the ground clearance of the crossover was very welcome. Since I’m fortunate enough to be able to maintain some semblance of a 2-car lifestyle, I realized I prefer to maximize each cars purpose. I can deal with higher running costs on a fun car, but on a daily I value reliability over all.
I’ve had some fun with a couple of older Euro enthusiast cars. I’m planning to go back to American / Japanese cars. The dumbest things break and prices on parts are high. I can do the labor, but it takes away from time for other important things, like family.
I really wouldn’t mind a Mazda3 hatch with a manual. Wheels and a couple of things from the Corksport catalog? Set.
Matt, spare yourself and don’t give in to the R. I had one years ago, a six-speed ’04 like this one, but in a far less cool color combo. Gorgeous to look at, sounds great on paper, not that great to drive in real life, waaaay too expensive to own—and that was when it was a $7K car, not a $40K buy-in. If you liked any older Volvo wagons, the things you liked about them aren’t really here, I promise you, other than the fabulous seats. I also later had a six-speed Golf Alltrack, and honestly, it was about as engaging to drive as the R, if not as fast, without the pain points (and, granted, without the fabulous seats). So, to your point about manual wagons, yeah, you can’t get a new one, but there are other, better options than the R. The color combo is the siren calling you to crash on these rocks, and at $40K those rocks are really gonna hurt.
Lucky for that V70, I have since made the mistake of buying an N54 335i, so it’s no longer the car I’ve owned that I liked the least.
My problem is that I can’t afford much of any car I want since my budget varies between $0.00-$10,000. But the cars I used to own became great deals for someone else. The *actually* rust free, western, barn find 1969 Scout 800 that I found in a dry barn for cheap money and dragged home on a trailer. Someone else bought it once I realized I was never going to get a motor for it and get it running. I’ll never find another like it in Maine or even the Northeast. The Mk7 Gti with the stick and plaid seats that I traded to a dealer for a small check when my mind was too anxious about VW issues after owning it for 8 months. And many more regrets. Damn.
I had transaxle Porsches when I was younger, so the 928 GT was this for me. I think it matches criteria 2-4, Porsche being a marque people still care about, the GT being low-production even for them, and my example being a strong runner with 145k miles. I’m not sure about the desirable aspect, but Hagerty does say it’s gone up about 60% in value since I bought it.
Well, there’s at least two things I’ve been doing wrong.
Looks at his Saab. But wait. Didn’t their wagon have a 5 speed manual?
My wagon had a four-speed manual column shift, the same as my sedans and Sonett. I’m now down to nothing on that front but a single sedan, though, along with a shed full of parts.
SAAB 900 Turbos w/ the 5 speed are a bit prone to gearbox problems. I forget exactly what broke (something about blocking out bad memories as a defensive mechanism), but had to pull the engine and replace the pinion carrier and a shaft at a non-trivial cost.
Lower mileage Acura TLs with the stick are getting to this point. There just aren’t a lot out there and near-luxury semi-performance Japanese sedans are rare now in general. The 1st gen TSX stick will hit this point right after I finally sell mine lol.
Acura does technically still exist, but how many people are aware of that fact?
Porsche 718 Cayman GTS4.0 with manual transmission.
Yeah I think so.
It wasn’t *that* long ago that K5s, old Broncos, Ramchargers, etc were pretty attainable in decent shape. That just isn’t the case anymore. I don’t think there was any specific factor pushing the runup in values, but some combination of things did.
When a new Bronco costs $40-80K, a 1st Gen Bronco w a 302 for $50,000 suddenly seems reasonable.
Friggin OJ Broncos that aren’t rusted out are getting up there too!
In 2013 my dad traded in his 91 Eddie Bauer Bronco, it had spent its entire live in a garage and had 72k miles. It looked like new. I tried to sell it and could not get the 6k asking price. Trade in was $2,500. That thing is now a 35k truck.
Also, the last generation 2 door Yukon/Tahoe seems to have gone up a lot in the last few years.
I’ve been wondering about this, I can’t help but wonder if social media is helping drive desire for unique “specs” of already cool cars? It’s easy to see someone flogging that Volvo on instagram with beautiful photos that get lots of clicks bc it’s an unusual and flashy color.
Maybe this means I should keep the 2005 Legacy GT 5mt wagon I just bought even though I’m realizing I don’t fit comfortably on long drives…