There are many factors affecting the upper echelons of classic car values, but it’s probably safe to say that the tastes of us Autopians are not one of them. Sure, the fact that few of us have hedge-fund-manager-level piles of disposable income is part of the reason, but even if many of us were armed with big wads of cash, we’d likely be driving up the prices of totally different vehicles than the ones that make up the six- (or seven-) figure sales in the auction record books.
You can call a lot of us readers “eccentric,” but our ideas of “value” and “rarity” are often different from the mainstream. We want to hear them!
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d never pay the GNP of a small island nation (Jasonia?) for some of the tin that crosses the block at Mecum. For example, here’s a 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda that sold in 2014 (I was never sure if these are technically “Barracuda ‘Cudas” or just “Cudas”). I’m not crazy about the color or the dog dish hubcaps, but supposedly it has a 426 Hemi and is one of 11 convertibles that year to be so equipped.
This one also has a four-speed manual, which makes it one of two ever built in that specification. I’ve never driven a ‘Cuda, but I did personally experience our two grandma-hand-me-down Dodge Darts (including a ’71 Swinger with a “tuff” wheel), which are probably close enough for me to assume that, other than straight-line blasts, this Plymouth is terrifyingly bad to drive by modern or, well, any standards. Spongy brakes, steering with zero sense of straight ahead, truck-like clutch and gear change. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a cool enough car, but I’d give maybe $25,000 or 30,000 for it. Tops.
It turns out that the market doesn’t agree with me. This particular car sold for $3.5 million dollars. Even more run-of-the-mill Hemi ‘Cudas average out at around $400,000. Yeah, no thanks. They’re rare, sure, but are they really that rare?
You want truly rare? Something myself and a lot of Autopians would dig? How about a great condition 1982 Renault Fuego Turbo, complete with a sliding electric roof?
Not only would it be able to drive rings around a clunky muscle car (as long as it isn’t in a straight line), but how many of these could possibly exist in this kind of condition? It’s such a quirky, cool-looking thing, and it sold for a mere $6000.
Is what’s likely the best U.S. specification Fuego on earth worth three million dollars? Of course not. Still, I think a lot of Autopians like me would see more intrinsic value in the crazy Renault than that Hemi Plymouth.
There are just none of these left on the planet. In this condition, it’s likely almost a true one-of-one; there are hundreds or even thousands of nice ‘Cudas still out there, just without the factory Hemi or the stick.
Let’s take our own Matt Hardigree. I am certain that in a Matt World, a concours-condition Merkur Scorpio would be valued well into the six figures. A low-mileage stick XR4Ti in the right colors would go for Ferrari Daytona money in his book.
Yeah, I’m kind of joking there, but on a serious note there’s plenty of cars selling for six-figure sums that, in my mind, don’t deserve it, while others languish in used-car-money territory. For example, I’m shocked at how low- mileage fourth-generation Toyota Supras in the past have sold for close to a quarter million dollars. With its puffy cheeks and big wing, I’ve always seen it as a rather bulbous, overblown, and a bit hokey-looking thing that owes much of its popularity to a rather overblown and hokey movie franchise.
Meanwhile, the Z32 Nissan 300ZX is much more crisp-lined and timeless-looking (especially on the interior) and is arguably just as nice to drive, yet struggles to sell for even a quarter of the money the Toyotas go for, even with similar low odometer readings.
I know at least one of you readers would pay more for a surviving Canada-only 1985 Mercury Marquis LTS (only 134 built) than for a Highland Green ’68 Mustang.
What do you Autopians think? If your tastes drove the market value, which unlikely cars would have the value of a typical three-bedroom house? Let us know!
Top graphic image: Bring A Trailer
I’ll help shorten the title:
What’s your favorite car?
1st gen MR2 I guess.
I think I can say AMC Eagle here and not worry about any attention from collectors blowing up the market any time soon.
Mitsubishi RVR Sports Gear and even more for the Open Gear convertible-esque thing
Subaru Domingo Aladdin camper (or other kei campers)
The Gremlin EV and Chrysler TEVans (or any other weird prototype EVs
Baker and Detroit Electrics, for that matter
I drive a ’95 Miata, and one might think that I’d be about to point out that Miata Is Always The Answer, except… one’d be wrong. Here it’s not.
There exist objectively better cars than a Miata, ones better in literally every way. Why don’t we hype those cars? Because they’re expensive.
The Miata gives you almost everything those cars do and does it in a package that just about anyone can afford. If just about everyone can’t afford it anymore, well, it’s just not a Miata anymore.
So my answer is anything with 1970s graphics, the tackier and oranger the better. Steel wheels would go for a premium.
More doors = more money, in my world.
Long roof = long line of buyers
Showa-era Kei cars would also be super valuable. And there would be a burgeoning parts market for them…
Another popular category would be cars where the steering wheel is on an unexpected side – think right-hand drive Saturn or Jeep Cherokee, LHD Vauxhall or Austin Ambassador or Toyota Century.
1952 Hudson Hornet Sedan, with all the OEM go fast parts
1950 “shoebox” Ford Sedan
65-67 Corvair 140 Sedans, with factory A/C and 4 speeds. Crazy rare.
94-95 Taurus SHOs, manual only
1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC, with a cobra rear diff and cobra wheels
1999 Tahoe, 2 door, diesel
1985 Buick Electra coupe, V6 diesel (with the LS2 diesel… one year only)
As someone with a shoebox woodie, I approve this list.
Had a fully optioned ’94 SHO with a 5 speed for 5 years – it was sublime.
If my tastes in vintage iron drove the market, there wouldn’t be any cars with fins left for four figures and auctioneers would gleefully exclaim things like “and this fine example presented here in spring green is equipped with both a flathead six cylinder AND a Three-On-The-Tree!! twenty-twentyfive-thirty-whollgivemethirty-thirty-thirtyfive-fortyfiftysixty SEVENTYFIVETHOUSAND…”
That’s easy. Big 2 door personal luxury coupes and convertibles.
If wealthy people insist on using cars as *investments* to be locked away in climate controlled warehouses then my answer is whatever POS I am selling.
308GT4
Bagheera
Esprit
My taste is sleek seventies centre engined wedges with popup lights…
I passed my driver’s license test in a 1982 Renault Fuego Turbo although it was only an F7 package and not an F8 like the car in the article which included leather seats and a sunroof among other things. It would be fun to be able to tell people it was regarded as a highly valuable collector car instead of the forgotten shit box that it is now.
I’m also in the “none” category. All it takes is one careless driver flexing Big Altima Energy to completely ruin said vehicle. I love cars, but like Torch says, they’re irrational – they’re all just a powertrain and sheet metal.
Oh dear God.
What a world it would be.
I came so close to buying a late 30’s Chevrolet coupe mounted on an 80’s Toyota 4×4 chassis.
I seriously considered a ’55 Chevy sedan perched atop an early 2000’s Tahoe frame.
Then there was the MGB on the S-10 Blazer frame.
Or the Studebaker on the S-10 frame.
Or…
It’s better the way it is.
It sounds like you yearn for the Stuga.
Early 50’s GMC Panel truck (still haven’t figured out what GM actually called them). The LWB version, it was either 3/4 or 1 ton.
Unfortunately in my world vintage VW busses are already in six-figure-land! Type 3 VWs on the other hand, should be in that land, but alas, are barely into five-digit-land and only when pristine and perfect. Vintage crewcab trucks in great condition are already there as well.
In a similar vein, I was going to say “80 series Land Cruisers” but those have also already broken six digits.
Saab 9000 Aeros
Chevy Caprice PPVs (the Aussie ones)
E39 540 wagons
Lancia Fulvias (oh wait…)
I’m not telling you guys what my fav car is, too many rusted out leaving too few survivors!
Try the Washingon state and Oregon classified. It amazes me what condition cars from there are in!
True! I still think I should have bought the 302 swapped Volvo 240 wagon that I saw in Renton. So many cars I didn’t buy but should have.
Remember: You couldn’t buy them all. (Although you could have tried…)
If I had my way, none would be “6 figure cars”. The idea of everything being something you should turn maximum profit off of is appalling to me. It’s why housing is completely unaffordable now. Greedy people making maximum profits and abusing our system using their wealth has ruined literally every single thing.
I’m just too damn financially responsible. I’m close to debt free aside from the mortgage and have a well fed retirement plan. Also, competing priorities. I can choose an expensive, seldom driven toy for myself, or ‘once in a lifetime’ travel opportunities for us.
I hesitate to even justify the MX3 yesterday, that is local and I can pay for in cash.
Maybe accumulated late Gen-X financial trauma from the Silicon valley crash in ’00, the ’08 market collapse, Covid in ’20, and now trade wars!!
I’ve seen years of (paper) savings wiped out overnight too many times.
If the 924 had a VW or Audi badge on it instead of the Porsche crest, it would be one of the most coveted cars out there and command stupid money.
Everything made by Jaguar prior to Ian Callum
Everything made by Citroen, Peugeot and Renault prior to each
of those manufacturer’s modern era
Every Wagon ever
All American V8 muscle cars
Chrysler Minivans
Big wagons are great, dad bought a used ’85 Colony Park when I was a teen. He upgraded from a Fox body LTD wagon. I learned to drive on that beast and it hauled me to and from college and helped me move into my first real apartment. I’d love to see a shootout between the big Ford and GM wagons of the era. Another Scout leader had a big Buick wagon. I felt that Mercury and Buick each had strenghs and weaknesses.
Not paying six figures, but I would be happy with any of the following in my fleet:
Small, nimble? and manual:
Gen 1 or Gen 2 SHO
CRX
MR2
Celica
Prelude
Integra
SX200
Miata
SN95 Mustang
Highway bruisers:
6 series BMW
Bankvault era Mercedes
Lincoln MKV
Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
Thunderbird SC
LS400
Warriors:
XJ Cherokee
OBS Ford F150
GMT400
Gen 1 or 2 Nissan Pathfinder
I’m aggravated that I left out the CRX. I had a Thunderbird SC as my first car. Loved it.
Shortly out of college I bought a used ’96 Tbird with the 4.6 V8, a 4R70W trans and a 3.27 Traction-Loc rear axle. It was an absolute predator on the interstate.
Basically an SC with a smoother, more refined engine (that readily accepted ALL SN95 Mustang upgrades…)
I had one of those, too, except it was a ’97 and a Cougar… 30th Anniversary Edition (just a badge and some nicer seats). When I bought it in 2002 it had less than 10k and even still had the factory plastic covering the carpeting.
Zero. Cars are meant to be driven. If you want to piss away money on something speculative, buy the latest shitcoin.
With that said, if everyone had my taste in vehicles, air cooled VWs and old pickup trucks would be expensive. A sixth generation F250 or a single cab manual 7.3 powerstroke would be worth enough to sell and live comfortably for decades. A Beetle would be worth more than a tech CEO’s stock options. The value of a second generation VW hippie van (the passenger version, not the camper) would exceed the GDP of most Central American countries.
Conversely, CUVs and car-based SUVs would be worth so little economists would debate whether hyperdepreciation should be defined as losing 99% of value in days or weeks.
Miata
Pontiac G8
3rd gen Trans Am
Toyota Cressida
S2000
3000GT VR4
Just about any old Citroen
60’s Buick Rivieras
There are lots more but I’m half focused on working. I know, priorities.
After 40 comments I am alone in my French bubble, I like big French cars, Not just the mad Le Tissier ones but Citroen CXs and Peugeot 604s, My RHD SM is never going to run in my lifetime, A Renault 16? now they were clever as all get out.
504 Pickup truck?