[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by madcorgi

But the biggest thing, by far, is the emotions and demographics of the folks who buy these cars. Those of us who remember when the cars were new and we were a lot younger. We happen to be in or approaching our peak earning years, when we can afford things that take us back in time--like much younger blonde girlfriends/second wives and aircooled 911s.

Time will come when we all die off, and a whole new generation of "flat six classics fans" (996, 997, and 991) will replace us as the bulge in the enthusiast's python. Air cooled guys will be a distant second place, and 356 fans will be there hardly at all.

Originally Posted by sugarwood

Was scarcity also a factor when 60's muscle crashed 50% in price ?
After all, they aren't making any more of these either.

Not very often when you see an answer come before a question in consecutive posts! This is the crux of the issue- the generation that really loved these 911s has money to spend, and they will overspend to relive their youth. It's entirely generational, and is the exact same thing that pushed muscle cars into crazytown. Muscle cars are dropping like stones for the exact same reason- the guys spending crazy money for 911s don't want a muscle car. There's a degree of hype as well, people start thinking that they have to buy NOW while they still can becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy and drives the prices higher still.

As a guy who has had multiple fixer-upper Porsches dictated by my limited budget, it does make me sad. Generally speaking these have appreciated beyond the realm of an enthusiast who wants to drive his 911 during the week and tinker on the weekend. Hell, they have appreciated beyond the price range of most enthusiasts period. Unlike muscle cars, which I've always found better to look at than drive, it's a real shame that so many of these cars are going into collections where they won't be enjoyed as the great driving cars that they are.