Top 10 collector cars for 2019?

[Skip Lackie]

The list appeals to a different part of the hobby than many of us belong to. To me, a hobby vehicle is one I can use for fun, work on myself with with pleasure, and keep a very long time. I do not buy them or keep them so that I can sell them at a profit a few years later, nor do I want to take them to a dealer for an oil change. If I had any of those cars, they would be my daily driver -- in fact most of them are newer than my daily driver.

[jnormanh]

Except for those cars which are so rare that they rarely come to market (Duesey SJ, Mercedes 300SL, for example), the cars which bring big bucks are the ones which 16 year olds drooled over and now, their children independent, their fortunes made, retirement at hand, and their mental and physical health still viable, they can afford.

So...the big dollar buyers are going to be people born largely sixty or seventy years ago.

Sure there are exceptions: The neurosurgeon who is still in his fifties or inherited money, or made a ton in the stock market. And a few speculators who are younger.

But, mostly, it's folks who can finally blow a wad of money on a teenage dream car.

[Kurt]

Collector cars are cars that people remember when they were young and now they want something to remind them of that time. At 52 I’m a “younger” Studebaker nut. I caught my bug from my late Grandfather. To me the list was interesting,because it shows times are changing. The Fox body mustang on the list is a car I would like to have. When I was 21 I tried to buy a 1987 GT. I thought it was too much money and my new wife thought it not to be very practical. I have said that “someday” I would have one. Someday is getting close..... Just have to find one that isn’t t all modded up.

[studegary]

IIRC, the last two vehicles that I had on eBay were a '59 Studebaker restomod pickup and a 1986? Honda Prelude SH. The Studebaker had little interest and I sold it at a large loss. The Honda had 12 times the interest and I sold it at a small profit.

[sals54]

Collector cars are cars that people remember when they were young and now they want something to remind them of that time. At 52 I’m a “younger” Studebaker nut. I caught my bug from my late Grandfather. To me the list was interesting,because it shows times are changing. The Fox body mustang on the list is a car I would like to have. When I was 21 I tried to buy a 1987 GT. I thought it was too much money and my new wife thought it not to be very practical. I have said that “someday” I would have one. Someday is getting close..... Just have to find one that isn’t t all modded up.

Kurt.. when you're ready for that Mustang, give me a call. We have them here in spades. Rust free, and while some are modded, most are very near stock. Some are in terrific shape. I'm currently looking for a Fox body Mustang now. The choice is to be determined by which model. The one I would choose would be an 89 or 90 GT Convert 5 speed. But, from what I've been studying, the car of choice from the era was the LX 5.0. So... would the "collector" be looking for the LX, or would they go for the upgrade that they could not afford back then, that being the GT. Or..... go for the SVT or Saleen or SVO ? ? ? Trouble is, ya never know which one is going to be the most collectible till the prices rise.

[Kurt]

Kurt.. when you're ready for that Mustang, give me a call. We have them here in spades. Rust free, and while some are modded, most are very near stock. Some are in terrific shape. I'm currently looking for a Fox body Mustang now. The choice is to be determined by which model. The one I would choose would be an 89 or 90 GT Convert 5 speed. But, from what I've been studying, the car of choice from the era was the LX 5.0. So... would the "collector" be looking for the LX, or would they go for the upgrade that they could not afford back then, that being the GT. Or..... go for the SVT or Saleen or SVO ? ? ? Trouble is, ya never know which one is going to be the most collectible till the prices rise.

The car I almost bought actually wasn’t a GT, it was a blue 87 LX 5.0 5 speed. They were faster than the GT back in the day. My second choice is a 86-87 Buick GN.My best friend had one of those and he still has it.

[56H-Y6]

The lesson to take away from these fluff pieces is to let the trendy types chase these cars with their stupid money. While they're not looking, seek out the uncool, unpopular collector cars that are great values in terms of model and condition then acquire them to simply enjoy.

Should be make a list of the uncool, unpopular cars that are great collector car values for those who can appreciate them?

Steve

[Buzzard]

Sal,
For a customer, a number of years ago, I built up and heavily modified a 1983 Mercury Capri RS. WIth the nose lowered appreciably, it looked real sleek like an Avanti not so much having the glass just slapped on. I did it before all the Edelbrock etc. add on parts were available. EG: Doug Nash 5 speed, McLeod hydraulic clutch, Paxton Blower, custom built 16" wheels before they were popular, Thunderbird K-member with 5 lug hubs and a cut down 1972 Colony Park Wagon 9" rear with 12" drums to match. With a full mostly concealed cage for stiffness, it was a real sleeper. Mainly it was NOT a Fox Mustang, but something very different. I'll bet out your way one could be found real cheap as they were never considered collectables.
Keep us posted.
Bill

[sals54]

Bill, That build sounds awesome. I like the Mercs of that era specifically cuz they were not Mustangs. That one must have been great fun to drive.

[studegary]

The car I almost bought actually wasn’t a GT, it was a blue 87 LX 5.0 5 speed. They were faster than the GT back in the day. My second choice is a 86-87 Buick GN.My best friend had one of those and he still has it.

That is strange. I have two friends, within seven miles of me, that bought new GNs and they both still have them. One with a lot of miles and the other that has few miles and has been babied and shown its whole "life".

[WinM1895]

For a customer, a number of years ago, I built up and heavily modified a 1983 Mercury Capri RS. WIth the nose lowered appreciably, it looked real sleek like an Avanti not so much having the glass just slapped on. I did it before all the Edelbrock etc. add on parts were available. EG: Doug Nash 5 speed, McLeod hydraulic clutch, Paxton Blower, custom built 16" wheels before they were popular, Thunderbird K-member with 5 lug hubs and a cut down 1972 Colony Park Wagon 9" rear with 12" drums to match. With a full mostly concealed cage for stiffness, it was a real sleeper.

Mainly it was NOT a Fox Mustang, but something very different.

1979/86 Capri is basically a "rebadged" Fox bodied Mustang.

[T.J lavallee]

It's of little interest to me the collectable gaggle of tripe presented in this article. It just goes to show the direction the hobby is going. The beauty of design, character and uniqueness used to be the Hallmark of a collectable. I see none of these attributes in any of these vehicles. As someone else put it they look like what you'd see on a used car lot today.

[studegary]

It's of little interest to me the collectable gaggle of tripe presented in this article. It just goes to show the direction the hobby is going. The beauty of design, character and uniqueness used to be the Hallmark of a collectable. I see none of these attributes in any of these vehicles. As someone else put it they look like what you'd see on a used car lot today.

What most of us consider to be collectable, were what we saw on used car lots in the 1950s-1960s.

[8E45E]

That is strange. I have two friends, within seven miles of me, that bought new GNs and they both still have them. One with a lot of miles and the other that has few miles and has been babied and shown its whole "life".

There are more than a few Buick Grand Nationals that have been stored away with less that 100 miles on them; especially the 1987 GNX's. They got appreciated by collectors almost from new, as did 1978 Corvette Pace Cars.

Craig

[studegary]

There are more than a few Buick Grand Nationals that have been stored away with less that 100 miles on them; especially the 1987 GNX's. They got appreciated by collectors almost from new, as did 1978 Corvette Pace Cars.

Craig

I worked with a lady that bought a new 1978 Corvette Pace Car and used it as her everyday and only car, including going to work in the snow, until the late 1980s when she and the car retired to Florida. She died not long after. I do not know what happened to the car.