What Used Car Under $20,000 Today Could Be Worth A Fortune In 40 Years?

"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass) 10/10/2016 at 23:17 • Filed to: JAGUAR

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Not my neighbor’s E-Type. I’ve only seen it covered in his garage. His is clearly an E-Type, but I have no idea what kind of shape it is in.

Ran into a neighbor while walking the dogs tonight and started chatting about his 1966 E-Type. Turns out he bought it in 1971 for $2800. Adjusted for inflation that is a little under $20,000 today. A good condition E-Type can now fetch over $100k. It got me thinking, what late-model cars that can be picked up for around $20k right now might explode in value?

It’s hard to believe now, but the E-Type wasn’t a particularly pricey car when it was new. Inflation-adjusted it was something like $50,000 new. You can’t even get into an F-Type for that now. There are other contemporary examples to the E-Type: for instance a loaded Pontiac GTO Judge sold for around the same price new. With so many muscle cars around in the late 1960's, I’m sure several changed hands for a pretty low price before people realized that the era was about to end. Today clean ones are worth $50k to $250k depending on options.

It’s hard to imagine something that sold new recently in the $50-70k range that can be picked up for $20k now going up in value. Sports cars and muscle cars from the 1960's feel like a unique example, because emissions regs came in and killed them and nobody realized until the late 1970's that they weren’t coming back any time soon. There is a more recent trending example, though: the Supra MkIV Turbo. Around the time The Fast and the Furious came out, you could probably have picked one of these up for $20k. Now, they are asking $50k to $100k if they haven’t been modified poorly or wrapped around a tree. There is a very good change this could be a bubble. In another 20 years they might all be sub-$5k beaters. But it shows that things more recent than the 1960's could have been bought for cheap and actually gone up in value, even if it is just temporarily and fueled in part by a popular movie.

So what say you, Oppo? Is there anything more recent, let’s say 2000 or newer, that you can pick up for $20k today that is ready to be an expensive classic 40-50 years down the road if you keep the miles off of it?

I’m thinking that special-editions will probably be the most-likely candidates here rather than entire model lines, though sales duds that had some unique feature that was either the first or last of something might do it. Maybe one of the few Gold SportWargen TDI’s that escaped before Dieselgate and doesn’t get sold back. A few contenders are floating through my head.

BMW i3. Fast forward 40 years, when gasoline cars have been outlawed and all cars look like spaceships, we’ll be regretting how we made fun of these so much. The counterpoint, of course, is that there are too many of them out there for the value to really go up. Values will also probably keep going down for a while, but right now you can pick up a nice one for $20k and let it sit.

Lancer Evolution MR. The race car for the street seems to play well for the future. Production was high enough that prices are reasonable, but not so low that people aren’t going to drive the ones that are out there. Basically in 40 years 90% of them will be hooned to death. Also, prices seem to already be bottoming out at around $20k for anything that is in reasonable condition. This one here is listed at $21,500 with 64,000 miles. It’s an ‘08, but they have basically stayed unchanged from then until the final ones this year.

2010-2011 Saab 9-5. These could end up being worthless. Or maybe someone will revive Saab in 20 years, turn it into a powerhouse brand, and people will be collecting all things Saab. At that point these rare and good-looking cars could end up being worth quite a bit. In the intervening time, it’s not the worst looking thing to have in the garage.

Acura ZDX. One of the originators of the luxury-slantback-crossover-thing. Unappreciated when new, but perhaps in time? Probably not. I see this as something like the AMC Gremlin... if you hoard one and keep it in good shape it might still be worth original MSRP in 40 years as a curiosity, but I can’t really see it being worth a fortune.

CB > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:24

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Probably the E39 M5. Yeah, a lot of them have around 200k kilometres on them in that price range, but still, I think they’ll appreciate sooner rather than later.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:27

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A Juke NISMO RS, you can find 1st gen NISMO RS’s for under $20k all day. It is like the Edsel Fords. They where seen as ugly, and sold terribly. Since they had low sales, and now rare & collectors want them. They will pay lots of shiny penny’s for one a great shape.

interstate366, now In The Industry > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:27

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An unmolested LHD Integra Type R. I’m sure the market in the early 2020s will be flooded with RHD ones, though.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:28

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I’d pick up JDM cars that will be legal in 1 year. Buy them, store them in Japan, hype them up, profit.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:30

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Any Subaru WRX or STI that doesn’t smell like vape.

Birddog > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:34

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Certain Camaros, Mustangs and Vettes? Maybe a newer SHO Taurus?The Chevy SS, the “new” new GTO, Saturn Sky, G8 GXP? They aren’t typical used cars though.

I may be blind though. Back in the 70s and 80s many “Classics” weren’t regarded as such.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Birddog 10/10/2016 at 23:43

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Chevy SS and G8 GXP are still pretty expensive. I’m not sure they’ll ever get down to that $20k mark. Solstice GXP and Sky Redline crossed my mind. They are going for $15k now. Low production and great looking, also decent performers. But they also weren’t all that pricey when new, so maybe that would go against them. Not sure about the GTO. I think they’ll go up, but I can’t see it being anything too crazy. Special edition Camaros and Mustangs definitely... I’m surprised at how high GT500 prices still are. I guess I shouldn’t be, it’s still a boatload of power per dollar. C6 ZR1 prices are still high, but I can see those being worth quite a bit in the future.

MUSASHI66 > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 10/10/2016 at 23:44

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My wife test drive the AWD model with the CVT. What a dog of a car! Horrible! It looks great but that’s about it.

G_Body_Man: Sponsored by the number 3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:45

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Here are a few predictions, from most certain to least certain.

E39 M5, because obviously.

E63 (yes, that’s the actual chassis code) M6. The only way you get 10 cylinders in the front of a grand touring coupe without paying LFA money.

The R129 Mercedes SL. If you look at it in terms of cost of entry vs value history of it’s forerunners, it comes out quite well. You can pick a nice 1995+ car up for $8k-$15k, depending on condition and option mix, and they do look properly stunning with the right colours and wheels. Also, they’ll almost certainly last for that long.

A stock, manual Scion FR-S (see S-chassis cars).

An early Quattroporte V. The only car on this list that has a chance of costing you more to own for the next ten years than it will be worth in 40 years time.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > CB 10/10/2016 at 23:47

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I think the E60 too. The V10 is bonkers and I really think people are going to look back on most Bangle BMW’s as great looking in retrospect.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:50

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Cars are plastic junk with computers now, they are not designed to last.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:53

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A clean, unmodified bugeye WRX will command big prices in the future. They’re the new unmolested CRX.

notsomethingstructural > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:53

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E46 M3, S2000, pristine NA Miatas, I’ll be rooting for the RX-8 for selfish reasons (but I could see it happening as 1st gen are impossible to find in decent condition and keep getting totaled), G35 coupe, I think the C5 Z06 will work its way up again, same for Vipers though those are probably both above your price range. I think the old bug eye WRX will some day be very expensive, perfectly optioned and low miles I could see a crack at 6 figures.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > interstate366, now In The Industry 10/10/2016 at 23:54

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Maybe... But how many were there even counting RHD? I mean sure there are probably more unmolested ones that will come online, but the RHD market couldn’t have been all that big. I don’t think the market will really be flooded. One thing that might keep it from going to crazy values is the economy roots - Skylines and later Supras for example were always a cut above econobox even their base trims.

Birddog > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/10/2016 at 23:54

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This is bugging me a bit. All the ones I can think of are “specials”.

Nobody ever thought that a Mark V would become desirable. When I was in high school these were on every BHPH lot for $2995! Now clean ones are $15,000 to $20,000.

I can’t see any “average” used car now getting to that point.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > MUSASHI66 10/10/2016 at 23:56

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The CVT in the NISMO (& RS) is not as bad as the regular Juke. I have a 6spd in mine, and it a great compliment to the engine.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Birddog 10/10/2016 at 23:59

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Exactly! So hard to predict. Maybe some crap like a first gen Escalade or Navigator is going to be worth a fortune because they are “OG”.

notsomethingstructural > notsomethingstructural 10/11/2016 at 00:02

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People have said the M5 and I agree with that as well

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > notsomethingstructural 10/11/2016 at 00:04

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Vipers and Z06 I can definitely see. I’d also I’ve to see the bug eye for selfish reasons... Production was short (just 2 MY) and it was the first WRX in the USA, so it’ll probably be the future most expensive WRX at least in the USA that you can buy now.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > PanchoVilleneuve ST 10/11/2016 at 00:11

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I want one so bad. I had a poster of it on my wall senior year of high school after having all of the previous WRX’s in Gran Turismo played while painfully slow downloading of Colon McRae video clips on 56k dial-up. I look occasionally and clean unmodified ones are commanding well over $10k already. There are some beaters that could be fixed up or returned to stock for less. Dammit just found an ‘02 wagon on CL for $5k that “just needs turbo rebuilt”... I want to go look at it but I’m guessing it needs a lot more.

Birddog > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:11

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Oh god! I weep for the future!

I can think of a few overlooked 80s/90s cars. MN12-FN10 Fords. And.. Uh. Shit.. Lincoln LS? Cadillac Catera?

Yeah! That’s the ticket! The Catera was Cadillacs wakeup call. Yeah..

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) 10/11/2016 at 00:18

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Mind grabbing me a Mega Cruiser while you’re at it?

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > 415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) 10/11/2016 at 00:21

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For the most part yes... but remember that there was a lot of sheet metal junk that wasn’t built to last in the 60s, 70s, and 80s that wasn’t built to last as well. Spent lunch today with a couple of older guys talking about how hard it was to get cheap American sedans from those eras to 100,000 miles without building a Ship of Theseus.

notsomethingstructural > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:22

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I think it will eventually be recognized as significant. The Evo coming over was in response to the thrashing the WRX was putting down, which gave way to the STi. It also helped mold tastes a lot, e.g. higher ground clearance / AWD turbo hatches with rally roots instead of JDM FR sedans with European / “gran turismo” influence that sat much lower. Higher performance trims of base models instead of halo cars and whatnot. You’re still seeing this with the Focus and Fiesta. If there’s no WRX I’m not sure that market really exists the way we think of it now.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:23

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I’ve been told that BMW X3 prices are expected to skyrocket in the coming decades.

http://omaha.craigslist.org/cto/5822165796.html

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 10/11/2016 at 00:31

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Lol. If only I had $20k and a one way ticket to Nebraska!

El Darto > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:37

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Haha , I have a 73 Dart with well over 100k that is mostly original. Sorta rough, but dead reliable. I daily drive her.

E90M3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:44

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I think I have a turbo lying around from a WRX...

PanchoVilleneuve ST > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:48

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It was destined to be one of the cars you’ll never find stock, since it was the first real bit of Gran Turismo forbidden fruit (the Integra Type R was far too rare to be) to hit the US, and it practically came with an aftermarket parts catalog in the glovebox.

theandysho - drives a SHO > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:55

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I know they made 100,00's of thousands of them, but a clean, low mile and unmodified Jeep TJ might make this list.

I think the current-gen SHO’s could be included, but I’ll never keep mine long enough.

FD Rx-7, if you can find one stock under 20k now. Not sure about that.

Mid 2000's Altima SE-R

Short cab / flare bed F-150s and Silverados. I don’t think Dodge made a 1500 flareside.

Grindintosecond > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 00:56

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Well 3-4 years ago it was the Ferrari 308 GT4, wedge design not the Magnum car, that today is worth 3x that and going up. At 30k its the Porsche 928 GTS that’s now going higher and higher.

Land_Yacht_225 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 01:09

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Daimler-Chrysler Mercedes-Benzes.

Hear me out, this isn’t self righteous BS, I swear. If men like Karl Middelhauve exist today, 50 years later, as competent master mechanics on the 600 Grosser, who’s to say that there won’t be people who retain the knowledge to keep the CAN bus fiber-optics functional, and tandem ABC pumps running 40 years from now? Yes, I know...we all know that the Chrysler era cars are...unrefined. Really a besmirchment upon Mercedes-Benz’s good name and track record for durability. I grant you that. BUT, they were damn good looking cars. They looked sculpted and you won’t find a sharp angle on them, inside or out. They were the last Benzes that looked...elegant. The W220 and the W211 are the climax of a design language. After that, the S-Class bloated and got weird fender flairs and E-Classes still had quad headlights but they were weird rhombus shaped units and the interior became, somehow, an unpleasant place to be compared to its predecessor.

My anecdotal proof is this:

That is an Avions Voisin. It’s engine has sleeve valves, and was built during a time when manufacturing tolerances couldn’t make such a thing work without burning oil in equal quantities to gas. But it’s art on wheels! For god sake, the E-Type may be the most beautiful car in the world according to Enzo Ferrari himself...but it is a Jaguar and by it’s nature, mechanically temperamental. People will always covet beautiful cars...even if the hydraulic suspension pump requires $5,000 to replace, turbocharger repair requires a pulled engine, and both are guaranteed to go wrong in the next 40 years.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Grindintosecond 10/11/2016 at 01:13

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Yeah I’m wondering about Porsches. Base model 996's will probably never go up, just like beater 986's... But 996 Turbos and other special editions will probably start to climb like the 986 GTS.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > theandysho - drives a SHO 10/11/2016 at 01:23

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You’re the second one to mention the SHO... Maybe I should buy and hoard one. I think SE-R’s and TJ’s will hold their value but not really go up. They just aren’t special enough (despite the Nissan being rare). The Mazdas could really go up. Gorgeous, rare, and unique. There was a flare side 1st gen Tundra too but it was extended cab only I think.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 01:51

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The 02-05 Civic Si. Clean ones are already getting hard to find. I think in ten-15 years more people will se them as the last “old school” Honda. The last real Civic Hatchback in America, the last Civic that didn’t have an over complicated dash layout. It’s styling is kind of a miss, but I think it will age well, I mean it looks so much better than the Type R revealed at Paris. And a clean one can still be picked up for 8-9 grand or less. The hard part will be finding a clean one, and keeping it that way.

interstate366, now In The Industry > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 08:35

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Almost 30,000 JDM ones, according to this. 24,860 3-doors and 5,135 4-doors.

Although, to be fair, I doubt we’ll get more than a thousand or so imported to the US when the time comes. You have lots of people, myself included, who don’t want to deal with the thief magnet reputation they have here.

jjhats > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 08:38

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subaru sti, honda s2000, any aircooled porsche

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > interstate366, now In The Industry 10/11/2016 at 08:41

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Interesting. More than I expected. When you consider there were 40,000 E-Types made though, it doesn’t mean it is too many to be valuable.

MUSASHI66 > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 10/11/2016 at 08:54

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If regular Juke feels worse than the Nismo RS CVT, that car is probably undriveable. With the RS, hitting the gas pedal had the worst response time I ever experienced in a car.

interstate366, now In The Industry > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 09:10

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Yeah, even I wasn’t expecting that many. But a lot of them have already been exported to Canada/Europe/Oceania, and a lot more have been wrecked and/or scrapped.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > interstate366, now In The Industry 10/11/2016 at 09:14

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I wonder how many E-Types were wrecked back in the 70's before people realized they would be a collectible by the 90's.

E92M3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 09:43

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S2000

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 11:00

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Just realized Ford Raptors are getting cheap enough to add to this list too. I know the second generation is just coming out, but I have serious doubts it will survive more than a few more model years.

interstate366, now In The Industry > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 11:48

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Sometimes I think about what my 3rd gen Prelude will be worth in 10-20 years. Probably not much, since they made about 160,000 of them, but I didn’t get it as an investment.

Kanaric > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 12:48

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Easy, Skyline GTR

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 12:59

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Especially unmodified special editions with low mileage.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Kanaric 10/11/2016 at 13:06

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I agree that Skyline GTR’s will probably appreciate in the future... But is it possible to pick up any generation for $20k right now?

Kanaric > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 15:01

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Yes. R33 and R32 easily you just have to not buy the cars from these dealers who mark their shit up all insane for R32 and go for a car with like ~150k km or more. All the expensive R32s you are seeing are mostly low mileage cars with all the import work done or at some shady dealer. Also with R33s they are all over for less than $20k.

I bet you can get a R32 for $18k. With a R33 it’s easy, once US legality hits for the R33 it will be difficult though.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 17:11

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Okay... so it’s more than double the $20K ($42,900), but as an investment, I would put my money on this early Tesla Roadster:

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?zip=98101&endYear=2017&modelCode1=ROADSTER&sortBy=derivedpriceASC&showcaseOwnerId=0&makeCode1=TESLA&startYear=1981&firstRecord=0&numRecords=100&searchRadius=0&showcaseListingId=0&mmt=%5BTESLA%5BROADSTER%5B%5D%5D%5B%5D%5D&listingId=439945500&Log=0

BTW - the link takes you to a page on Autotrader that says it’s no longer listed, but that’s BS. Just search for a Tesla Roadster for less than $50K and you’ll find it. Autotrader is doing some weird shit with their links.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 10/11/2016 at 18:26

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Actually this is a good call. When all cars are electric in 50 years the Tesla Roadster will probably be remembered as the originator of the all-electric sports car and wish something for that alone. Being good looking and a decent performer will only add to it.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 18:45

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And I wish I had $40,000 $50,000 burning a hole in my pocket to buy that Tesla Roadster. I’d drive it when the weather is nice (I live in the rust belt) and use the old Focus Wagon (or some other vehicle) for grunt work.

Nimbus The Legend - Riding on air like a cloud > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/11/2016 at 18:53

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oh god, kill that zdx, KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!

functionoverfashion > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/12/2016 at 12:37

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E46 M3. The last NA straight 6 M-car. (I’m pretty sure about that). In any case, M cars always appreciate like crazy once they bottom out, and the E46 M3 may have bottomed out. There are plenty out there for under $20k but there are lots over that number, too. It may have already started....

xyzabc > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 10/12/2016 at 12:46

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Forget speculating on a single “car”.

Buy $20K with of high-quality, unrestored, vintage OEM Porsche 911 parts ( Fuch Wheels, etc. ) and in 20-years you’ll have wildly out-performed any financial investment out there. With little or zero downside risk, Asset depreciation and near zero tax when you want to sell.

(Photo from web / Pelican Porsche)

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 10/13/2016 at 09:23

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It helps that Tesla seems to have made it as a viable manufacturer: parts/support should be available for quite some time. Heck, they are offering a 3.0 battery upgrade that just came out even though production ended years ago.