The 3 Keys to Buying an Affordable Classic Car in 2025

Plymouth

There were days when $50 got you a running and driving car. I do not remember that era in automotive retailing, but I do remember when $500 was all you needed for a car that started, stopped, and steered. The sad reality of our modern times is that either of those amounts is akin to payments made on a heavily depreciated vehicle at a Buy Here Pay Here used car dealership. A few search hits confirm the trend: guess which of these is a running and driving vehicle with an out-the-door price of $1000?

(It’s the Buick Minivan, but the transaxle is dying.)Facebook Marketplace

It gets even worse with classic, specialty, or antique vehicles. The days of cheap muscle cars tapered away as the prevalence of televised auctions hit its stride. Nostalgia paired with online auction houses, and hashtags on social media ensures that yesterday’s Japanese icons appreciate like the Mopars of yesteryear. Squarebody/Old-Body-Style Chevy trucks are worth their weight in gold. Exaggerations perhaps, but the truth isn’t too far away.

Perhaps I shouldn’t preach to the classic car-loving choir that is the Hagerty Community. Instead, I offer an alternative, as there are three keys to finding an affordable classic that will bring far more smiles per gallon than anything else on the market.

Pick A Volume Brand That Died

Plymouth

The key word is “volume” in terms of sales, because DeLoreans do not count. Be it a Saturn Relay minivan doing battle with a Toyota Sienna on Facebook Marketplace, or a posh Packard Carribean Coupe battling a hard-loaded Chevy Bel Air, the brands lost to the sands of time generally struggle to find buyers at competitive prices. But because they were made in volume, these orphans can still have a large amount of spare parts available for cost-effective classic motoring.

And if you’re lucky, restoration parts made for more desirable counterparts (i.e. Fox Body Mustang parts often work on Fox Body Mercuries!) can keep them running with ease. Plymouth is a great example of a dead brand with modest name recognition outside of the muscle cars it offered and the Prowler.

Be it a Reliant for Radwood, a Post-War Deluxe, or even some of their offerings under the Fury nameplate, you are almost guaranteed a fun old car for a fraction of the transaction prices of other, more popular automobiles that competed with Plymouth.

Choose Forgotten Eras In Automotive History

Plymouth

Several eras of the automobile could say that time has passed them by, with little to no interest outside of a few rock star models. Everyone knows Charlie Chaplin from the silent movie era, but who here fondly remembers Tom Mix? There will be a fanbase, but the size shall be smaller.

The same applies to cars. Post War Icons like the ponton-styled, Shoe Box Ford from 1949 is one of the most recognizable automobiles from an era very few folks remember. But Ford didn’t operate in a vacuum, and one of its competitors will soon be discussed in further detail.

Only Seek Four Doors

Plymouth

Coupes generally sell for more money than other body styles, but a handful of classic station wagons are either more desirable (count the number of Facebook groups with the word “longroof” in their names) or flat-out more valuable in our CUV-saturated daily lives. Exceptions like the BMW M5, Chevrolet Impala SS, or the 1960s Lincoln Continental may break the mold, but four-door sedans play second fiddle in terms of desirability.

Sedans are so unpopular that even the Hagerty Valuation Tool doesn’t always carry the four-door version of a given model. And when you find two- and four-door configurations listed together, expect the one with fewer doors to go for thousands more. Longtime readers of Murilee Martin will also find confirmation in his years of junkyard hunting. He’s documented a depressing number of discarded classic sedans, as their value is rarely high enough from scrap metal to justify restoration.

Case In Point…

What we have here is a keychain with all three of the keys I recommend for purchasing an affordable classic car. Hagerty’s valuation team says a 1950 Plymouth P20 Deluxe Four Door Sedan in #1 (concours) condition is worth a mere $19,100. I’ve seen Fox Body Mustangs and diesel OBS Chevys in questionable condition fetch nearly that much!

The same Plymouth sedan in #4 condition—which means a driver-condition car with some fixable flaws—is a mere $4000. I suggest this is the rule, not the exception: sedans from dead brands in the Malaise Era (Oldsmobile), Radwood (Merkur), and the famous Edsel all have similar levels of value discrepancies. You’d be lucky to get a handful of parts for a Mid-Year Corvette for the price of a Plymouth in #4 condition.

1950 Plymouth P20 Deluxe Four Door Sedan
Hagerty Marketplace | John_Juneau

As of this writing, this 1950 Plymouth Deluxe sedan is going for $4,600 on the Hagerty Marketplace, with eight days left on the auction. As you can see in the detailed photos, it presents as a solid #3 or #2 car from most angles, with honest amounts of wear that show a well-lived life. The paint has some flaws, the steering wheel definitely needs reconditioning, and the radio needs help from an experienced automotive electrician.

Hagerty valuation
Hagerty

Here’s the valuation report that is included with the Hagerty Marketplace auction, and it proves that my three keys to affordable classic ownership hold true. And not just today, either—to its detriment, the car community has ignored vehicles like this appealing little Plymouth for a long time.

Perhaps you may get lucky and score a 1949 Ford, or more optimistically, a 1955 Chevy within these price categories, but that’s not something everyone can take to the bank. I’d suggest nobody can, but feel free to prove me wrong in the comments. I am pretty confident that my three keys are a great way to enter and afford this hobby for a reasonable sum. And the more people that recognize this, the larger and stronger our collective hobby will become.

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Comments

    I have a 1968 Chevelle Malibu 4-door post. It has 230 inline 6, powerglide, manual brakes, and manual steering, and only 35,000 documented miles at the time of purchase from the original owner (family member) in 2007. Adjusted for inflation, the price was $3,025 in today’s money. NO ONE wanted a 4 door Chevelle in 2007. Very few folks want one today.

    Exactly the issue described here. Buddy of mine in college (mid 90s) bought a 68 Malibu post sedan with a 307 and a powerglide for $1000 (if I recall correctly). It was literally brand new, as the first owner had plastic seat covers and religiously maintained it.

    These cars are only worth money as donor cars for a coupe that can be made into an SS clone. It’s a shame.

    I get you point, and I basically agree – but – if someone rescues a 4-door Malibu to clone it into a 2-door SS, it’s STILL being rescued, and that’s a good thing IMHO. Yes, there are lots of “less desirable” classics out there that DO deserve more love, but I hate to condemn someone who even just uses them as parts cars. They are putting old iron back on the road, after all, even if the shape is somewhat different than original. Sad? Yeah, a little. But “a shame”? Nah, that’s going a bit too far in my mind.

    That’s a fair point. For me it’s still a shame that more people can’t appreciate base/luxury models in the same numbers that they like the performance models. I’ll take a 1970 Torino Brougham over a GT any day, but I know the Brougham is basically a donor car for most folks. And that makes me sad.

    But you are right, any car that is saved in some way from the scrapped is a win for the community!

    One of my buddies is resto-modding a ’67 Chevelle, but he’s doing it pure budget. A sedan supplied the front clip, an ElCo supplied bumpers, etc, but he kept the 4 door in case we wanted it. He only wants $1500 for a roller with no front clip or bumpers. Whereas when his 2-door was in the same condition, someone offered $5k. It’s wild to me that people would rather have a car that, although lighter, has less room for everything.

    Yea but..do you really want it? Getting involved sounds good on paper however an old car takes work and if it’s not something you really feel any desire for, may fall by the wayside. Some of my favorite cars remind me of a movie called ‘Shenandoah’. Jimmy Stewart asks a young suitor who wants to marry his daughter – ” Do you like her?” – ” I love her sir ” – “Well you said that. But do you like her? I didn’t love her mother at first. That..then came later… But I liked her a lot .” Find a car that you like rather than a it’s a ‘good enough’ starting point. You may come to love her. On the other hand, if it’s love at first sight – “It’s a sad day when a man marries a woman he doesn’t like. The nights grow cold and contempt rises with the sun.”

    I agree; there’s something charming about almost any humble, modest old car, but to keep one alive just for the sake of having something old? Now, if Taylor Swift would ever decide to start driving a 4-door 1950 Plymouth, an owner just hit the jackpot!
    Granted, for some hobbyists, the more obscure it is, the greater the logistic and technical challenges to keep running, but for the rest of us, who would enjoy spending more time on the road, rather than the garage, it may be more rewarding to find something in a popular, highest-production-volume platform, such as a plain, patina-ed mint-green ’55 Chevy 210 4-door sedan survivor, and take advantage of the volumes of literature, large community, and availability of shared mechanisms and aftermarket drivetrain/suspension components common to the more-desirable, flashy 2-tone, 2-door Bel Air hardtop, for instance.

    There are a lot more look-a-like cars in every era than we often talk about.

    If you like the derby-hat looking early 50s cars, and don’t mind a 4-door then sure you aren’t going to get much cheaper than a Plymouth. 4-doors in a lot of the more-common GM stuff aren’t always big bucks either though and your 52 Chev base model 4-door has aftermarket support (some of the bones of an early Vette after all).

    Studebaker you join the Driver’s Club and learn there are lots of parts and connections for that still even though they aren’t a volume brand. But do the research, a Desoto 4-door missing a door might be a years-long hassle to get fixed.

    Stacked quad headlights appeal to my wife. Generally she picks out Pontiacs as “Oh I like that one”, but there are Fairlanes, AMCs, Cadillacs, etc. that might tick that style box. Shoppers under 40 are far less brand-sensitive as my father’s generation was a few decades ago.

    Someone else’s lovingly kept/restored car is probably a better buy for most people than a beat “driver quality” version that ends up costing 4x as much to not be as good as the turnkey nice car you could have bought. If you don’t know how to fix it or what stuff costs, buy a better one. Quite a few times I’ve seen people buy “projects” that are clearly parts cars at best and they never get done.

    Finding the oddballs that don’t have the same love as the popular cars is definitely key. I’ve been doing some looking at a few modern-ish cars that are fun from back in the day for a possible later purchase.

    Figure out what the collector community doesn’t like and buy one of them. Sure, 4 doors is an easy target, but I would bet good examples of Allantes and 944s can be found for under 10K without much effort. Post-rubber bumper C3 is another example

    My first car was an all original 63 Galaxie 4 door. $500 from an old woman. Her husband bought it new snd only drove it summers and 70k miles.

    Not the first choice by a GM fan but a solid car. It was black and with a set of Goodyear Eagles on black spoked Ansen wheels from the 60’s it made a good looking good driving ride.

    It also was very stealth as you could be 20 over the speed limit and no one ever paid attention. On the other hand my Chevelle SS could be 20 mph below the limit and I would get followed by the police.

    I had it two trouble free years and sold it gor twice what I paid for it.

    Not Cobra money but it was fun. No regrets.

    Just avoid really really odd cars as they can be difficult to sell even cheap.

    I have four 1963 Ford 4-drs. One is a Ford 300 police car. The second one is a Galaxie that was an FBI car with the 390 Police Interceptor. The third one is a Galaxie 500 sedan with a factory 390 and 4-speed. The last one is a Galaxie 500 XL (hardtop) with a factory 390 and 4-speed. Who says 4-dr cars aren’t fun?

    I’m an old ford guy.But,to
    Many mustangs out there.Bought a 1965 ford farelane 500 2 door hardtop.65 is a one off year and parts can be hard to come by.But I liked this car from the start.so no hurry it will get done sooner or later.Point is my desire after 3 years is still there.

    One major word of advice. If you look to the orphan market make sure to buy the best one you can find. Or one that needs genersl things like paint or share parts.

    To find parts for sedans and odd models is very difficult to in some cases near impossible. Also with less and less junk yards you may be forced to search msny swap meets and web sites. This can get expensive.

    So take your time and avoid cars in great need of missing parts.

    Having had several cars like this I have learned.

    Also watch rare cars like one year models. Even a car like a 1988 Fiero some of the one years suspension parts are near impossible to find. A parts bin car is much better as many Desoto’s shared Plymouth and Dodge parts.

    I agree with this. The dead brands can yield some great cars. However, for myself, I chose specific cars that have become problematic as far as parts availability. My 88 Fiero GT, Solstice GXP Coupe and Saturn Sky Red Line are becoming impossible to find parts for.

    I have a 4D 67 Pontiac Tempest with original paint, interior. 38K when I bought it in 2010, 53K now. Car is well received at the local shows, even at POCI event I took it to. The 4D “stigma” isn’t near what it used to be

    Imagine pulling in at Sick Week with Two booster seats in the back. My dad always says they are worth 0.1 seconds a piece.

    Check out the Tom Mix museum in Dewey OK the next time you’re in town for the Gathering at the Roc or StrayKat 500

    There’s a young man in Traverse City who uses a late 40’s model Plymouth as his daily driver. It’s extremely cool.

    It’s a shame four doors in the collector market get such a bad rap. I have been messing with old cars all my life. The true collector or even a kinda car person should appreciate a nice old car. The value is a moving target based on the car and the buyers desire. I own a 65 Ford Galaxie 500 sedan with 33K original miles a true survivor looks like it was made yesterday #1 concours. I would put it up against a smaller Chevelle coupe any day.

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