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1990s Luxury Coupes Are Sweet Treats Getting Their Just “Desserts”
Flagship coupes from the 1990s might just be the zenith of luxury and performance. They embody the prestige experienced from our personal luxury past, but add just the right amount of technology we need in modern times. While they lack features like in-car connectivity, a suite of airbags, or autonomous driving, they nevertheless reaped the benefits of computer-aided design in every component. Add the extra performance of multi-port fuel injection and the efficiency of overdrive transmissions, and this era of luxury coupe hits a sweet spot for modernity with classicism.
The market is realizing what loyalists have known for years. The unique blend of modern performance and reliability with timeless luxury available in the 1990s has seen significant rises in value for manufacturers from the U.S., Germany, and Japan. So let’s take a closer look at five luxury coupes, examine their values in #3 (good) condition, and chart the changes over the past five years.
1991-98 Mercedes-Benz C140
86% increase
The Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan (W140) and S/CL-class coupe (C140) have a legacy of challenging norms with modest successes, but it appears time healed these wounds. Be it in V-8 or V-12 guise, the flagship Mercedes offered you a blend of modern engineering with traditional design (plenty of buttons, for example) that you cannot replicate in a newer Benz. But buyers only needed $10,000 to purchase a C140 in #3 condition back in 2020. That spiraled up to $20,400 in 2022, but has notably dipped to $18,600 as of January 2025.
Coupes like the Lexus SC stole headlines when the conservative C140 was a new vehicle, and the LS400 sedan likely took a significant bite into the W140 S-class’ market share. But it appears the train that ushers other Mercedes-Benz flagships to collector car status has no plans to leave the C140 at the station. This coupe is finally becoming the premium collector car worthy of the three-pointed star in its grille.
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1993-98 Lincoln Mark VIII
76% increase
The Lincoln Mark VIII’s star-crossed existence began with a surprisingly sporty bang in 1993, making it a sleeper on the streets. It was a hot-rod Lincoln that improved on the impressive Thunderbird Super Coupe, with a 32-valve engine that inspired the 1996 Mustang Cobra. But the stunning levels of depreciation (which seemingly plagues this brand) ensured Lincoln’s Thunder-Cougar-Cobra-bird was also a sleeper on the used vehicle market.
Until now. Lincoln’s final Mark Series started 2025 on the right foot, with a 10% increase in value for cars in #2 (excellent) condition. Back in 2020, a Mark VIII in #3 condition was worth a paltry $3300. That has since elevated to a less disposable $5800. That may not sound like a cause for celebration, but it puts the Mark VIII closer to parity with its period competitor from Cadillac.
1992-02 Cadillac Eldorado
49% increase
We generally do not associate personal luxury coupes with front-wheel drive motivation, but the 12th-generation Eldorado continued the legacy of flagship coupes driving the front axle. It hit Cadillac’s staid showrooms with “increased strength and solidity,” and an ergonomic interior sporting aggressive bucket seats and zebrano wood trim everywhere. But the Eldorado Touring Coupe upped the ante with more aggressive steering and suspension tuning for a command performance both in a straight line and in the curves.
Back in 2020, an Eldorado in #3 condition fetched around $4100. Prices have steadily risen in the past five years, and have “Escaladed” (sorry) to $6100 this year. While the 12th-gen Eldo might not have the wallet-emptying presence of other Cadillacs with the same name, its possesses the refinement expected from a vehicle made in the 1990s and still has superior resale value over its competition from Lincoln.
1992-2000 Lexus SC300/SC400
33% increase
Then still the new kid on the block, Lexus could do no wrong in the 1990s, as the burgeoning brand that began as one of many moonshots from Japan’s bubble economy became a slam-dunk success. The SC was penned using plastic bags filled with plaster to inspire the surfaces that became a brilliantly contoured body, with proportions as aggressive as a Toyota Supra. Under the SC’s skin was the LS400’s refined performance that put the world on notice just two years before. The best craftsmanship and stellar service after the sale was expected with a Lexus coupe, but details like the articulating door hinges (that moved out and forward) ensured this large vehicle was packed with surprise and delight for its owners.
We don’t currently cover the SC in the Hagerty Price Guide, but with a combination of sale and insurance data we can put a well-informed number on it. Values for the first-generation Lexus SC are significantly higher than the Cadillac and Lincoln, starting with a $9100 valuation in 2020. After a slight dip in 2021 (to $8200) that has since appreciated to $12,000 in 2025. While the Lexus is part of the general trend of appreciation for 1990s Japanese cars, it appears to be a middle ground with German marques above it and the Americans below.
1990-99 BMW 8-Series (E31)
21% increase
Like the Japanese Bubble Era that fostered Lexus’ Pursuit of Perfection, and the Greed Is Good economics that funded a Mark VIII-moonshot, the Germans had a rosy outlook as well, and a newly unified Germany was indeed the third-largest economy in the world at the dawn of the ’90s. So of course BMW felt the need for a Mercedes-killing personal luxury coupe, and the E31 BMW 8-Series launched in the fall of 1989. It was a technological tour-de-force with all the markers of success, but unfortunately brand loyalists found both the V-8 and V-12 E31 too large, heavy and dull compared to the effortless E24 “sharknose” 6-Series it replaced.
While a BMW M-tuned version (850CSi) did a fantastic job restoring luster to the the 8-Series’ halo, a grand total of 30,609 BMW E31s were sold globally, 6920 of them shifted hands in America. Limited production and the top-drawer E31’s prowess means the E31 is a coveted classic in North America, making it more expensive than any car in this list. Back in 2020, an E31 in #3 condition averaged $32,000 thanks in part to the skew factor of the CSi. That rose to $43,100 in 2024, but has dropped to $38,600 in 2025. Volatility from the CSi might always be in the cards for the E31, but its clear the Ultimate Driving Machine won this race.
Let’s go beyond the hype to see how these price increases impacted the 1990s personal luxury car market.
While BMW has the most valuable coupe of the era, increasing value enough to remain far ahead of the appreciating competition, perhaps the E31’s valuation would lie closer to the Mercedes-Benz C140 if the 850CSi never made production. Surprisingly, Lincoln’s significant gains after the pandemic means it has caught up with its cross-town rival. Perhaps its hot-rod kinship to the more valuable 1996 Mustang Cobra is earning it a following from bargain-hunting performance buyers.
Lexus was reaching for the stars with the SC300/400 when it was new, and it succeeded where the American brands failed. But it continues to look upward relative to the German marques, and shares the same fate as the Lincoln Mark VIII when viewed in the same light as its Toyota Supra Mk IV sistership.
While the Mercedes-Benz C140 stumbled in recent history, it has proven again that German brands are some of the most desirable in any market, at any time in history. Today, the legacy of the 1990s luxury coupe is seen in vehicles that fight against the unrelenting growth of SUVs and CUVs with every tool in their parent company’s arsenal. Lexus is still in the touring coupe business, and their flagship LC500 teaches a master class in modern performance with personal luxury. Mercedes has the aggressive AMG GT, though chatter about an upcoming coupe based on the S-class sedan (W223) is reassuring. BMW still has the 8-Series, but it exists as a wider range of coupes, convertibles, and fastback sedans.
While mistakes were made by all purveyors of personal luxury coupes in the 1990s, they represented a convergence of traditional luxury coupe values with modern schools of engineering thought. As we have seen in the last five years, its only a matter of time before their status is elevated even closer to their two door performance brethren of the same era.
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I thoughly enjoyed a Mark VIII rental car when they were new. My name is LOU. I wrote my name with that car in a parking lot. 🙂
Good thing they never came with limited slip differentials, then!
I’m hoping Sajeev will straighten me out, but I’ve never been able to figure out if I like the Mark VIII or not. Maybe its the point of the nose and tail when others were going more blunt and upright…I just don’t know.
You probably do like the Mark VIII, but its one of those cars that is a little too round, so the taut creases that balance things out are harder to see. But look at one closely in real life, and it will look better than it does in photos.
“…they lack features like in-car connectivity, a suite of airbags, or autonomous driving…”
Hmmm, maybe they ARE worth taking a look at, after all! This makes them sound like, um, just cars.
I must admit, a few of the photos (including the black Mark VIII) make their subjects look fairly attractive – proof of what the right lighting and good camera angles can do when shooting almost ANY subject.
First generation Olds Aurora.
I’ve had two. Just love them.
Ford screwed up when they made the Lincoln and T Bird look too much alike. I think it hurt the Lincoln sales like the LeBron hurt the TC sales.
The Mark series Lincoln’s profile always looked similar to a T-Bird and starting with the Mark II so were dubbed a “Rich Man’s T-Bird.”
What about the legendary 91-95 Acura Legend Sport Coupe with the telescopic drivers wheel, the sensor doors as they close automatically when they reach a sensor to make sure that they are properly closed. The automatic rear windows, & the classic type 2 engine that endures forever!
In 58 years I have never owned a four-door anything. Only two-door hardtops, coupes, convertibles. Four-door sedans are for old people. I might be old now, but I will not buy a four-door sedan, or SUV.
HA-rumph! 😂
The Thunderbirds in 93 were look a likes but they, Ford admitted, took their more angular styling from the original BMW 6 series. I’m not quite seeing too much in common with the Mark VIII of those same years, more of the aero swoopy influence of the previous design.
You do have to be careful with Lexus SC’s as they are popular as “budget” Supra’s. It’s easy to swap Supra guts into these cars so always look a little closer at one. Beyond that they are great cars. On the Lincoln front I think I prefer the 7 over the 8. A little more muscle luxury in the older fox body car.