Car Experts At Hagerty Think These 11 Cars Are Underrated. Here’s What We Think

We all know Hagerty, right? The big bearded guy from the Harry Potter books/movies who had a pet gargoyle or something? Wait no, that’s not right. I mean Hagerty, the classic car insurance people. I don’t think they have any gargoyles, but I bet there’s some beards involved there, somewhere. Every year since 1612 Hagerty has been releasing their “Bull Market List” for collectible cars they think will be going up in value, and this year is no exception. Let’s go through their list and see what we think!

There’s eleven cars on the list, one for every finger on your hand plus your secret extra finger. The eleventh one was a “people’s choice” one, though I suspect the Hagerty team included a significant number of people as well.

I think overall it’s a well-considered list, but, as always, I’m very curious what you, the most informed and svelte automotive-interest community on the internet, thinks! So let’s walk through these.

1961–1964 Jaguar E-Type

I think an E-Type is a pretty safe bet, because it has an iconic design that I think will always have appeal (not to everyone, of course) and I think Hagerty focusing on the 3.8-liter inline-six instead of the later larger engines and the coupé version with its fun side-opening rear hatch is a good idea.

Of course, it’ll take six figures to get into one of these, so it’s for people who are already rich, not us normal dirtbags. This feels like a pretty safe choice, not particularly daring or anything, but I guess that’s the point?

It’s also interesting to note who Hagerty considers “youth” in this context:

Gen X! That’s me! And the idea that I’m somehow part of a “youth vote” is hilarious. Fucking AARP is sending me shit every week. I have a yarmulke-sized bald spot. I’m overdue for a colonoscopy. I have a teenaged kid. I sometimes watch WWII documentaries without realizing what I’m doing. Youth is behind me.

2003–2013 Lamborghini Gallardo

This is another one for already-rich folks, but for a supercar-class machine, it’s relatively “affordable.” These were cool cars, and the Audi partnership actually helped make these more usable and reliable than what Lambos used to be. Hagerty notes that the real sweet spot here are the manual ones, but those are rare enough to make three-pedal cars demand 50% more money! Damn!

I’m sure these are plenty of fun to own, though I think I may be a bit skeptical that the value is really going to grow all that much? Of course, what do I know; these cars are pretty far removed from the sorts of things I usually seek out.

Still, if you’re getting something to enjoy and not just collect, and have the money, a Gallardo probably is a pretty good bet.

1984–1990 Ford Bronco II

I have pretty mixed feelings about the Bronco II. On one hand, I love the idea of a smaller, Ranger-based Bronco, and I do love the stubby, boxy look of these. I know with their original 2.8-liter Cologne V6 they were said to be underpowered, but as someone used to 50 hp shitboxes, I bet they’re fine. What concerns me a bit more is that with their tall height and short length they seemed to want to tumble like Mary Lou Retton.

Even though the Suzuki Samurai tended to get most of the attention back in the day about rollover wrecks, the truth is that the Samurai had far fewer incidents of rollovers than the Bronco II. There was an alarming figure that one in 500 Bronco IIs ever built was involved in some kind of rollover incident, and some insurance companies have stopped issuing policies to Bronco IIs.

I’m not saying that’s a reason to not collect one – lots of fabulous cars are, technically, deathtraps, and I happily drive dangerous cars frequently –  but it’s something to be aware of.

Will these actually go up in value? Maybe if you can find one not beat all to hell, I guess? I’m not totally sure here. Honestly, I think I may have preferred to see something like an AMC Eagle in this spot.

1978–1983 Datsun 280ZX

Ah, a Datsun Z car! The Z is a legendary machine, though the really desirable ones were the earlier ones, of course. The ZX-era was generally less-loved, and there were reasons for that. They did lose a lot of the lithe appeal of the original, but that’s not to say they don’t have their charms.

For one thing, they had one of the best fuel gauges of any car, ever:

I mean, that’s a pretty good reason, along with the fact that the 280ZX had the first one-touch power windows and an automatic window defogger, among other features. Will these actually go up in value? Maybe, if they get to be seen as the only affordable option for someone who wants a classic Z car. Finding one in good shape is likely to be tricky; the ones I’ve driven have not exactly aged that gracefully.

And it’s worth remembering they’re not the same kind of car as the earlier 240Z – these were bigger, heavier, slower GT-type cars, more for comfort than intense driving performance. But maybe that’s fine, and reflects how these cars will actually get used?

Maybe the Black Gold special edition ones will go up in value, but I’m not sure I’m sold on most 280ZXs skyrocketing in value. Maybe. Either way, a lot of what Hagerty is talking about here are cars that aren’t suffering from inflated value yet, like so many other cars, and these certainly haven’t reached outrageous prices.

1961–1972 Volvo P1800 Coupe

Okay, this one I can speak to with some authority, because I had one for years, a 1967 (maybe ’68?) 1800S. I loved that car. I traded it for my Reliant Scimitar GTE because the Volvo was incompatible with the tiny leaves in my backyard, which kept clogging the fuel filler drain line, but other than that the car was pretty reliable for an old Swede and was a real treat to drive.

Sure, the later P1800ES is an exciting shooting brake, but the original coupé design of the 1800 is just lovely. These were well-built cars. with proven Volvo B18B engines, and sure, the SU carbs tended to leak, but Volvo did eventually switch to fuel injection on the 1800E and they moved the tricky fuel filler, too.

I agree that these will go up in value. They’re GT cars, not really sports cars, and they do their job very well – they look fantastic, they’re comfortable, quick cruisers, and just generally charming cars. I’m all aboard on this one, Hagerty.

2006–2008 Dodge Magnum SRT-8

Yeah, this one I’m not really sold on. I do love the look of these, and the very idea of a muscle wagon is wildly appealing. I remember driving one of these back in the day, and while the chop-top look of the low greenhouse looked fantastic, it was a damn tomb inside, and the visibility, especially to the rear, was terrible.

These were fast, sure, and there’s not really anything like them, at least factory-built, but they don’t seem to be aging particularly well, and good luck finding one not flogged to hell. There’s lots of plastic bits that get rattly, and the interior was never exactly great to begin with.

Maybe a few really nice ones will sell for big bucks, but for the bulk of them? I’m not sure. You know what fast American wagon might be a better choice? A Cadillac CTS-V. Better build quality, different but still great look, fast, plenty of cargo room, but probably more expensive to get into.

1976–1989 Ferrari 400/412

I have to be honest here; I’m no expert on Ferrari valuations. What I can tell you is that I always liked the subtle looks of these, and a V12 is always something kind of exciting. Plus, a back seat for your big, sloppy sheepdogs or whatever! Then again, these cars also had Ferrari’s first three-speed slushboxes, in case you were getting too excited.

These don’t seem to be going for crazy money now, so maybe them going up in value isn’t so far off? Again, the Ferrari market always seems like a mystery of flying money to me, so I’ll withhold judgment.

2002–2006 Mini Cooper S

I’m actually happy to see these on this sort of list; I think they’re fun, accessible cars, one of the more successful of the retro-rebirths of iconic peoples’ cars. These resurrected Minis only really focused on the performance side of the original Mini and less on the cheapest-way-I-can-get-around side, which I suppose was the only choice Mini owner BMW would have made.

I think these look cool and drive well, but repairs are kind of a nightmare and I have to wonder if maybe a somewhat more rare, fun, tiny car like the Fiat 500 Abarth may be a similar but more likely option to go up in value. Those things were a blast and sounded incredible.

1997–2001 Honda Prelude

Okay, now this I think is an actually inspired choice: these were really compelling cars, and you hardly see any of them on the roads today. They were reliable, and especially with the five-speed manual, pretty damn fun to drive. I always liked the strange swept-back headlights and the tidy proportions and the clean lines. These cars looked good, in an understated way, and still managed to be eye-catching.

Will these go up in value? I think they have a good shot! Interesting look, great to drive, I bet there’s JDM versions that will be really desirable, practical, and usable, not a nightmare to maintain – these I’m bullish about, too.

2002–2008 Mercedes-Benz G500

I have pretty mixed feelings about G-Wagens. I really like the very early ones, the ones with the big amber indicators and no chrome and soft top options, back when they were just Jeep-like utility machines. But the era Hagerty is talking about here is firmly in the era where Mercedes realized they could slather these in leather and chrome and sell them for lots of money, which makes them a lot less cool in my eyes.

It seems like you can get into these for around $30 grand or so, which isn’t terrible, I suppose. Will these be worth something, though? The G-Wagens I’ve seen pushing 20-year-olds seem to be getting a bit ratty inside, but of course that’s wildly variable. I feel like the early, non-luxo ones are the most likely of the original G-Wagens to become worth something.

These do have some sort of cultural cachet, I suppose, and they are cool in their blocky, faintly absurd way. Are they any better or worse than a Land Rover Defender, though? What about a LaForza? That’s a deep cut!

1981–1983 DeLorean DMC-12

This was the People’s Choice car, and it’s not hard to see why; the stainless steel DeLorean is a cultural icon and as a result I think will actually at least hold value, and maybe go up. It doesn’t matter that the DeLorean never really drove like you imagined it would, it doesn’t matter it was kinda slow, because it’s Doc Whatshisname’s motherflossing time machine and has gullwing doors and a great story about cocaine trafficking and just still looks great.

People who aren’t into cars know what a DeLorean is. You drive it around almost anywhere and people will come up to look at it. That’s the real way these things are valued; it’s all perception and image and intangible, ridiculous things. Because cars are and should be ridiculous things. So, for this one I’ll say yeah, these will go up in value.

So what do we feel, collectively, about Hagerty’s list? I tend to think predicting what cars will become desirable and what won’t is not that different than how ancient Romans would disassemble a bird and stir around what’s inside and decide what the future would be based on that. I think I trust these predictions about as much. No offense to any big augury fans out there, of course.

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