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 am a van guy so for me it would be the Citroen c15,pre- facelift of course.
For me it would be a late model Citroen DS. An example of automotive perfection in my eyes.
Any Mercedes diesel powered sedan.
Any TVR, but most especially the V8 ones. I also like the Peugeot 405/6 and 505 as obscure classics. Slowly closing this post is the Morris Minor 1000. Spent a lot of quality time slowly touring the wilds of Saskatchewan in a friends one. We didn’t care, it was freedum.
2-stroke Saab
Saab 99
Don’t know. They just do something to me.
That Fuego is unreal! We had few of these up here in Canada, but they were always rusted out.
None.
My interest in a vehicle is in driving it. At that price, I’m not driving it nearly as much as I should, and when I do I’ll be worrying about it.
Why would you order a 1970s American convertible with a 426? That thing is going to flex like there is no steel in its construction. You could probably bend the structure with a hard launch on sticky tires. It is not surprising that this was a rarely-ordered combination.
FB Series 3 RX-7
Current Suzuki Jimny (3 door)
MR2 Spyder
98 200SX SE-R (my wife’s first car after college)
88 Sentra SE Sport Coupe (my first car, traded for an FC RX-7)
Assume manuals in all models listed.
You took my first choice with the Fuego. What a beauty. I’ll go with 1995 through 1999 Buick Riveria. Even if I weren’t driving it I could look at that dashboard all day long.
If we’re confessing to things we don’t like that everyone else loves: I never cared for pistol grip shifters in Mopars. Love the cars, love a manual, the shifters look goofy and weren’t comfortable to use. Let me hold this broken beer bottle in front of me while I back my way out. No one needs to get hurt.
Subaru XT, XT-6, and SVXs.
Nissan Pulsar Sportbak would be worth 6-digits, especially if they have the wagon back.
YES!
1st generation Mazda MX 6. Just lovely.
Sadly, the few remaining samples are all sitting on cheap 17-inch wheels and are generally in a sad state.
I have a soft spot for malaise era 2 door land yachts. Most just need a little more starch in the suspension and a few light engine mods to be great runners.
You’re not alone. 40 years (!) ago I had a roached-out ’78 Town Coupe. Absolutely loved that car. T-boned by a drunk at 8 in the morning.
Mercedes-Benz R129 SLs – particularly the SL500s, SL600s and AMGs
But I’m glad they’re not so I may be able to acquire one sooner or later….
’73 Mercury Capri 2.6
’96 Buick Roadmaster
’80 – ’83 Renault 5 (not necessarily the Alpine Turbo, but that, too)
AMC Gremlin, any year, because I want to see billionaires having to pretend that they love them.
Are you me? Perfect list.
That’s kinda scary.
You don’t know the half of it :p
I recently ran to my car so I could follow a purple Gremlin (with white hockey stick) to its parking lot in our work complex … beautiful creature.
2nd generation Avalon with bench seats,column shifter,and heated seats.What a great comfortable and reliable car.We bought an absolutely loaded and clean 2002 XlS for my son’s first car.We got it right at the start of Covid for $3500 but did replace the timing belt and tires.He had it for about a year until he decided to change the radio station instead of stopping for a red light and rear ending the Malibu in front of him.At least it kept him safe in the accident.I still miss that car.
Yes – I too had a 2002 Avalon. XL with the luxury package. Bucket leather seats, not the bench and not a column shifter and no heated seats. Got rid of it at 335,000 miles only because it was time to move on, it was still going strong. Great car that required very little maintenance but loved to eat through brake pads. It was a Japanese Buick that had a nickname: “the geezer pleaser”