So when is this muscle car bubble going to burst? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Hatterasguy · #1 01-19-2008, 02:51 PM

Have you seen the prices these things are fetching!

Its insane, what are these things made out of gold or something! I think once the baby boomers start to get into the homes the values on these things are going to tank. Its baby boomers with huge check books that want to relive there highschool years that are driving this market.

How much you want to bet that in 20 years you can get a Shelby GT350 Mustang for $40k-$50k?

catmandoo62 · #2 01-19-2008, 03:05 PM

well i still have my 66ss chevelle i had in high school so they ain't getting them prices out of me!

BodhiBenz1987 · #3 01-19-2008, 04:06 PM

It's beyond me why a man who can afford a Rolls Royce would want to buy an American muscle car for that kind of money. Then again, I'm the worst offender when it comes to sappy nostalgia, so I probably shouldn't question it. To each his own ... I'd rather have a cherry 240D than something that smacks of leisure suites and mullets.

LUVMBDiesels · #4 01-19-2008, 04:12 PM

I don't know if it is a bubble. As you said it is baby boomers with big check books driving the prices up. I remember a few years ago I was able to buy a 1967 GTO convertible for 3800. Granted it was an automatic, but it was still a RAM AIR car... Now they are heading past six figures.

I think you will only see prices drop if one of these things happen.

1) Gas becomes hard to get and very expensive. I am talking MAD MAX availability for gas not 1974 gas shortages.

2) Inflation goes up through the roof and baby boomers living on stocks run out of money

3) The last baby boomer drops dead

4) World wide depression like in the 1930's

Otherwise you are looking at a generation of people who have tons of disposable cash (probably the last ones to be so lucky), think they are going to live forever and are obsessed with recapturing their youth. Watch for prices on VW buses to go through the roof soon...

It is getting so bad that second string muscle cars (Mercury Marauders, AMC Javelins) and the like are shooting up fast. Even the station wagons they rode around in as kids are now worth big dinero.

This stinks for us collectors on a budget...

t walgamuth · #5 01-19-2008, 06:29 PM

The prices may level off or even drop some but to fall precipitously seems unlikely.

Some individual cars which have sold for disproportinately high values may drop back to the same as all the other similar cars, of course.

Tom W

rickg · #6 01-19-2008, 07:34 PM

The same question was in all the car mag's back in the 80's, when prices in these cars were rising fast. It did slow, and even go back down for awhile. It's a trend. It'll always fluctuate, but have a generally upward trend, like any antique or collectable.
Make my brother and I wish we'd hung onto a few past rides.

He had a few nice ones, like a '66 Mustang GT and a '64 Falcon Sprint. I really regret selling my '67 Chrysler 300. None of them were Hemi Cuda's, but still going way up in value.

Hatterasguy · #7 01-19-2008, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTUpower

The muscle car prices peak was about four years ago actually. They've dropped about 40% since then.

Shows you how close I watch the market then!

I can't imagin spending over $100k on a car unless its from Europe and amazingly fast. I just fail to see how they can go for so much and really, really nice pre WW2 cars are cheaper.

mwood · #8 01-19-2008, 08:30 PM

The top 4 or 5 cars in the BJ auction are Shelby's. Caroll just turned 85, the man is a racing legend and won't be around much longer. Those cars will only appreciate over time, the Shelby Cobra that went for 600k will be worth a million in 3 or 4 years; not a bad investment.

engatwork · #9 01-20-2008, 09:46 AM

Quote:

How much you want to bet that in 20 years you can get a Shelby GT350 Mustang for $40k-$50k?

I don't think you will ever see this. Keep in mind that the people paying these prices consider this their "hobby" for the most part and the amount of money they put into it is not of that much concern to them. They obviously have some pretty deep pockets. I have a friend that attended B-J this year and he only took $1,000,000 with him to spend. I have not spoken with him since the auction ended so who knows what he picked up.

The Shelby cars will go up alot when Mr. Shelby passes.

I think the high prices reflect the devaluation of the dollar as much as anything else.

TheDon · #10 01-20-2008, 10:49 AM

all I want is a Buick Grand National GNX... droool

waybomb · #11 01-20-2008, 11:02 AM

When are waterfront property values going to burst?

There's only so much waterfront.
ther's also only so many muscle cars. Their values will go up and down, but mostly up over the long haul.

nate300d · #12 01-20-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDon

all I want is a Buick Grand National GNX... droool

you, too

One of the coooooooolest GM products ever made. But then to me the Grand National is more of a sleeper......I love sleepers.

Hatterasguy · #13 01-26-2008, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waybomb

When are waterfront property values going to burst?

There's only so much waterfront.
ther's also only so many muscle cars. Their values will go up and down, but mostly up over the long haul.

Nice shot, but I can see the demand for muscle cars changing thats my argument, I cannot see the demand for waterfront changing.

Waterfront property has been valuable for many thousands of years, so its got a pretty good trend going that I would be pretty comfortable banking on.

I suspect that once the baby boomers die off you will see whats happening to the brass era cars.

waybomb · #14 01-26-2008, 10:49 PM

You probably never had a muscle car or drove one. There's plenty of young kids today that would love to get their hands on a hemi cuda, an LS7 Chevelle, a Boss 429 etc. Someday they'll have the money to have one.

Hatterasguy · #15 01-26-2008, 10:57 PM

I have only driven a totaly stock 68 Mustang with the small V8, 289?

Then my Uncles totaly not stock, stroked 351, 69 fastback with full Shelby everything. That car is scary fast, more so when you try to stop or turn.

But in a straight line it will slam you back in your seat.

Fun yeah, but not worth hundreds of thousands. $50k yeah sure, $100k, maybe. $200k+ NFW.

I'd like to do a late 60's Mustang next, I'll probably do one of those before another MB.