Classic Classified: 1983 Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds

From: Hemmings Motor News
Date: March 1989
Price then: $11,500 ($22,000 adjusted for inflation – about the cost of a new 2015 Chevrolet Malibu today)
Price now: $8,400 – $27,800
Approximate dollar difference: $5,800 (assuming No. 1 condition)
Approximate annual rate of return: .09%

Hurst Olds: 1983, excellent condition, T-tops, burgundy interior, full power, $11,500.

Since 1983 was the 15th anniversary of the first Hurst Shifters’ pairing with Oldsmobile for the famous Hurst/Olds, it was only natural that the two companies collaborate again. A limited run of these Hurst models received special graphics, aero kit, exhaust and the radical looking “Lightning Rod” shifter, making this an instant collectible. When this car appeared in Hemmings, it was only six years old and nearly half of the original $19,500 MSRP ($46,700 in today’s money) – and still depreciating. This is a perfect case to show that even instant collectibles aren’t immune to depreciation and can take years or even decades to fully recover their value.