$50K Could’ve Brought Home Some Cool Cars From the January Auctions

January was a busy month for auctions, with more than six thousand lots offered at live venues in Arizona and Florida along with the ever-flowing online pipeline of cars. Our team took a look at all the public sales from January and then we gave each of us a theoretical stack of $50k to spend. These were the cars we would have taken home. Which would you pick—or did another sale catch your eye last month?

1969 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390, $38,500

Predictably, I’m gonna pick a C3 Corvette, just like I did last year. This one’s a bit different, though. While I usually couldn’t care less about originality, this one is cool because of its period modifications from Motion Performance. As much as I know black cars are a nightmare, the Stingray’s lines look fantastic and the tan interior is the perfect match. Oh, and did I mention it’s a 427-cubic inch with a four-speed?—Brandan Gillogly, senior editor

1960 Volkswagen 23-Window Microbus, $44,800

Big surprise—I’m going with a van. But really, how could I pass this up? $44,800 is a steal for this 1960 VW 23-window Microbus at Worldwide Scottsdale. Even if it’s a conversion and not a real 23-window bus (which I don’t think is the case here), $45k is still way too low. It sold for 26 percent below #4 condition value despite being conditioned by our team as a solid driver #3- car. In fact, this same bus sold at Scottsdale 2020 for $77k and then again in Las Vegas last year for $55k. Knowing I bought this for such a discount would just put a bigger smile on my face while driving my new bus at 15 mph over mountain passes.—Adam Wilcox, senior information analyst

1973 Volvo 1800 Wagon, $23,100

I thought about going my usual route and picking from several questionable old Lotuses that sold in January. Instead, I went in a (slightly) more practical direction with this fairly clean 1973 Volvo 1800ES. I’ve loved these cars forever. They’re practical, they’re built well, and they have the best backside per dollar of any vehicle ever made. Dark red isn’t the best color, but this one sold about where it should have at $23,100, leaving me with enough money left over that I’m having second thoughts about the Esprit Turbo that sold a few hours earlier.—Andrew Newton, senior auction editor

1966 OldsmobileVista Cruiser Wagon, $49,500

I’ve been meaning to get rid of my Odyssey, because I’ve grown pretty tired of the efficiency and near-perfect execution of the thing. I’d need to replace it with something equally family haulerish, obviously, and what better rig to suit that purpose than this gorgeous 1966 Olds Vista Cruiser, which sold for $49,500 at Barrett-Jackson? The whole thing has been upgraded for improved driving comfort, so it’s basically a pro touring family truckster that looks stock. Pretty hard to argue with that. —Stefan Lombard, senior editor

1967 Lancia Flavia, $23,520

In the category of “what is this doing here,” I would have gladly taken home this Lancia Flavia 1800 MFI for $23,520. —John Wiley, manager of valuation analytics

1985 Toyota Land Cruiser, $44,000

Boy do I love a good deal, and my dream vintage Toyota Land Cruiser with modern 4Runner drivetrain was half off for one day only… This same car sold for $84.7K in April 2022 and garnered only $44K this month. It has everything: a 2015 Toyota 1GR-FE engine swap (the same one FJ Company supercharges and swaps into their $250k builds) and 4Runner suspension, disc brakes and A/C. Put a few vintage accessories and wheels on it—perfection. But most importantly, if no one else validates my purchase I can at least tell myself I got a good deal, and that’s all I need.—James Hewitt senior information analyst

1965 Pontiac Catalina, $38,325

Lord, this thing looks mean. This would be such a killer cruiser for summers in Detroit. Flowmaster noise, hulking presence, but that pillarless silhouette is still elegant. 421 with some upgraded internals would be a treat. Definitely not a perfect example, but a little sign of well-loved ownership speaks to its history of being driven, not rubbed with a diaper. I would drive the hell out of this thing, park it wherever, and enjoy the good life.—Eric Weiner, executive editor

1959 Edsel Villager Station Wagon, $29,120

This is one of my favorites from Scottsdale. You don’t often see an Edsel wagon and for that reason alone I feel like I must have it. Coming from a museum collection and likely spending many years static, when I witnessed it in person, it did need a bit of TLC but not an excessive amount. At $29,120, it is a lot of cool for the money. I’d aim the remaining $20,880 from my budget at correcting any issues, cosmetics and gas (because I’d intend to drive the hell out of it).—Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor

1972 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, $45,100

Early second-gen F-Bodies have always had a piece of my heart. Understated in a handsome Sequoia Green with sporty white stripes, I could stare at this 1972 Camaro Z28’s perfect proportions for hours. Sure, by ’72 the 350 wasn’t as strong as in years past, but few people nowadays are buying cars from the ’70s to go fast. It’s got the attitude, the manual transmission, and the V-8 soundtrack for my summer evening needs.—Eddy Eckart, senior editor

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