60s muscle car price trends over the last 10-20 years?

[sugarwood]

I haven't driven a 60s car in decades. I found the 60s car market to be very different animal than the 911 market. Something like a 68-72 'Vette may be listed for sale for months! I saw people bumping their for sale ads months later.

I've read about the crash in muscle car prices, but want to know more about the highs and lows. Does anyone here follow muscle car prices? Specifically, basic attainable ones, not the super rare outlier 427s. Like a 327 or 350. The cars that are representative of what real working people are buying, and not foreign collectors paying $500k for a Hemi 'Cuda

Basically, for a particular car, I am curious where prices went from the late 80s, when you could buy a 327/350 67'69 Camaro for $3000. What did that car then cost in 1995? 2000? 2005? 2010? Today?

Hagerty's valaution tool seems to indicate prices have been pretty flat since 2006.
A good condition 68' Camaro 327 has been hovering around mid 20s to $30s for the last 8 years.
A good condition 69' Vette 350 has been going lower over the 6 years.

Is this representative of the market in general?
When was the peak? The low? Have prices rebounded in the last few years?

I'm requesting we don't divert the thread into the popular discussions of a trailing nostalgia window.

I am hoping to stick to 60s muscle car price history.
I just want to know what prices have done over the last 20 years.

I was to specifically exclude top shelf investment grade cars like COPO ZL1 Camaros, LS6 Chevelles, Boss 429s, and Hemi 'Cudas.
I want to know price action of "every man" base model GTOs, Camaros, Mustangs, C3 Vette etc

Ok, 2 people have stated muscle cars were dirt cheap up to 1995.
So, there was not much price movement from 1985 to 1995.
In the 80s, a driver car was around $3000 to $6000 for a good one.

Anyone know what a basic 327 Camaro was priced in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Collector car prices are all about the generation with money. The boomers all have money and want their teenage dream car, hence the muscle car boom. Before that it was the '50s, which have dramatically cooled off. Today the 1970s and 1980s stuff is heating up, like the Carrera, Trans Am, and 5.0 Mustang. The bottom line is that the mid-life crisis always seems to prompt guys to buy their high school dream car.

Given a few years I suspect muscle cars will cool off, because my generation (I'm 34) generally didn't lust over Chevelles and Camaros.

[WPOZZZ]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Given a few years I suspect muscle cars will cool off, because my generation (I'm 34) generally didn't lust over Chevelles and Camaros.

Then the next hot cars will be NSXs, RX7s and Supras?

[sugarwood]

Oh no, I'm requesting we don't divert the thread into the popular discussions of a trailing nostalgia window.

I am hoping to stick to 60s muscle car price history.
I just want to know what prices have done over the last 20 years.

[Nostril Cheese]

Friend of mine bought a 1968 Dodge Coronet 500 in 1994 for $3000. He recently sold it for $35K

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by WPOZZZ

Then the next hot cars will be NSXs, RX7s and Supras?

Two out of those three have already nearly doubled in value over the last 5 or so years. Not long ago you could get an early NSX with a manual for under $30k. Now you're lucky to find one under $50k.

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Oh no, I'm requesting we don't divert the thread into the popular discussions of a trailing nostalgia window.

I am hoping to stick to 60s muscle car price history.
I just want to know what prices have done over the last 20 years.

I think that answer is pretty obvious. When I was a car shopping teen back in 1996, muscle cars were dirt cheap. The only ones with real value were the rare ones like a COPO or Shelby. Fast forward to today, where a nice SS or Z28 Camaro is a six figure car.

It won't last forever though. I remember when the 1950s were hot, and '57 Chevys were through the roof. Here's the Hagerty commentary on that market:

"Through this lens, the growth in the market is much more tempered. In fact, “fins and chrome” is up only 1% since May, which is the same amount it has grown over five years. Quite a different story than our Ferrari Index tells. The fact is these cars are not necessarily on younger buyers’ shopping lists, and most of the owners who longed to get into one have since done so. When the time comes to sell, there is still a deep pool of buyers waiting to help move the car along, but that pool doesn’t appear to be deep enough to push prices up as fast as other sectors."

Eventually there just won't be enough buyers around that care about the 1950s, or the muscle cars for that matter, and the market will cool significantly. I'm 34, and while I do have a 1970 Mustang, it's more because it was my grandfather's car. I wouldn't pay big money for a muscle car, I think they are cool but it's just not me. A '57 Chevy? I'm totally indifferent.

[wayner]

I remember when barret Jackson burst into the scene, there was a buying frenzie for numbers matching original muscle cars.

The next year it seemed like everyone was bringing them back and buying resto mods instead. Air, modern suspension underneath etc

I think the idea of owning an old muscle car is better than actually having an old muscle car.

[fintstone]

I think it depends a lot on inflation and other opportunities for investment. As long as other investments have a negligible return, the market for investment quality cars will be strong. The prices for similar cars that are not quite as rare or collectable will follow to some small extent as the folks who want the same cache or are simply an enthusiast compete for the second and third level cars.

The problem with many of these cars is that once their value reaches a certain point, most folks really cannot/will not drive and enjoy them and they become garage queens and museum pieces. Eventually the "regular Joe" who owns them simply loses interest and sells them. We have seen the same here with early, then mid-year cars that have doubled or tripled in value. Eventually, everybody who wants an investment taking up garage space and driven once a quarter if it is sunny and dry has one of these and the market is saturated. It is even worse with muscle cars as they made many, many more of them.

There will always be a market for niche or special cars, wealthy folks will buy their toy of choice, regardless of price. Those cars will likely remain good investments.

[nota]

87 the boom began in true muscle cars

btw as a teen in the 60's
only big blocks in mid sized cars are muscle cars
small blocks are not muscle cars or big blocks in full sized cars [unless the super race motor]
except a few trans am type motors like a z-28 302 with solid lifters
and they are in a separate pony muscle race car class with cobra-jets mach1 ect
you avg 327/350/340/351 was not a muscle motor or muscle car

a buddy got a hemi-cuda in 69 on a take over the payments deal
ten years later in 79 it was a older car worth 500 to 1000 that was the bottom
by about mid 80's or so it was a 3000-5000 car as the run up began
I was offered a hemi mid sized car for 4k in the mid 80's
and a SS396 66 Malibu for the same both 4 speed sticks set up for the drags

by 90 the car was a sought after collector car getting into 6 figures
peak value was near 7 figures for an ordinary hemi cuda no race or famous owner history
they bounce around up and down in the last 20 years but never reached the peak prices again
near peak a clone [fake hemi-cuda] could bring 250k if done correctly
but fads and lusts change prices often and by large numbers

[J P Stein]

I have a 65 Mustang FB that I bought about 1.5 years back. it was decent cosmetically but a disaster elsewhere. Among inherent problems (50 year old engineering & assembly) the ride & handling was obscene. Couple that with indifferent POs and the hammer mechanics that practiced in all aspects of the car, I had my hands full.....the decent cosmetics from 15 feet were only skin deep to boot.

My $23K purchase grew exponentially......my recent fire didn't help the balance sheet. Even with the insurance, my personal investment is gonna reach $40 K.

Getting that much out of it is problematical....but it could happen, ( more likely is a 5-10K loss) due to a couple factors. GT350s are already out of sight and , tho its not a clone, FBs are already in short supply & when I'm done, it will blow a GT350 into the weeds in all aspects.....except charisma. Convertibles are about neck & neck in current pricing......I can speak only for myself, but I wouldn't have a convertable.

My advice is to put your money in safe investments then sit on your ass and wait to die.

BTW, the overseas market for the early Mustang....if not hot, at least lively , tho the recent dump in the Euro may have an effect....take a pass from those from Nigeria.

[rsrfan]

First one JP then another. I too have a 60's era Mustang - a '67 convertible, older resto in good driver shape. I bought in October 2013 for 10k and will probably have another 10-15K in it when done. (302HO crate motor, tfs aluminum heads, long tubes and Magnaflows and all new suspension- basically bolt on stuff). It's my beach cruiser/occasional driver and gets as much attention or more than my 934 tribute.

Based upon what I have seen on Craigslist and EBay, I could probably get my money back...

[sugarwood]

I was to specifically exclude top shelf investmetn grade cars like COPO ZL1 Camaros, LS6 Chevelles, Boss 429s, and Hemi 'Cudas.
I want to know price action of "every man" base model GTOs, Camaros, Mustangs, C3 Vette etc

Ok, 2 people have stated muscle cars were dirt cheap up to 1995.
So, there was not much price movement from 1985 to 1995.
In the 80s, a driver car was around $3000 to $6000 for a good one.

Anyone know what a basic 327 Camaro was priced in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015?

[asphaltgambler]

This area is largely my wheel house of knowledge. Mainstream muscle cars that are numbers matching, original and unrestored will always command top dollar. Like most anything collectable / antique; documentation, original supporting paperwork and provenance separate the truly desirable cars from the average. For me unless the car has concrete proof original of number matching it's just another clone and should be priced accordingly. It is soooo easy to invent a numbers matching car that everything is suspect.

The market is definitely moving towards well executed pro-tour muscle cars / trucks where the look is still classic muscle but with a modern twist. Most owners today want to drive their cars and have the same experience as your everyday modern car with heated seats, A/C, great handling and braking and comfortable.

Hagertys' evaluation tool is pretty accurate assuming it's a real original car. If the car has been modified at all or has no supporting documentation, the value is what the public will pay. I see those types of vehicles value actually declining. Also, as in most collectables, condition is king. I would rather buy an original car and see / know what it is than a restored car where more often than not the parts and build quality are poor.

Lastly, just because something is rare or low production does not automatically equal big money. Take AMC for example. They made a few good running, somewhat good looking muscle cars that would run with most other makes hot-rods but still did not sell well. The market for those cars is very limited these days and parts are almost impossible to find.

[nota]

the camaro is a pony not a muscle car
anything with a 327 is not a muscle car except maybe a chevy II in 65-66

I cut off with very few exceptions at the 1970 model year

327 camaro's from 67-70 are their own category
cheap up to the 1987 run up [btw not 95]
a # matching car is worth twice a motor replacement car
rust and condition are the more important points
as are z-28 ss rs ect and options
back in the 60's us kids wanted fast strippers no power nothin no a/c ect
just a 350hp /327 / 4 speed and low rear with possie on the option sheet
cars with a/c and power stuff were slower and call pussywagons
many were pro-street modified or custom or junked
very few unmolested cars survive today
fewer with the 350hp or better motors too

so you need a much tighter definition then camaro
4 speed or auto
real top hp 327 or any inc 2 barrels ? 283's too ?
what year
what trim
what options all power with a/c or striped ?

[sugarwood]

Do you know a ballpark price history with actual numbers for any given car ?
Pick one, I am sure all prices correlate.
I want to know when 60s car prices were high and low, starting with 1990.

[nota]

google auction results ?

[ted]

A 70.5 Z28 has more muscle than a 66 Mustang.
But its fun running 14s in the 1/4 mile.
I have 3 Camaros get one have some fun.

[J P Stein]

I'm a hot rodder......even when I was a Porsche wonk. Not sure if is nature or nurture but don't spend a lot of time worrying about it.

I "build" cars to my tastes alone. I like cars that handle & go like hell......but not at the expense of handling. A big lump up front is (to my way of thinking) is counterproductive to the handling end. Porsches cost too much for this retired fella.

I owned a 67 GT500 years back. That big lump (428) up front made it plow like a Kansas farmer.......yet folks now pay over $100K regularly for those pigs. Go figure. Taint like they are long hood 911s, eh?

I check into the OT forum here a couple times a day just to read what other folks have to say and enjoy it. The same cannot be said for the "muscle car" forums....80+% of that is drivel written by idiots....., waded thru seeking any gold that may be there. Generally, these are HP orientated but most guys are apparently decent drivers that try to spend a minimum of time wrapped around telephone poles.



I do dislike categorizing cars as muscle cars, pro street, pro street, restro mods, pony cars, yada ....

That said, prices are rising......even for the old cars that were a POS when they were new and are a POS now. Can I interest you in a fully restored 1958 Buick Roadmaster? Can it last?

[slow&rusty]

This is a great deal I think, given the trend in prices:
Drivable Project: 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 | Bring a Trailer

[creaturecat]

This was my favourite pony car. Circa 1973.
Buddy weaselled it out of me. He still owns it.
It be expensive these days.
The original side exit exhaust is still in the bush, by my parent's old house.
I did have a couple of 70.5 Z-28's, amongst many others.