25 cars that collectors seem to be ignoring

The Hagerty Vehicle Rating uses insurance activity, auction results, and private sales activity of hundreds of models of classic and modern vehicles in order to determine which vehicles are outperforming the collector car market as a whole. The latest dive into the numbers has revealed that quite a few cars we still consider highly collectible are now finding their way to the bottom of the ranking. What can we take away from this?

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at the bottom 25 is that there aren’t any real duds. All are desirable coupes, roadsters, muscle cars, and beautifully styled classics. Just take a look at that list: you have British, German, Italian, and American cars from the ’50s to the ’80s, and each one would be a welcome addition to nearly any collector’s stable. What gives?

1970 Pontiac GTO front 3/4 blue
1970 Pontiac GTO Mecum

In the case of the second-generation Pontiac GTO, values have remained rock solid over the last several years, while other muscle cars have continued to climb. Of course, the most desirable versions of GTO, like the Judge, are beginning to push upward, which might mean that the market is passing up garden-variety Goats and is only interested in the rarities.

The same can be said about C4 Corvettes. The standard LT-1-powered coupes and convertibles are holding their value, but the Grand Sports are getting all the attention. Likewise, the Plymouth GTX and Dodge Challenger have both taken a back seat in comparison to the Road Runner and ’Cuda, respectively, although they’re both desirable, restorable, and collectible. Oddly enough, both were also the budget versions of the B-body and E-body compared to the luxurious GTX and longer-wheelbase Challenger.

1968 Shelby GT350 Convertible drivers side red
1968 Shelby GT350 Convertible Mecum

The real lesson, it seems, is that the Hagerty Vehicle Rating does a pretty good job of finding which vehicles are tearing up the market, but even the vehicles that are cooling down clearly aren’t bad cars and not necessarily bad buys. If you’re a fan of the Big Three and you’d like to add some variety to your stable, you still can’t go wrong with a GTO, a GTX, and a GT350.

Vehicle
1972-1980 Mercedes-Benz 350SL / 450SL 7
1962-1969 MG MGB 11
1968-1972 Pontiac GTO 11
1976-1989 Porsche 911 Carrera (Turbo 930) 12
1963-1971 Mercedes-Benz 230SL 13
1984-1996 Chevrolet Corvette 14
1950-1953 MG TD 15
1965-1969 Chevrolet Corvair 15
1954-1956 Oldsmobile 88 16
1965-1970 Shelby GT350 16
1966-1970 Oldsmobile Toronado 16
1968-1970 Plymouth GTX 16
1955-1962 Triumph TR3 17
1970-1974 Dodge Challenger 17
1964-1965 Ford Falcon 18
1965-1970 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special 18
1965-1970 Oldsmobile 88 18
1965-1970 Oldsmobile 98 18
1985-1989 Ferrari 328 GTB / GTS 18
1953-1960 Austin-Healey 100 19
1955-1957 Ford Thunderbird 19
1978-1995 Porsche 928 19
1966-1967 Dodge Charger 20
1967-1970 Shelby GT500 20
1959-1967 Austin-Healey 3000 21
1967-1970 Mercury Cougar 21
1969-1973 Porsche 911 21
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