One of the top muscle cars that is regaining its pre-recession popularity among collectors is the 1973 Pontiac Trans Am Super Duty 455. This one just sold on the Cars On Line website.
Collector Car Values are Up
11.6 Percent Over 2012 Prices
According to the most recent research done by the Cars On Line.com staff, the collector car market is ever so slowly inching its way back toward a recovery. The numbers show that 2013 collector car market values grew 11.65 percent over prices seen at the end of 2012. After flatlining for years the market is finally seeing some substantive growth.

We saw prices increase at the 2013 Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona this winter. Once again the Barrett-Jackson Auction seemed to foretell an uptrend in the collector car market.

In 2012 we thought the market was making a comeback only to lose that momentum during the summer lull. The market remained flat all through 2012. So it was with trepidation that we did our market trends analysis this month to see if prices had gone up so far during 2013. You can imagine our relief when we discovered that prices are ahead of last year at this time.

All marques were up across the board with Chevrolet, Mopar and Ford vehicles all showing increased value. According to our data, Chevrolet prices were up 16.5 percent over last year. Meanwhile, prices for Mopars and Fords also went up 9.2 and 7.8 percent, respectively. From our list below you will note that the 1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD-455, one of the most popular muscle cars of all time, has moved up the fastest of any individual collector car. Number two condition Super Duty Trans Ams are fetching over $100,000 at recent auctions when they have low miles. The average prices have spiked to $113,050 on No. 2 condition Super Duties, up 35.2 percent over last year.

Below you'll find the Cars On Line "Hot List" of the most popular collector cars. Newsletter readers know that we watch the top collector cars to determine how market values are trending. This "Hot List" is a quick measure of how collector car prices fare in the current market. We try to make sure we are looking at only No. 2 condition cars for our report. There is a better discipline on pricing when you get into the higher quality cars. By averaging the prices that top quality cars are drawing we can see which way the market is trending.

In the chart below we have recorded actual prices paid for some of the most popular collector cars in this current market. The first column shows the average values paid in 2012. The next column shows the 2013 Barrett-Jackson Auction averages. In the third column you will see this year's current market averages. Remember, these prices were recorded for No. 2 condition, show quality cars only. An (*) indicates no No. 2 condition vehicle was sold for that column.


 

Cond.
Class

Market Values
End of 2012

Barrett-Jackson
2013

Current
Market
FORDS
1928 Ford Model A Rdstr No. 2 

 $26,500

$30,800

$21,672
1953 Ford F100 No. 2 

$26,066

$22,000

$22,733
1956 Ford Crown Victoria  No. 2

$39,950

$44,000

$43,984
1956 Ford Sunliner  No. 2

$63,000

*

$48,000
1957 Ford Retractable  No. 2

$50,000

*

$54,000
1957 Ford Thunderbird No. 2

$43,857

$61,660

$51,905
1965 Mustang Convt No. 2

$27,260

$31,350

$26,408
1966 Mustang Convt No. 2

$25,255

$33,412

$26,594
1966 Shelby GT350 No. 2

$104,358

$99,000

$143,917
1967 Shelby GT500 No. 2

$145,667

$163,160

$159,737
1967 Mustang GT  Fastback (S Code) No. 2

$41,500

*

$47,820
1969 Mach 1 Mustang (M code) No. 2

$29,000

$44,360

$36,525
1969 Mach 1 428 CJ (R code)  No. 2

$51,058

$55,825

$58,100
1969 Boss 429 Mustang No. 2

$202,458

$261,250

$235,508
1970 Boss 302 Mustang No. 2

$69,550

$77,000

$72,939
1970 Ford Torino 429CJ  No. 2

$56,500

$55,000

$29,948
 CHEVROLETS      
1954 Corvette  No. 2

$69,309

$91,300

$76,225
1955 Bel Air Hardtop No. 2

$38,614

*

$43,049
1955 Bel Air Convt No. 2

$62,042

$62,516

$73,410
1956 Nomad No. 2

$53,555

$91,300

$67,200
1957 Bel Air HT No. 2

$44,249

$52,800

$50,762
1957 Bel Air Convt  No. 2

$75,937

$113,850

$73,514
1957 Cameo Pickup No. 2

$56,937

$61,600

$63,750
1958 Chevy Impala Convt No. 2

$83,763

$122,460

$116,537
1963 Split Window Coupe No. 2

 $69,000

$83,600

$79,626
1963 Impala SS 409 Convertible No. 2

$60,500

*

$74,058
1967 Chevelle SS 396 No. 2

$53,366

$33,000

$39,237
1967 Camaro Convt No. 2

$33,725

$33,000

$31,710
1967 Corvette 427/435  Convertible  No. 2 

$104,029

$143,550

$142,263
1969 Camaro Z/28 No. 2

$51,020

$77,000

$59,534
 1969 Camaro Pace Car No. 2

$65,000

$51,700

$59,975
 1970 Chevelle SS 396 No. 2 

$39,187

$43,630

$47,369
 1970 Chevelle LS6 No. 2

$75,174

$117,330

$108,048
MOPARS      
 1957 Chrysler 300C HT No. 2

$105,600

$88,000

$79,933
 1967 Dodge Coronet R/T No. 2

$33,450

*

$29,038
 1969 Dodge Charger R/T No. 2

 $46,700

$49,500

$53,130
 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T (440 6Pack)  No. 2

$75,633

$94,600

$75,258
1970 Dodge Challenger T/A No. 2

$56,913

*

$60,400
 1970 Dodge Super Bee No. 2

$35,833

$55,000

$49,562
1967 Plymouth GTX  No. 2

$41,217

*

$37,159
1970 Ply AAR Cuda No. 2

$61,515

$83,000

$75,110
1970 Plymouth Superbird  (440) No. 2

$118,767

$126,500

$118,709
1970 Hemi Cuda No. 2

$137,000

$275,000

$182,833
1970 Ply Cuda 340 Convt  No. 2

$46,940

*

$61,066
1970 Plymouth Road Runner No. 2

$42,353

$59,400

$53,748
CADILLAC    
 1957 Cadillac S62 Convertible No. 2

$52,500

$132,000

$71,016
1959 Cadillac S62 Hardtop  No. 2

*

 *

$65,350
 1976 Cadillac Eldorado  Convertible No. 2

$22,733

$9,570

$18,915
 PACKARD        
 1937 Packard V-12 Victoria Convertible No. 2

*

*

$268,500
 1953 Packard Carribean Convt No. 2

$74,200

$104,500

$73,200
 PONTIAC        
 1957 Pontiac Chieftan HT No. 2

$29,700

*

$31,950
 1965 Pontiac GTO (389  Tripower) Convertible No. 2

$40,725

$66,000

$59,157
 1967 Pontiac GTO  Convertible No. 2

$59,177

*

$66,218
1968 Firebird Convertible  No. 2 

 $22,900

*

$26,048
 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge No. 2

$57,110

$27,500

$78,861
1973 Trans Am Super Duty  No. 2

$73,333

*

$113,050
1977 Bandit Trans Am  No. 2

$35,321

$54,450

$43,000
 BUICK        
1954 Skylark Convertible   No. 2 

$117,389

$99,000

$127,500
1957 Roadmaster Convt  No. 2

$58,200

*

$58,300
1970 Buick GS Stage 1 Convt No. 2

$70,750

$66,000

$90,000
 OLDSMOBILE        
1957 Oldsmobile Starfire  Convt   No. 2 

$105,125

$85,500

$128,050
1970 Olds 442 W-30  (4-spd, HT) No. 2

$67,100

$44,000

$73,250
 AUSTIN HEALEY        
1967 Austin Healey 3000 No. 2

$67,155

$57,200

$77,673
 JAGUAR        
1967 Jaguar XKE Roadster No. 2

$92,570

*

$80,500
1956 Jaguar XK140 (MC) No. 2

$84,690

*

$90,667
STUDEBAKER        
1957 Golden Hawk No. 2

$124,250

$72,600

$65,000

* Some of the vehicles that we follow were not sold during the time frame represented by this column. We have simply put an asterisk in those boxes where a similar No. 2 condition car was not known to have been sold.

Cars On Line Daily Update newsletter readers know that we watch a "hot list" of top collector cars to determine how market values are trending. We frequently publish the chart below. We update it with the most current average pricing for the cars that are on our "hot list." This is a quick measure of how collector car prices are doing. We base our numbers from auction prices on No. 2 condition cars. We look at No. 2 condition cars only because they are a smaller group to analyze and reflect a more stringent price discipline. Click here to view the definitions of classes for appraising collector cars as used by our Cars On Line Appraisal Service.