Classic Classified: 1974 Bricklin SV-1

From: Hemmings Motor News

Date: December 1983

Price then: $14,500 ($34,500 adjusted for inflation – about the cost of a new 2015 Chevrolet Traverse today)

Price now: $6,800 – $28,000

Approximate dollar difference: $6,500 (assuming No. 1 condition)

Approximate annual rate of return: -0.6%

1974 Bricklin Gullwing Prototype: This is body #2. #1 was used for government testing, making this the earliest known example. With only 3,000 original miles it is one of the lowest mile examples. Must be seen to be appreciated.

How often do you see a Bricklin today? Almost never. And with only two years of production, it is almost certain that they were almost as rare back in 1983. As cool as these cars are (at least to look at), not many collectors really know what they are. Adjusting  the asking price for inflation, we can see that buying this car would have resulted in at least a $6,500 loss for the buyer today. Unfortunately, the collector market isn’t kind to all cars, even if they are rare.