Same goes for the 240SX market. It’s a car that an entire generation grew up drifting (or wanting to) and one day will want to own for nostalgic reasons, but again with so many produced only the most mint examples will fetch top dollar.
If you think that a modified version will be worth a lot in the future, I just ask you to look at the history of the collector car market. Its dictated that stock will always be in much higher demand, though perhaps that’ll change as the F&F generation reaches car collecting age, but I wouldn’t be hedging any bets on it.
There are also a lot of great classic Japanese cars like the Nissan 240Z, 510, Mazda RX3, Toyota Starlet, etc. that will continue to appreciate steadily but I don’t think they’ll ever reach the status and value of Porsches or BMWs. My reasoning is that enthusaists interested in those vehicles are far smaller then the classic European cars, but I could be wrong because these Japanese cars weren’t abundant in North America so their rarity alone could send values skyrocketing. Hagerty does have the S30 Z on its list of cars they expect to start appreciating in value, so grabbing a nice clean example now might not be a bad investment if you have a love for this iconic Japanese sports car.
When it comes to value for performance, there are a few cars on the used market that I think are under valued and now may be a good time to get in before prices begin to climb. My first pick has to the E39 BMW M5. Prices vary from $10K for a very average car to $20k+ for a mint, one-owner prized possession. These cars deliver great performance with a high-revving V8 that churns out 394hp but more importantly they’re still from an era that BMW cars were analog in feel and character.
For me, the E39 M5 is the perfect sports sedan that won’t cost you an arm and leg. It also won’t depreciate much, as I can’t see the value of these cars dipping any lower. That said, we have a few friends that have owned these and the repair costs have been rather steep. So do your homework on the car’s maintenance and repair record before investing your hard-earned cash on one of these.
Considered the poor man’s Porsche, the 944 Turbo has potential to make a come back in the coming years. The ’80s body styling is just so right on a sports cars of this type and performance isn’t too shabby either with 220-hp and 260-hp from the Turbo S model. As the 911 market continues upwards these cars may become the affordable alternative to Porsche ownership. Many can be had for $6K-10K making them a real bargain!
I could go on and on because the list really is endless, with E36 BMW M3′, MKIII Toyota Supras, Eagle Talons, and many other having collector potential. However, whether a car is a deal or an overpriced pile is always determined by the buyer, because we all have different needs and wants from the vehicles we own and aspire to own.
What’s overpriced to me may be just right for you, but all indications point to a collector car market that will continue to be strong, so it may be a wise decision to get in now before the car of your dreams is out of reach. Remember. though, do your homework and due diligence because there’s a lot of shady crap out there and you don’t want to be spending your hard earned money on it.
I wish that I had read this article earlier! Sports cars have always been something that I admired from a distance. The money was just never there for me to actually buy one. It looks like I will be doing some shopping around soon. It sure will be fun to have a nice car like these! http://foxcarloans.com.au