This Week on Hagerty Marketplace: American Icons

Welcome to This Week on Hagerty Marketplace, a recurring recap of the previous week’s most noteworthy cars and significant sales from the Hagerty Marketplace online auctions.

We’ve highlighted oddballs, pickups, 4x4s, and convertibles in our weekly charts of the Hagerty Marketplace. This time, we’ve picked three of the most recognizable classics from mid-century America that recently found new homes. Sometimes, creased and curved sheet metal, V-8 power, and a bit of chrome are all you need.

1955 Cadillac Coupe de Ville

Sale Price: $48,418

Cadillac may have been flashier in the ‘30s thanks to its lavish V-16 touring cars, but its 1950s and 1960s models offered gorgeous styling that served as a vanguard for the rest of the American automotive industry. Their designs still look amazing today. The 1955 Coupe de Ville featured understated opulence, and subdued fins still showed their P-38 Lightning roots before large fins took over. Inside, intricate trim and lush fabrics set it apart from more pedestrian models in GM’s lineup.

This sleek hardtop is powered by Cadillac’s 331-cubic-inch V-8 and a single four-barrel carburetor, good for 250 hp and 345 lb-ft of torque for effortless highway cruising. Its recent restoration with only a few minor flaws accounts for a sale price just above its #2 (Excellent) value of $45,200. We especially love its Cobalt blue paint and complementary blue and green interior featuring plenty of polished trim and textured upholstery.

1965 Ford Mustang Coupe

Sale Price: $15,515

While 1965 Mustangs are an iconic design and are still desirable collectibles, Ford made hundreds of thousands of them, and plenty of the run-of-the-mill ponies are affordable despite their stunning looks. This sale comes in a bit below the #3 (Good) value of a 1965 Mustang coupe equipped with a 200-horse 289 V-8 and a three-speed auto, which is currently $19,530.

We’ve seen a bit of a slump in vintage Mustang values lately, with the 1965 model dipping 10 percent from this time last year. The lower-power 289 two-barrel models are less desirable to collectors than the performance-oriented models equipped with the 271hp K-Code 289, although as this nearly all-original example can attest, an intake swap is a minor affair and can certainly help bridge the gap in power. Finished in classic Wimbledon White, this is practically the archetypal 1965 Mustang and a great example of the breed. Refreshed in 2017, it seems to have all the makings of a fantastic weekend driver and an excellent addition, or start, to any classic vehicle collection.

1957 Chevrolet 210 Sport Coupe

Sale Price: $35,360

The 1957 Chevy’s instantly recognizable fins are a blend of rather understated sheet metal and outrageously bold trim. The Bel Air was the most ostentatious, featuring a brash stainless-steel wedge of trim on the flanks. The mid-range 210 model had a similar shape but with paint to offset the polished molding. The base 150 model, with straight molding that more closely resembles a 1955 Chevy, seems like a completely different car entirely, despite sharing quarter panel topography with the rest of the 1957 Chevy lineup.

This 210 hardtop model is finished in Canyon Coral and contrasting white, featuring paint from a restoration in 2000 that is still looking fresh. Even the undercarriage appears clean. It’s powered by a 283 small-block V-8 topped with a single two-barrel carburetor and backed by a two-speed Powerglide automatic.

Its sale price at Hagerty Marketplace places it between #2 (Excellent) and #3 (Good) value, reflecting its solid restoration with just a few flaws showing after 25 years of service. With a combination of restored original parts and classic two-tone paint, this ’57 hardtop is the quintessential ‘50s cruiser to transport the driver and passengers back to the ‘50s.