Interesting thought...

[Dave L]

Reading a post in photos where Gary listed the money that some of the previous owners put into his car prior to him getting it made me think. I know, for the time period, the e9's were expensive cars. More than it's Porsche contemporary even! But, the cost of the car seems to pale greatly in comparison to how much money has been poured into them to keep them driving over the past thirty years or so. The stories of twenty thousand or more put into a nine thousand dollar car are all over this board. I know that's the was it works, especially in the classic car industry, but it's still some interesting economics.

Dave L

 

[decoupe]

It's not economics

It's called ob$$e$ion.

 

[blumax]

Money put into Coupes

Sounds like a lot--but keep in mind the first year--a 1970 model Coupe available in North America had a delivered price of $10,000 USD. That was a lot of $'s in those days and by the end of NA model availability in late 1974 well equipped E-9's were around $16,500. I was here to experience all of the preceeding evolution. In 1968 when I moved to SoCal I purchased a 4 BR 2 1/2 bath single story ranch home with 3 car detached garage and a great ocean view on a quiet cul de sac in a very desirable community--Corona Del Mar, CA for $46,500. Same home today is around $850-900,000 largely due inflation or devaluation of our $'s purchasing power.

During the disastrous days of the Carter administration the USD declined very rapidly in value in the face of the Duetchmark (sp?)---not unlike the steady devaluation of our currency in the past 40 years since there is no longer gold or silver backing our currency, just paper being printed by the Federal Reserve. And--once upon a time $50K per year allowed living the good life--perhaps still in small town USA but not so today in a large metropolitan area.

Perhaps the foregoing class in reality economics can help keep the steady devaluation of the purchasing power of our USD and related commentary in proper perspective As an example--a very good Coupe at $40,000 of todays cheap USD's is equivalent to $8-10,000 in purchasing power of the then USD when these cars were new 40 years ago.

 

[Arde]

I am not sure I get the point. If you buy a 29.000 car it will depreciate down to 9.000 in eight years or so. If you put 20.000 into a 9.000 classic it will be worth more than 9.000 in the same time period.

In any case for the cars I drive the operational costs dwarf the acquisition costs. I just de-comissioned my 16 yr old mini-van, original owner, paid about 19.000 and spent about 52.000 in gas alone over more than 250k miles.