Cars On Line Report On Collector Car Prices …
Collector Car prices are flatlining again in the most recent Cars On Line Market Trends Report. Cars On Line.com says overall prices on classic and specialty collector cars in the United States are up by about three percent from what they were in 2014. Anything under a five percent increase is considered flat growth in the collector car market which has in the past been more used to 10 percent increases in prices each year. Cars On Line.com keeps statistics on actual sales for a bellwether sample group of the most often traded collector cars. They say prices on collector cars have only risen 12.8 percent since prices cratered between 2008 and 2009.
Even more disturbing to collectors is the prospect that collector car values are on a downward trend for July. Hagerty Insurance keeps track of how collectors feel about prices. They indicate that July prices are losing steam, especially on the high end cars that have been relatively strong. Here is a link to the Collector Car Prices “Sentiment Gauge” by Hagerty.
Collector Car prices getting weak in July is nothing new. It happens every year. We think August through September will be a better gauge of whether collector car prices will gain momentum for 2015. But there is some cause for concern as you read the chart below and see how some cars are losing value faster than others.
Here is a chart that details how our sample group has faired in the second quarter of 2015:
| Year, Make Model | Condition | 2008 | 2014 | 2015 |
| FORD | ||||
| 1928 Ford Model A Roadster | No. 2 | $23,100 | $18,000 | $25,650 |
| 1955 Ford F100 | No. 2 | $23,100 | $23,583 | $31,950 |
| 1956 Ford Crown Victoria | No. 2 | $33,500 | $34,150 | $31,800 |
| 1956 Ford Sunliner | No. 2 | $49,800 | $51,913 | $60,671 |
| 1957 Ford Retractable | No. 2 | $53,700 | $48,749 | $57,067 |
| 1957 Ford Thunderbird | No. 2 | $55,500 | $49,914 | $41,500 |
| 1965 Mustang Convertible | No. 2 | $33,800 | $34,790 | $30,968 |
| 1966 Shelby GT350 | No. 2 | $164,100 | $166,958 | $151,000 |
| 1967 Shelby GT500 | No. 2 | $191,000 | $145,000 | $148,667 |
| 1967 Mustang GT Fastback (S CODE) | No. 2 | $26,500 | $50,525 | $55,000 |
| 1969 Mach 1 Mustang (M CODE) | No. 2 | $37,400 | $40,037 | $41,050 |
| 1969 Mach 1 428 CJ (R CODE) | No. 2 | $81,000 | $58,239 | $61,578 |
| 1969 Boss 429 Mustang | No. 2 | $269,500 | $221,000 | $245,000 |
| 1970 Boss 302 Mustang | No. 2 | $85,000 | $70,432 | $72,057 |
| 1970 Ford Torino 429 CJ | No. 2 | $45,900 | $35,838 | $30,350 |
| CHEVROLET | ||||
| 1954 Corvette | No. 2 | $111,600 | $75,860 | $82,875 |
| 1955 Bel Air Hardtop | No. 2 | $32,200 | $44,408 | $38,692 |
| 1955 Bel Air Convertible | No. 2 | $64,750 | $63,466 | $60,200 |
| 1956 Nomad | No. 2 | $77,000 | $53,906 | $46,050 |
| 1957 Bel Air Hardtop | No. 2 | $62,700 | $45,344 | $45,700 |
| 1957 Bel Air Convertible | No. 2 | $94,500 | $85,511 | $80,433 |
| 1957 Cameo Pickup | No. 2 | $26,250 | $44,263 | $50,000 |
| 1958 Chevy Impala Convt (348 Tripower) | No. 2 | $99,000 | $78,492 | $88,650 |
| 1963 Corvette Split Window Coupe | No. 2 | $71,400 | $77,935 | $86,367 |
| 1963 Impala SS 409 Convertible | No. 2 | $55,100 | $51,833 | $55,800 |
| 1967 Chevelle SS 396 | No. 2 | $54,400 | $40,230 | $40,233 |
| 1967 Camaro Convertible | No. 2 | $28,700 | $36,400 | $34,450 |
| 1967 Corvette 427/435 Convertible | No. 2 | $154,500 | $167,121 | $149,642 |
| 1969 Camaro Z/28 | No. 2 | $81,675 | $68,750 | $53,333 |
| 1969 Camaro Pace Car | No. 2 | $67,000 | $65,900 | $66,500 |
| 1970 Chevelle SS 396 | No. 2 | $55,825 | $53,438 | $51,283 |
| 1970 Chevelle LS6 454 | No. 2 | $98,580 | $105,167 | $86,401 |
| MOPARS | ||||
| 1957 Chrysler 300 Hardtop | No. 2 | $60,900 | $52,100 | $53,447 |
| 1957 Desoto Adventurer Convertible | No. 2 | $170,000 | $275,000 | $246,000 |
| 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T | No. 2 | $22,400 | $30,108 | $37,083 |
| 1969 Dodge Charger R/T | No. 2 | $73,500 | $49,313 | $64,100 |
| 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T | No. 2 | $118,500 | $86,260 | $75,867 |
| 1970 Dodge Challenger T/A | No. 2 | $89,600 | $68,288 | $75,398 |
| 1970 Dodge Super Bee | No. 2 | $54,000 | $51,900 | $64,450 |
| 1967 Plymouth GTX | No. 2 | $51,500 | $38,542 | $36,700 |
| 1970 Plymouth Cuda AAR | No. 2 | $99,900 | $76,713 | $79,332 |
| 1970 Plymouth SUPERBIRD | No. 2 | $156,000 | $132,975 | $145,083 |
| 1970 HEMI Cuda | No. 2 | $261,400 | $206,500 | $183,333 |
| 1970 Cuda 340 Convertible | No. 2 | $49,000 | $60,875 | $68,000 |
| 1970 Plymouth Road Runner | No. 2 | $80,300 | $39,190 | $40,367 |
| CADILLAC | ||||
| 1957 CADILLAC S62 CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $54,950 | $66,656 | $73,500 |
| 1959 CADILLAC S62 HARDTOP | No. 2 | $21,000 | $39,700 | $34,400 |
| 1976 CADILLAC ELDORADO CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $16,800 | $30,113 | $26,525 |
| PACKARD | ||||
| 1937 PACKARD V-12 VICTORIA CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $103,600 | $265,000 | $352,000 |
| 1953 PACKARD CARIBBEAN CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $42,000 | $67,900 | $81,950 |
| PONTIAC | ||||
| 1957 PONTIAC CHIEFTAIN HT | No. 2 | $18,900 | $25,550 | $25,500 |
| 1965 PONTIAC GTO (389 TRIPOWER) | No. 2 | $35,000 | $59,906 | $58,400 |
| 1967 PONTIAC GTO CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $42,700 | $51,223 | $65,225 |
| 1968 FIREBIRD CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $19,600 | $28,725 | $38,800 |
| 1970 PONTIAC GTO JUDGE | No. 2 | $56,700 | $68,730 | $87,300 |
| 1973 TRANS AM SUPER DUTY | No. 2 | $45,000 | $105,583 | $114,000 |
| 1977 BANDIT TRANS AM | No. 2 | $18,000 | $49,500 | $35,800 |
| BUICK | ||||
| 1954 SKYLARK CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $72,450 | $125,333 | $130,285 |
| 1957 ROADMASTER CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $32,900 | $69,225 | $53,541 |
| 1970 BUICK GS STAGE 1 CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $89,000 | $112,000 | $123,340 |
| OLDSMOBILE | ||||
| 1957 OLDSMOBILE STARFIRE CONVERTIBLE | No. 2 | $62,500 | $80,538 | $98,633 |
| 1970 OLDS 442 W30 | No. 2 | $57,800 | $87,650 | $74,350 |
| AUSTIN-HEALEY | ||||
| 1967 AUSTIN HEALEY 3000 BJ8 | No. 2 | $35,000 | $73,067 | $61,834 |
| JAGUAR | ||||
| 1967 JAGUAR XKE ROADSTER | No. 2 | $64,050 | $85,400 | $119,640 |
| 1956 JAGUAR XK140 (MC) Roadster | No. 2 | $130,900 | $109,175 | $89,845 |
| STUDEBAKER | ||||
| 1957 GOLDEN HAWK | No. 2 | $19,800 | $40,767 | $41,250 |
Contrary to what some in the media would have you believe, the collector car market is inextricably attached to the U.S. econonmy. The weakness in the collector car market in the last couple of years is directly related to how the economy has been flatlining. With the U.S. economy stuck at two percent growth, the collector car market is stuck at about the same level.
What the collector car market has been lacking recently is an infusion of “players.” People need to feel “wealthy” in order to afford expensive toys.
Each quarter Cars On Line.com sticks a thermometer into the collector car hobby to measure its temperature. Those who follow our Market Trends Reports may remember that in July of 2014 prices had dropped to 8.3 percent below 2013 numbers. However they recovered dramatically during August, September and October of 2014.
3% is better than having your money sit in a bank drawing .004% and you have something to drive and have fun with