7 cars from Monterey Car Week for under $50,000
Hagerty’s valuation specialists pored over the Monterey Car Week auction sales and gathered a list of sales that totaled less than $50,000, then we pulled out the highlights. While it’s not pocket change, $50k is less than the average luxury midsize crossover and about as much as an average full-size pickup truck. For the price of one of those new cars, you could put one of your dream cars in your garage instead. If we had that $50k to spend we’d have no problem finding worthy, bucket-list cars to buy. The trouble, of course, would be narrowing it to one.
1978 Ferrari 308 GTS
Sold for: $49,500
Hagerty Price Guide: $60,000
For the price of a brand-new, highly optioned Mustang GT, this timeless targa could have been yours. Nothing against the late-model pony—it makes about twice the power of the Ferrari – but the 308 is a beautiful mid-engine design that sounds as good as it looks. The quintessential 1970s Ferrari, designed by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina, uses a 2.9L V8 with four Weber carbs. Squeaking in just under $50K, this is a fine way to get into a rather exclusive club.
1963 Porsche 356B
Sold for: $49,500
Hagerty Price Guide: $57,100
Although this car was a little rough in some places—particularly the interior, which revealed a cracking steering wheel and missing shift boot—it appeared to be mechanically sound and just needed some polishing, a fresh set of tires, and general TLC. If originality isn’t for you, a turnkey kit car can be had for $10k less, although this is certainly a reasonable premium to pay for the real deal.
1971 Fiat Dino 2400
Sold for: $44,000
Hagerty Price Guide: $36,100
This lovely example of Fiat’s elegantly styled 2+2 coupe sold for a bit higher than its condition would have suggested, but you can’t argue that its Giorgetto Giugiaro-penned bodywork isn’t worth a premium. The car shows Italian sports car styling from every angle.
1963 Corvette Convertible
Sold for: $42,900
Hagerty Price Guide: $45,800
Considering how gorgeous the fastback second-generation coupes look, you might miss the 1963 Vette’s infamous split window. Then again, ’63s make for beautiful convertibles too. This example has its numbers-matching 300-horsepower 327 and a four-speed. Even the color is perfect for a Corvette. A red, four-speed mid-year Corvette is at the top of many collectors lists, and to get into one at this price is a great way to cross one off.
2006 Dodge Viper
Sold for: $30,800
Hagerty Price Guide: $42900
Vipers are a combination of rarity, a powerful bespoke engine, and great racing pedigree with plenty of endurance wins over the course of their—hopefully to be continued—25-year production run. It’s a recipe for desirability and collectability, yet the middle generation models are available for absolute bargains. This model was a one-off built by West Coast Customs to resemble the Viper’s Grand Theft Auto counterpart, the Bravado Banshee. For the price of a Camry, this head-turning coupe was nothing short of a steal.
1976 Ford Gran Torino
Sold for: $17,050
Hagerty Price Guide: N/A
This is one of 1000 factory-built Gran Torinos with the correct Starsky and Hutch paint scheme. Putting aside the odd choice for a pair of undercover cops to drive one of the most striking and recognizable paint schemes in car history, it’s a part of American culture. This one is now powered by a stroked Ford small-block at 406 cubic inches; it definitely packs more power than the emissions-choked V-8 did in 1976. You know it’s good when you can’t even register it in the state of California.
1984 Porsche 928 S
Sold for: $7150
Hagerty Price Guide: $18,200
OK, so it’s the wrong color to be the Risky Business 928 and it has the less-desirable automatic. It’s still a 5.0L DOHC V-8 Porsche grand tourer with only 86,080 miles on the odometer! According to the listing, this car recently had significant maintenance done, including a new timing belt, so it should be ready for the road. Its condition was 3+, and its interior looked great- which would make it a perfect driver.
