UNDERVALUED

Ives

Ives

Well-Known Member
Site Donor $
Site Donor $$
Messages
439
Reaction score
224
Location
Healdsburg, Ca.
I know the classic market is down but I think our Coupes are seriously undervalued. The fact that they are probably the second most attractive vehicle that BMW has produced, behind the 507, and the amount of work it takes to bring one to the state the Baikal one was in makes me wonder why? These, when they're in an optimum state, are great road cars, have a very good racing history, are elegant and bring smiles to a broad swath of the population should be valued more highly. A few years ago Coupes like the Baikal one would have fetched one and a quarter but now most can't get to one. I had a reserve set with BaT for my Sahara Coupe at $88k but after doing all the prep, pictures and detail asked myself why (a second time)? I pulled out of the process. To me it's not the money it's the respect in the classic market that makes me not happy with what the state of the market is for our Coupes. There seems to be a disconnect between the value and what enthusiasts are willing to spend. I don't have an answer or a solution to this issue but think that, possibly, many of us have the same question.
Regards, Jon
 
As James Carville / Bill Clinton said to keep their staff focused in 1992… it’s the economy stupid.
The current administration/economy/world situation has even people with Monopoly money worried about the direction we’re headed, my friends in the know say it gets much worse by May of next year.
 
My friends at TIAA my retirement behemoth, one of the largest Retirement Funds on the planet, $1.498 trillion in assets as of March 2026, agree with your friends in the know Barney.

No cryptos and other such dangerous junk allowed. I sleep much better.
 
I have tried to keep up with classic car market trends over the past decade. I never pretend to have expert opinions but more out of curiosity as an enthusiast. This topic has been even more relevant for the past 2.5 years as an actual owner.

While I agree with the above opinions that the economy and recent political decisions have been factors, I think there are many more forces in play here, so I thought I would share some observations - see if y'all agree......

For one, there are many classic cars that are very hot right now. Most that I can think of are more modern classics from the 80s-90s-2000s. Certain Lamborghinis (Countach, Diablo, Murci), Ferraris (360, 430, 458, 550 Maranello, 575 - especially the special edition ones), Porsches (G-body, 964, 993 - let's not even get into the GT2/GT3 discussion), and Ford GT have been rising in value at an astonishing pace with no signs of slowing down.

But there are older classics from the 60s and 70s that used to be hotter but have languished in value along with our beloved E9. Most muscle cars have decreased in value - even some "blue chip" models (Chevelle LS6, big block Corvettes, Trans-Am/Z-28) along with some very iconic V12 Ferraris (330 GTC, Daytona). Some exceptions to this down trend (Dino, very rare muscle car models). It seems as though long-nose Porsche 911s (pre-'74) have also dipped in value. [The Porsche guys on this forum may correct me on that one if I'm off].

In pondering the reasons for this dichotomy I think it comes down to the demographic of the enthusiast. Muscle cars, Colombo V12 Ferraris, E-type Jags, and E9s have an aging and more limited fan base. I have attended a couple of Mecum muscle car auctions (and watched a few more) and the majority of buyers look to be in their 60s, 70s, 80s. I am 61 and suspect that a majority of you are older that me - I welcome correction if I am off on that.

The hotter, more modern classics were new when many of their buyers were teenagers. Of course these newer classics also appeal to older collectors as well but they are the prime targets for the young, rich dudes - hence a much larger catchment of enthusiasts (broader appeal).

We all know how obscure the E9 is, relatively speaking, even to car enthusiasts. How many times have we all had to explain this beautiful coupe to an astonished car nut under the age of 55 - even to those with a large fund of automotive knowledge? But those of us who love this thing love it with passion.... and put up with the high financial and emotional toll that is required to put one right and keep it on the road.

But I do not have much optimism that the coupe and other vintage contemporaries will gather any new strength in the market. I hope that assessment is wrong. But I see an aging (then shrinking) enthusiast base without much new interest from the younger crowd. The silver lining might be that the 1972 Porsche 911S or the 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC that was on your wall as a kid may soon be affordable.

Let me know if I am full of crap.
 
Last edited:
There was a recent video from classic driver that speaks to the changes in the marketplace for classic cars. Their thesis is that the market is splitting. More in the video link.

 
mkent said:
I have tried to keep up with classic car market trends over the past decade. I never pretend to have expert opinions but more out of curiosity as an enthusiast. This topic has been even more relevant for the past 2.5 years as an actual owner.

While I agree with the above opinions that the economy and recent political decisions have been factors, I think there are many more forces in play here, so I thought I would share some observations - see if y'all agree......

For one, there are many classic cars that are very hot right now. Most that I can think of are more modern classics from the 80s-90s-2000s. Certain Lamborghinis (Countach, Diablo, Murci), Ferraris (360, 430, 458, 550 Maranello, 575 - especially the special edition ones), Porsches (G-body, 964, 993 - let's not even get into the GT2/GT3 discussion), and Ford GT have been rising in value at an astonishing pace with no signs of slowing down.

But there are older classics from the 60s and 70s that used to be hotter but have languished in value along with our beloved E9. Most muscle cars have decreased in value - even some "blue chip" models (Chevelle LS6, big block Corvettes, Trans-Am/Z-28) along with some very iconic V12 Ferraris (330 GTC, Daytona). Some exceptions to this down trend (Dino, very rare muscle car models). It seems as though long-nose Porsche 911s (pre-'74) have also dipped in value. [The Porsche guys on this forum may correct me on that one if I'm off].

In pondering the reasons for this dichotomy I think it comes down to the demographic of the enthusiast. Muscle cars, Colombo V12 Ferraris, E-type Jags, and E9s have an aging and more limited fan base. I have attended a couple of Mecum muscle car auctions (and watched a few more) and the majority of buyers look to be in their 60s, 70s, 80s. I am 61 and suspect that a majority of you are older that me - I welcome correction if I am off on that.

The hotter, more modern classics were new when many of their buyers were teenagers. Of course these newer classics also appeal to older collectors as well but they are the prime targets for the young, rich dudes - hence a much larger catchment of enthusiasts (broader appeal).

We all know how obscure the E9 is, relatively speaking, even to car enthusiasts. How many times have we all had to explain this beautiful coupe to an astonished car nut under the age of 55 - even to those with a large fund of automotive knowledge? But those of us who love this thing love it with passion.... and put up with the high financial and emotional toll that is required to put one right and keep it on the road.

But I do not have much optimism that the coupe and other vintage contemporaries will gather any new strength in the market. I hope that assessment is wrong. But I see an aging (then shrinking) enthusiast base without much new interest from the younger crowd. The silver lining might be that the 1972 Porsche 911S or the 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC that was on your wall as a kid may soon be affordable.

Let me know if I am full of crap.
Click to expand...
That’s about where I am on it. Sure economy/political stuff will always sway things temporarily, but the aging demo is the biggest factor, I believe. Look at all the cars from the 50s that used to be hot items..nobody cares about them barely at all anymore..
I agree, too, that the e9 never really had a big moment with most collectors..there are always people that value them, but the big auctions/tv shows/etc, never helped out much.
The younger crowd is crazy for the 80s/90s stuff..especially jdm cars. My son is 18 and loves so many cars that I remember new and thought they were just whatever econo cars..it’s fun to watch the next group grow into the hobby. He’s aware, and loves a good amount of older stuff, too, but that’s because of being my kid. Conversely, I’m way more into a lot of the ‘modern classics’ now, too, because of him. Love the 510, 240/260, skylines, gt-r…so many great cars in the 80s..I never really paid much attention to back then.
Add in that a lot of the younger gen isn’t as into cars or material possessions like previous ones, and you get new swings in market trends.. also, coming off the plandemic really threw things into a weird place more so than anything. Values went stupid…now they’re correcting…or over correcting..
 
Chris,
I didn't think it was a $125k car either but something closer to $100k made sense to me.
BarneyT, CSteve, MKent
Agreed and it looks like a very scary 2027 is coming up.
Boonies,
Thanks for the video. Another K market for classics now.
Regards, Jon
 
I fully understand undervalued stock. I understand overvalued E9’s. I won’t pretend to understand what an undervalued e9 is. That is just supply and demand and there is near zero demand. The e9 is an enthusiasts vehicle with relatively low “status” outside of the BMW community. It is not the first pick for a tech bro who’s RSU’s just vested…

I have a lot of opinions on this, but my overwhelming opinion is that a lot of people who can purchase a $100K play thing on a whim do not fully understand just how critically poor job security is right now. This is especially true in the tech sector.

FWIW - I do think that there is a market of enthusiasts under 40 that adore the e9. They simply can’t afford a nice one, and don’t have the time, money, and expertise to restore a project.

I also think that there are many people on *this board who feel the hurt of affordability right now, are contemplating selling their car. They are keeping quiet about it, because for some it will highly disappointing and/or embarrassing. The internet is a playground for success stories after all.
 
bavbob said:
Ironic as car prices drop but replacement parts are through the roof.
Click to expand...
Yes. That is why restoring a car is seldom a winning formula from an economic perspective. Cheaper to buy a well-restored car, and let the seller take the loss.

I too believe that any softness in the market for mid-century cars is largely due to demographics. The cell phone generation don't want to spend time working on a car; if a problem can't be solved with software, they aren't equipped to deal with it. Nor do they want any car with three pedals and less than 400 hp. Which isn't a criticism of them; heck, my generation didn't have much interest in brass era cars.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top