I agree with that list except for the FJ and xB. There is nothing special about those mainstream cars. And only V8 300's will be collectible, mostly SRT-8's

Ford GT should be on that list and should anything with Shelby on it. Turbo Sky and Solstice maybe too.

 

I don't think any of you are thinking about this the right way. Performance is not the only criteria. Sure, lots of those high-performance cars you've all been listing will be popular, but if you go to a classic car show today (at least around here), it is not dominated by muscle cars. 30's Buick and Ford coupes, C1 Corvettes, stuff like that. Cars that you would want to cruise in, not cars you would want to race in. Don't get me wrong -- there are plenty of Chevelles and whatnot, but at any given classic car show (and I go to several every year), only a small percentage of the cars are fast.

I'm confident that the xB won't be as popular as Hagerty thinks. FJ might be, that's hard to say. It's a remake of the old Toyota FJ -- my thought is that people will look for the original, not the copy. I think that all of the big Chrysler cars of today will be popular -- Magnum, 300, and Charger, regardless of whether they're SRTs or SXTs. Corvettes and Mustangs will always be popular -- there's no question about that.

I don't think that the Elise or NSX will be particularly popular with collectors. You'll see them once in a while, but they'll be far from common, and a not-overwhelming number of people will be looking for them.

I love watching the sun rise and set. A lot more than watching baseball.

I saw the auction -- it sold for 5.0 million, and it's not just a Shelby Cobra, it's the only remaining Shelby Supersnake (a Cobra with a twin-supercharged 427). MSNBC FTL. Shelby built two of them, one for himself and one for Bill Cosby. Cosby's was sold and later wrecked, leaving only Shelby's personal car.

 

I agree.

I don't think either the Elise/Exige or NSX will be fetching $200,000 at an auction in 20 years but both of those fine cars should hold their value well. Their value should see some appreciation based on their very limited production numbers and the fact they're both offer very unique driving experiences that are hard to duplicate in mass produced vehicles.

Neither of these cars hold any kind of American or European legend status and since neither of these cars are/were in any type of "popular" racing series they won't become an automotive legend any day soon.

Since they don't have a legendary nameplates and are not currently creating any sort of racing fanbase they will be left to fill a nice niche in automotive history.

 

I was under the impression that the NSX was already somewhat collectible ... or at least a lust-object for Honda fanboys.

 

Well, they're rare and semi-exotic, so yeah, it's fairly collectible. It's just a long way down the list.

If I were a billionaire, I'd probably buy an NSX.

 

You can buy an early 1990's NSX with high mileage for around $26,000 out here in California. These cars do offer a lot of Bang-for-the-buck but it will be a while before these cars (even with low miles) sell for more then their original MSRP when you adjust it for inflation.

check them out!- http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/search...irst_record=26

 

If the FJ is on there I'd expect the H2 or H3. No one knows/cares what an FJ is but everyone know the Hummer brand.

 

Yeah. They're not super-expensive right now, but they haven't depreciated as much as they would have if they were common and boring.

1990 NSX - $90,000 when new, $26,000 today.
1990 Taurus - $25,000 when new, $1,000 today.

See how those don't match up?

 

 

I could see the xB being a collector car in the way that a VW Bug or Microbus is a collector car. It's not necessarily a "car guy" collectable, but more of a general nostalgic thing. The sheer oddness of it makes it intriguing and memorable.

 

Yep, my keyboard does that too.

 

I would submit that almost any vehicle; once it’s reached 30 years old or older and is either restored to perfection or a well preserved survivor vehicle is quite collectable.

There is no question that the more a vehicle has a “following” when brand new, the more likely it is to be desirable 30 years in the future and will, obviously, see the best appreciation; likewise if there is something unique about the vehicle or if it represents the “best” of its genre.

But again, I think there is a lot to be said for any perfectly restored or extremely well preserved vehicle so rather than worrying about what someone might think will be collectable and whether it will appreciate or not, buy what YOU love and then you don't really have to care whether it's "collectable" or not. Just IMHO.

 

I agree.

Taurus= common, mass produced, appliance
NSX= limited volume, unique, mid-engine sportscar

$90,000 in 1990 is worth around $138,000 in todays dollars when you only adjust it for inflation and with NO actual appreciation.

inflation calculator- http://www.westegg.com/inflation/


Most car prices (ones that have some sort of collectibility) bottom out when they are around 15 years old and they usually don't really start appreciating until they become 20-25 years old.

The problem with the xb is that many other automakers will be coming out with near identical box shapes such as Nissan's upcoming next-gen CUBE and etc. These virtual copies will diminish the xb's unique looks and collectibility. The fact the xb will be replaced with an all new model (with a new name) next year will prevent the xb from attaining 'VW beatle or bus" like loveability and familiarity with the masses.

Nobody except VW made Bug-like or Mini-bus-like looking cars in the US during their original time in production.

 

If you paid $25k for a TAURUS in 1990 - you got HOSED!!!
For 1.5 or 2 of them, maybe.

J/K with you... I know what you are trying to say and I agree with your point 100%.
Just a little high on this figure - that's all.


As for the list... I think it's goofy for them to even make such a list.
As Robert was eluding to, each individual has their own preference (list), and the person with the money and desire to own a certain car is what makes that car "valuable". You should buy what you like and can afford, and not worry about some silly list.

I have been "collecting" cars since the mid-1980's. I put away from 1 to 4 a year. Some restored, some not, but I hold the titles and I don't owe anybody anything for them. I am simply letting them "age". If things work out, I'll have lotsa expensive toys to sell and maybe money to burn in 20 more years, but even if things don't go my way I will have lotsa toys to play with when I decide to retire. Win/Win for me, and my kids/grandkids can hope for some really cool heirlooms!

There are things that could kill it for us all though... gas and regulations.
If "old" cars are deemed illegal due to emissions or safety...
If gas reaches $15/20 per gallon...
If insurance companies refuse to insure "old" cars due to liability...
If gas is completely eliminated/replaced with electric or fusion energy...
You get the picture. Speculating on cars solely as investments is riskier than speculating on stocks and bonds IMO, because there are so many potentially fatal variables that are unpredictable.

One last thing...
"Barrett-Jackson said the $5.5 million price tag for the Cobra was not an overall world record car price, since others have sold at auction for more than $11 million. However, it is a world record for American cars, said Steve Davis, Barrett-Jackson president."
Article(post-sale)-> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070121/...us/car_auction
Actual car listing ->http://www.barrett-jackson.com/carli...LotNumber=1301
Auction results -> http://www.barrett-jackson.com/appst...inalprice=true (it's a little over 1/2 way down)
It was $5.5-million.

 

What about the Chevrolet Sportvan?



The old ones (like the '68 above) seem to invariably be painted like the Scooby Doo van, but you get the idea.