[techweenie]

The "they" who have "pushed out the poor enthusiast" are the rich enthusiasts.

Most nostalgic car purchases are some sort of 'living well is the best revenge' scenario where the car you (and maybe even your dad) could not afford when you were young & full of sap is yours now because you can write the check. I like to say a lot of these guys are trying to buy back their flat bellies and the hair on their heads (Barrett-Jackson bidders, especially).

Porsches seem to have been late to the party in appreciation, but in fact, I saw a particular '73 911S seven years ago that the owner had turned down a $130K offer for. The top end of the market for the 911S hasn't changed that much, in my view. But the broader market has become savvy about them, and that's reflected in auction prices. The Internet has made a lot of car collectors aware of overlooked marques. Because a lot of 'investment advisors' are just learning about 911s, some cars that a collector might reject for various inaccuracies are now bringing strong prices at auction. (a 911S said to have the wrong engine sold for over $160K last August)

Beyond the 911S, of course, is the Carrera RS, and those numbers are going berserk -- with asking prices over half a million now.

One more note: muscle cars appeal to Europeans. Just visit the outbound cargo yards of the container shipping companies and it's wall to wall Mustangs, Camaros, Firebirds and Challengers...