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.
E-Type: Absolutely going to go up. Perfect styling and a wonderful vintage driving experience. With the newly launched awful Jaguar styling I can see F-Types going up soon. They are gorgeous.
Gallardos: Manual supercars are white hot right now and it makes perfect sense that manual Gallardos go up. The e-gear is trash. We had one at the classic car lot I worked at back in the day and the clutch was smoking from just trying to get it in a tight parking spot.
Bronco II: Are there even more than two of these left? I can’t see them going up. Plus I’m still traumatized from my dad driving the family in the snow in ours back in the day. I hope the last two get crushed soon.
280ZX: Being peak choked down by smog and safety I can’t see these going up much. Here in California you still have to smog them, so they are worth a nickel. Plus the 240Z has cleaner lines. That’s the one to get.
P1800: Cute and quirky, but they just don’t have much broad appeal. I’m sure parts are a nightmare to get. Another one I can’t see going up too much.
Magnum SRT-8: I can see the handful of clean ones going up in value. The interior is by Fisher Price, but V8 wagon is a rare breed. With CTS-V’s going up, I can see these riding the wave.
Ferrari 400/412: The cheapest way to get a Ferrari V12. With older Ferrari’s of all kinds going up in value I see this as a case of “Rising tide lift all boats”
Mini Cooper S: Nope. With German maintenance and reliability I can’t see these going up. Too much money to keep a hot hatch that wasn’t that special running.
Prelude: Yes! Look what 99-00 Civic Si’s and Intergra Type-R’s are going for now. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug and people my age (46) will be looking for clean ones. The styling has held up well and the 2.2L was a great motor.
G Wagen: Nope. The only thing keeping the values out of the gutter is normal people can’t tell a new one from a 20 year old one. These will only be popular with broke people pretending to be rich. Which is a great way to be broke forever.
DeLorean: I can’t believe these cars are worth what they are now. Absolute trash cars, but if you want attention, it’s the car to get. If it wasn’t for Back to the Future they all would have seen the crusher by now.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, lol.
I’ve been a car nut since before most of the people at Hagerty quit wearing diapers. Forgive me if I don’t think their opinions are the best advice you could get. I also think some of the cars recommended are bad choices whether you care about appreciation or not.
An early E-Type IS a solid investment. Buy the nicest one you can afford. BUT – sit in one before you buy one – they’re tiny inside and even an average-sized guy might find the interior a bit too confining.
Gallardo ? Not for me.
A really primo Honda ( Acura ) NSX would be where I’d park my money in this category.
The Bronco II is a piece of crap, always was, always will be, and is never EVER going to be a vehicle people aspire to own.
A primo second-gen Land Cruiser would be a much smarter buy.
The 280ZX ? Buy a really nice 240Z instead, because it’s the one to have.
P1800 ? boring as hell. I owned one. Drove it a couple thousand miles and sold it and never felt one millisecond of remorse. If you MUST buy something like this, buy an 1800ES, because Volvo only made 1/10 as many of them and they are going to be the one that really jumps in value. If you want a car that’s pretty and a pleasure to drive, buy an Alfa Spider.
Dodge Magnum ? Such a crude device. Dig deep and buy an E63 AMG wagon instead. Or if you are more brave, an Audi RS2 wagon.
Ferrari 400 ? If you must have a Ferrari, there are other better choices. Personally I’d skip Ferrari entirely.
Mini Cooper S ? Not even if you hate yourself. Find more money, buy a GR Corolla and drive it once a week so it doesn’t accumulate excessive miles.
Prelude ? Normal-height Americans don’t fit, and it’s a long way from being the best Honda you could buy. A nice S2000 would be a far better choice.
Mercedes G500 ? Show some imagination and buy a Munga instead, you’ll have more fun than you’d ever have in that G. And with the money left over you can buy a 2CV, which will be sought after in the future because the minimalism in a 2CV will seem immensely attractive after we have been tortured by malfunctioning electronics for a few more decades.
Deloreans are junk. Underpowered, build quality of a kit car built by drunk people, hard to get in and out of ( this matters to older people who are the people with the money ). It’s a weird car conceived by a guy who knew better but did it anyway, maybe because ( as Rick James said ) cocaine is a hell of a drug.
Take a look at the video on Youtube which shows Gordon Murray’s personal car collection. And pay attention.
Stories about the Bronco II stability problems are real.
I remember a friend who bought a Bronco II brand new. He went camping with it, and tipped it over and rolled it down an embankment into a pond.
So he used the insurance to buy another. During the first snowfall of the year he rolled that one over in the parking lot at work.
He did manage to keep the third one upright for a few years before he traded it in for an older full sized used Bronco.
That’s why I never seriously shopped a Samurai. I was being told at the time by “people who knew off-roaders” that the Samurai was even less stable than the Bronco II.
Even so, I do think the Bronco II will appreciate more than average over the next five years or so.
“All the journos said I was daft to buy a Bronco, but I bought it all the same – just to show ’em. It rolled into the swamp.
So I bought a second one. That rolled into the swamp.
So I bought a third one. That burned down, fell over, then rolled into the swamp.
But the fourth one… stayed up!!”
I thought Hagerty was the big bearded dude from the TV show with the bear and the Native American friend.
Where do you think they got the idea for “Cocaine Bear”? Yeah, Hagerty…
Ain’t he the half-giant half wizard from the kids book (and movies)?
I have a mk5 Prelude! They’re awesome, except trim parts/weather stripping can be hard to come by. They also tend to get bad fender rust if they ever lived somewhere with winter.
They have a great design that has stood the test of time.
If I had true collection car money. Like buying several vehicles for investment and just parking them. I would make regular trips to Japan. Buy as many hot cars that were being sold cheap because of clean air laws. I’d park them in Japan some place cheap but protected. Then ship them over once the chicken tax was passed or maybe ship them over and register as not operating and just see how much they appreciate.
There *are* eleven cars on the list. This use of the cutesy “there’s” has spiralled out of control across recent years, but I’m confident that, with a lot of hard work, I can fix all of that.
Back to looking for just the right P1800.
Oh, that’s a Torchism in this case. He started that in the Jalop days and continues doing it despite multiple protests from David and probably Matt.
Then he’s infected miiiiiiillions of people! This shall not stand while I’m on watch!
I was at a light yesterday with the first E-Type I’ve seen in decades – so small!
The Magnum SRT8 is an odd choice. Dodge et al just sold so many goddamn LX platform cars and I have literally never seen a Magnum in the wild that isn’t roached to hell and back. They’re also only available with a slushbox of the very slushy variety. At least in the later LX cars the auto was a ZF8.
I also think Torch has a point-it’s hard to overstate how bad pretty much all American commodity car interiors were at this time. Dodge interiors in particular were the worst of the worst, and seas of monochromatic, scratchy, ill assembled plastics. On a hot day they’re quite literally the last place you want to be.
Maybe if you find one of the 7 that hasn’t been beaten within an inch of its life it’ll be worth something, but at least in my area hooptie LX platform cars tend to be the vehicle of choice for folks who are participating in…unsavory activities. I think Hagerty is on the rich guy sporty wagon bandwagon and didn’t really consider the fine details here. We aren’t exactly talking about an AMG wagon.
Speaking of which, my take for the G Wagen is similar. I see them constantly. They’re a defacto choice for people that aren’t rich but desperately want to look rich. The older ones in particular live hard lives because they’re usually owned by some 20 or 30 something entry level professional who can’t afford the payments…and as a result can’t afford the maintenance. It sure does look nice next to your “had to grind for this” Instagram caption, though!
They often find their way to hooptification as well, and it’s not like they’re that rare. In a weird way they’re kind of poser cars to me, if that makes sense. Not because they’re not cool (they are in fact cool) or they’re not capable (they’re very capable), but 99% of them just wind up being flashy cars for people that don’t know anything about cars. Post Malone has a G Wagen thing and he’s maybe the biggest poser of all time.
I actually think that the Magnum SRT8 is a pretty good choice. (confession, I just sold my 2006 Magnum SRT8 last year, so I might be slightly biased. It had 230K miles on it and was still in great condition. Not perfect, but much better than a lot I see out there)
You are right, most non-SRT8 Magnums (and most non SRT8 1st generation LX cars) tend to be pretty clapped out. Even some of the SRT8s you will find that way as well. But, that can be said of any generation of “collector car”. For every Buick Grand National there was as a collector car, there were a significant number of hooptie Buick Regals out there. One trim level can be the collector when most people wouldn’t care about the lower trims that the car was based on.
The Magnum SRT8 is one of the more rare SRT8’s out there. It was only available for 2.5 year models, and only sold about 3800 in those 2.5 years. Nicer ones with low miles are starting to command a premium over a comparable (mileage/condition) 300C SRT8 or Charger SRT8.
We are at the moment when the Magnum (and all 1st gen LX cars) are at the bottom of the depreciation and are going to start increasing in price. The early ones are getting close to 20 years old. In 1980, most muscle cars of the 60s/early70s were just ~10 year old used cars. around the 20 year mark (around 1990) you started to see prices increase on the performance trims (SS, R/T, GT, CobraJet) that continued through today. The SRT8s definitely fit into this same genre.
Well I can’t say anything bad about the cars on this list. Wait you guys know me of course I can but I won’t. Half seem to ome to be at close to the top of the market. Collecting cars seems to depend on the generation at peak earnings. Most of these are cars that were the shit when us old guys were kids and now at top end because we are retired and aren’t collecting anything new and the young people want something else. In addition it should be something that isn’t already a collectable and prices are less than a normal new car say under $30,000.
The Series I and II E-Type are overrated. They were essential in establishing Jaguar after the XK120 and the fight with Bristol throughout the late 1950s. But every Jaguar since has tried to copy either it or the XJ-S V12. The fucking thing IS Jaguar.
The Gallardo’s been overrepresented ever since it came out in 2004. It overshadowed the Murcielago from the day it stepped into the sunlight. You don’t see the Murcielago in anything, but you will see the Gallardo.
I grew up around a Bronco II. Just because nobody makes something like it anymore doesn’t mean it’s good. They lost the fight to the XJ Cherokee for a reason. The first generation Ranger just didn’t make a good ’69 Bronco successor.
The 280ZX should stay down. The S130 took the S30 and turned it into a luxury car. It messed up the styling, weighed it down, championed an automatic first, and tried so hard to wear the big Continental MK IV hat that it was just way too small for. The S30 and Z31 outsold the S130 in total number of units for a reason. They abandoned the S130’s side tangent and went back to form with the Z31 for a reason. It being a black sheep in the Fairlady Z lineage does not make it a good car and does not make it valuable.
The P1800 is gaining popularity as time goes on and more people learn about it. It’s becoming a cult favourite. But I don’t think it should go beyond that. Let it remain a hidden treasure.
The Magnum meanwhile was always well loved. It was neither underrated nor overrated. It’s just that Dodge abandoned the thing too early in the U.S. for any lasting impact to have formed. But the people I’ve talked to who owned one have said they always regretted selling it.
Fuck the Ferrari.
The Mini Cooper is very similar to the Magnum in terms of public sentiment. They aren’t cars for everybody, but they are great for those they match with.
The Prelude however needs more attention, as does the Del Sol. Both were amazing cars for their time and it’s terrible that an already low selling pair of cars have so few remaining survivors. The Preludes were always Honda’s “marvel” cars, the ones they used to show off their best technology. When the Prelude died and the CR-V started becoming a volume seller in 2003 Honda started struggling more and more to maintain course because there wasn’t a clear hierarchy anymore.
Mercedes-Benz G-Class? Eh. They’re Range Rover Super Sports for people who turn their heads even further back to look down their nose at you. They’ll be like Maserati Biturbos soon, in that nobody wants one because they weren’t ahead of their competition even when new and can’t justify the cost of ownership the older they get.
And the DeLorean DMC-12? Really? Come on. Dude even normal people who don’t know jack shit about cars want DMC-12s. That’s one of the most overrated cars to exist alongside the 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air and the 1964 Mustang convertible.
I’ve always thought the Back to the Future trilogy did no favors for the DeLorean DMC-12.
The cocaine associations, being built in Northern Ireland during the troubles, being built with the Colin Chapman and him supposedly faking his death in relation to it, the guy that created the GTO.
These are the makings of a classic.
That interesting, real legacy being overshadowed by failure to launch people babbling about flux capacitors is a shame.
I agree that, for me, BTTF is a huge turn off to owning one and I’m Gen X, so that crap is my childhood, but I think without that cultural reference, it would be as remembered as the Bricklin. All that drama is ancient history and none of those people are known much outside of the car community and the younger ones probably don’t know or care much about them, either.
Electrify the Delorean and build a flux capacitor into it.
Unless you live in a truly arid environment, I think it is impossible to buy a potentially appreciating vehicle, regularly enjoy using it, without incurring significant upkeep, insurance, and storage costs. I bet the original interior and exterior Torch bought that Volvo 1800S properly cheap and enjoyed it without much concern, as I suspect most enthusiasts intend. I thought I had a decent understanding of values till about 25 years ago when a lot of values made no sense to me. Recently I question what the future will bring, as I’ve already seen pristine hot-rods sold by uninterested families after the collector dies. As those that appreciate and own classics age out, will there be enough new replacement enthusiasts to keep stability? An ever increasing percentage of the population no longer wants to own or drive, let alone learn how to drive a manual. EVs only make sense to lease IMHO. Crypto Tulip bulbs may bring unwanted change.
The hot cars change by the generation. Sure you might appreciate the hotrod gramps drove you around in and let you drive at 12. But no interest in a hotrod some other grandpa drove his grandkids around in. The popular collection cars are a changing
If that were true cars from the 1950s would now be cheap as hell. But a Nash Metropolitan or a Dodge Lancer sells for $20,000 if it’s not a basket case or a rust bucket, and neither of those are considered desirable by collectors. But they look “1950s” enough that it gives them that inflated value. But a Nash Ambassador or a Ford Tudor? Nope. Those are like $6,000.
Let me stop chainsawing this battery real quick to explain how unsafe a Bronco II is…
I keep seeing them as cheap options to offroad if I also widen the axle(s), assuming I can play games with the front axle. No?
I wouldn’t want to widen the axle. But you could using a Dana 44 TTB front axle from a similar year F150/Bronco.
They are not nearly as dangerous as people say. I’ve never even been close to rolling or losing control of my ’89 Bronco II. And I’ve lifted it 2″.
body or suspension, tho?
Suspension. Skyjacker coils and belltech extended shackles.
roger roger
I have this unreasonable interest in getting one and chopping the top off of it
Hell yeah. Check out Sherrod Broncos
https://www.broncocorral.com/articles/the-sherrod-ford-bronco-ii/
I can find these all day for pennies, and if I’m already not going to care what motor is in it…why not cut off the top?
Do you want to know how dangerous a Bronco is? Last guy I saw driving a Bronco almost got eaten by a shark.
holy shit that’s super dangerous
“here are some cars we want to hype up”
Man, just invest money in the stock market and buy a car you want to drive. Almost every single one of these cars is one major service issue away from erasing any positive gain.
True, but also as someone with a habit of buying a dumb fun car, getting into something unique and fun that I’ll be likely to at least break even on after a year of enjoying is hardly a bad thing. Unfortunately my budget for fun cars is a lot lower than most cars on this list, and Mini reliability scares me.
This is kind of my take, I don’t consider my cars (or any car) an investment, but I do think it’s neat to try and pick up under appreciated vehicles in any price range and then see them grow in popularity/value as they get older. I may not make any money, but at least I should lose less.
I disagree. I bought a 2001 Isuzu Vehicross new in 2002. I got it for $12k off sticker. It is still my daily driver. I still love driving it. I haven’t had a car payment in 18 years. That is an investment.
AND, the Vehicross is a very very dope car! But let us not let everyone in ion these secret gems.
And the stock market is just so stable.
That’s part of the reason these are rising. If you want a fast wagon from the 21st century, your options are six-figure complex German machines, the CTS-V wagon which is far more expensive than the Magnum, or the Magnum itself. The aughts nostalgia train is on it’s way, and clean, unmolested Magnums are getting harder to find. I think of their rise the same was as that of the now-hot 80s and 90s Japanese classics to an extent, unloved for a long time, looked down upon for their cheapness in some circles, but a blast to drive. Once they became scarce and people realized what they had, prices went sky high.
A buddy and I were working on my car once when it became time to pick up his child after school. He was deep in the transmission and didn’t want to stop, so asked me to pickup his daughter in his Bronco ll. I duly drove over to the school and got in the carpool line. I had to get out to help the daughter into her car seat. A mother in the car behind jumped out of her car, ran over and began to berate me for transporting a child in such a dangerous vehicle that was also a threat to everybody in line. “You know these things rollover without warning, don’t you?” I was a bit flummoxed and people were staring, so I just shrugged my shoulders and with as straight a face as I could manage, told her, “I don’t think it’s going to flip over while it’s stopped here at the curb, but maybe you should back away just in case.” She got a confused look for a moment and that was just enough time to hop in the Bronco and pull away. I was tempted to saw the wheel back and forth as I drove off, but you know Bronco lls roll over without warning, so I refrained.
Nice to see the 280zx get some love, although I hope prices don’t go up too much. My dad had a silver one with louvres when I was little and it was the first car I really got attached too, wouldn’t mind owning one someday.
I’m patiently waiting for louvres to come back
Louvres never went away, just go to Paris.
Now if you mean louvers, that might be a different story.
I’ve finally arrived!
Updated to add: the one in the Hagarty photo shoot even has its SES light on…feels appropriate
*blush*
“The eleventh one was a “people’s choice” one, though I suspect the Hagerty team included a significant number of people as well.”
Only Torch is this witty lol
I would just call all of these cars “rated”, since they’re all well known and desirable enthusiast cars and most of them are already pretty expensive
Yes and no, I think 🙂
They are second- and third-string versions of well-known and desirable enthusiast cars, which makes them slightly different animals.
The 260Z is below the 240, the hardtop Jaaag is below the convertible, etc. The lower tiers aren’t necessarily super desirable on their own – a 3sp automatic Ferrari? – but because they are more accessible versions of the graily types. They’re living in the shadows of their forbears and can easily be underrated or dismissed because of that.
I think there are approximately 12 Bronco II’s left that haven’t rusted out or have been crashed
This. I was about to comment that I have noticed Bronco II values climbing primarily because so few are left. I briefly considered buying one, and instead ended up with yet another 2-door Explorer, primarily because there are few that aren’t rusted hulks and certain parts (like the side windows) are becoming hard to get. A first-gen Explorer is better in just about every measurable way, yet the Bronco II still has some charm…
I think a two door explorer isn’t a bad choice either, it’ll be a rare version of a very influential vehicle.
I certainly don’t see how the E-Type and DeLorean are underrated. I feel like I see these hyped everywhere but they have always just seemed meh to me.
I don’t find the E-Type all that good looking, it most just seems like a caricature of a classic European sports car.
The DeLorean to me will never be more than a quirky failed science experiment. It never drove great or performed very well. Stainless steel proved to be a dumb material to make cars out of (nobody tell Elon Musk). If it wasn’t for Back to the Future no one would think about these anymore than people think about Bricklins.
I guess these are just 2 cars I never understood the hype for.
Hagerty isn’t claiming they are underrated, just that they will go up in value significantly. The Ferrari 250 GTO has gone up in value every time one changes hands, but it sure as hell is not underrated. Doesn’t change the fact that it’s a great investment if someone can afford the tens of millions they go for at this point. I think the headline is wrong though because I agree with you. The E class is like the most overrated car ever!
I’d like to know what they’re smoking at Hagerty which causes them to think a MIni Cooper or a 280ZX are going to appreciate enough to matter.
280 I’m not so sure about, but the Mini likely will for the same reason old Civic Sis are going up. They are a fun car that most got used up and thrown away, so the few good examples left will likely start getting pricey.
But the Mini is an unreliable front wheel drive BMW, and the Hondas are Hondas from the era when Honda made great products. I trust you can understand the difference.
The market for E Types has been cooling for the last couple of years, I think Hagerty are suggesting that prices have dropped a bit to where people are interested in buying one again
If you were a child of the 70s/80s, you understand how the Delorean was hyped in our formative years, at least to teens who liked cars and lived in Kansas/Oklahoma/Texas.
But by this time you should know better than to consider a Delorean.
Nope, they are morons including the bronco 2 and prelude. One ends up on its roof and is beaten by the explorer. The 2nd is a great way to transport the legless. Handling isn’t all that either. Rather have an actual type r from Japan. Like a 4dr, save money and enjoy something not sold here.