| INTRO |
| BUY |
| SELL |
| HOLD |
Dow Jones Investment-Car Index
BUY Photos may not be of exact model listed.
| Car Name | Typical Price/High Price | Last Five Years | Last 10 Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT | $8,900/$11,800 | -14% | +11% |  |
| This curvy Italian two-door is less famous than the Alfa Spider (see: "The Graduate") and more widely available. Alfa expert Donald Osborne says it's overlooked, and thinks good examples should be going for closer to $15,000. | ||||
| 1968 American Motors AMX | $10,600/$16,300 | +28% | +33% |  |
| Fast U.S. cars from the '60s are hot--except, so far, for this one. Collectors may give stubby coupe a second look as prices of other muscle cars rise out of reach. (Photo: www.moparpicturebook.com) | ||||
| 1970 BMW 2002 | $4,925/$6,800 | +37% | +11% |  |
| The first sport sedan, some say, the 2002 had a smaller engine than muscle cars of the day but was fun to drive. Rust has made good specimens increasingly rare. | ||||
| 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible | $11,800/$21,900 | +28% | +69% |  |
| When safety concerns stalled U.S. convertible market, this gaudy Caddy was last of a breed. Nostalgia for '70s kitsch may spur prices. Add 10% for D'Elegance trim package, says NADA's Classic, Collectible and Special Interest Car Appraisal Guide. | ||||
| 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Monza coupe | $4,575/$5,225 | +43% | +100% |  |
| Blame Ralph Nader's "Unsafe at Any Speed": Mint versions of cute, criticized Corvair cost about as much in today's dollars as they did in '65. They can hardly go down. | ||||
| 1971 Datsun 240Z | $9,300/$16,200 | +18% | +195% |  |
| Long-nosed early "Z cars" were the poor-man's Jaguar or Corvette. Many expected vintage car fans to bite by now, but rust-driven rarity could still push prices up. | ||||
| 1972 DeTomaso Pantera | $25,500/$34,200 | +9% | +2.4% |  |
| Italy's DeTomaso started with exotic, Ferrariesque bodies, then added Ford V8 engines, making its cars less hassle to maintain than other Italian imports.(Photo: www.1motormart.com) | ||||
| 1985 Ferrari 412i Coupe (5-speed) | $28,000/$37,200 | -42% | -50% |  |
| Four-seater has angular 1980s styling--think Chevy Malibu. This is as cheap as a fast, 12-cylinder Ferrari gets, and '80s design keeps getting hotter. | ||||
| 1970 Ford Boss 302 Mustang | $31,300/$49,200 | +42% | +77% |  |
| Racing history is catnip to collectors, and the "Boss" has it. These beat Camaros and Barracudas in Trans-Am races 35 years ago. Experts say prices could still rise. | ||||
| 1970 International Scout a-ton | $5,875/$9,100 | +50% | +99% |  |
| Now, even pickups and SUVs are getting bid up. But these boxy, unadorned proto-SUVs were work vehicles; it's tough to find one that isn't beat up. | ||||
| 1970 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser | $6,875/$12,150 | +102% | +183% |  |
| A vintage station wagon? Its no muscle car, but models like the Vista, with clear roof panels, are gaining a following. Also see: Ford Country Squire, Dodge Monaco. (Photo: www.1motormart.com) | ||||
| 1964 Pontiac GTO convertible | $24,200/$34,100 | +30% | +65% |  |
| Some call it the first muscle car--born when Pontiac's John DeLorean stuck a huge engine into a compact two-door. Prices for later GTO models are already soaring. | ||||
| 1963 Studebaker Avanti R-1 | $14,150/$20,700 | +19% | +27% |  |
| Industrial designer Raymond Loewy was famous for furniture, and it shows in the chaise-on-wheels Avanti. The oh-so-early-'60s look should have upside. | ||||
Copyright © 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
We have a couple of reasons for posting this link here today. This is the Dow Jones Investment Car Index. It is a listing of 50 cars:
"Our 50 noteworthy cars represent a swath of the collector market, focusing on cars available in large enough quantities that buyers stand a chance at finding one. Based on conversations with collectors, brokers, appraisers, car clubs, museum curators and other experts, we rated each a buy, sell or hold."
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-invcar04.html
We have posted the 'buy' page of that index. You can scroll down through the list of cars to find the two items that are of interest to us here.
The first item of interest that you will see is the 1970 BMW 2002. It is a recommended 'buy', since 'typical' models have shown an appreciation of 37% over the last 5 years, and 11% over the last 10. So that is good news for '02 owners out there. Of course, any Car Guy with a pulse probably knew this already, especially anyone who has looked into buying a 2002 lately.
The second item of interest here---- and the REAL reason we posted this---- is the car listed immediately after the BMW 2002: the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible.
Why on earth is Baurspotting interested in the Eldorado, you may be asking yourself!
;)
Well that is not just any Cadillac Eldorado. That is the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible! That particular Cadillac is an historical artifact, a product of its times, much like the BMW Baur.
In fact, in our discussions of the BMW Baur as an historical artifact, a product of its times, we have frequently cited this very Cadillac Eldorado as part of our argument!
In the late 1970's, you may recall, the automobile industry was very concerned that the US Government, among others, might institute a ban on convertibles, due to increasing concerns about safety, particularly rollover safety. Manufacturers around the world, in full expectation of this ban, stopped building convertibles altogether. Baurspotting has often cited the the 1976 Cadillac Convertible as the last American factory convertible of that era. As you can see, The Wall Street Journal agrees with us. The much-feared convertible ban never actually materialized, the storm passed, and factory convertible production resumed in the mid-1980s.
It was this same safety controversy, and the same historical period, that gave rise to the BMW/Baur collaboration that gave the world first the 2002 Baur Cabrio Targa (1971-76), followed by the E21 Baur Top Cabriolet (TC1 1976-83), and the E30 Baur Top Cabriolet (TC2 1984-91). The BMW/Baur Top Cabriolet collaboration diminished with the introduction by BMW of its own factory cabriolet in 1987 (also designed by Baur, incidentally), but it did continue with a one-off TC3, and a limited number of E36 Top Cabriolets (TC4 1992-96).
So why are we posting it here? Well, it is nice to see the following statement in a prestigious publication like The Wall Street Journal, confirming and supporting what we have said:
"When safety concerns stalled U.S. convertible market, this gaudy Caddy was last of a breed."
So, you see, we weren't just making that up.
:)
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