9 Big Winners from the Big Three in the Latest Price Guide
As the weather gets hotter and driving season is now in full swing across North America, the collector car market continues to cool off. That doesn’t mean all classic cars are getting cheaper, though, as a lot of them started this year with significant appreciation. We surveyed the vehicles from the Big Three (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) in the Hagerty Price Guide, and below are the ones that have seen the biggest rise in values so far in 2024.
1979-93 Ford Mustang: +15 percent
Third generation, aka “Fox-body” Mustangs have been getting pricier for over a decade now, and kept right on going through the first part of 2024. A 15 percent bump in a quarter is remarkable, and so is the 258 percent surge in average Fox-body values over the past 10 years.
A big part of the Mustang’s appeal is that there’s one for most budgets, and that’s still the case with Fox-bodies despite the big numbers above. Condition #2 values for this generation of America’s pony car range from $13,000 for some of the humble early cars to over 100 grand for high-spec Saleens and SVT Cobra Rs.
1984-92 Lincoln Mark VII: +15 percent
The love for Ford’s Fox platform isn’t limited to Mustangs. In total, 15 different FoMoCo vehicles rode on the Fox chassis, and one was the Lincoln Continental Mark VII, renamed Mark VII for 1986. The 1985 LSC model was the first American car with four-channel antilock brakes, and the combination of reliable 302-cubic inch V-8 with Lincoln luxury made it a decent seller. Maybe it’s a case of the Mustang’s rising tide lifting all Fox-platformed boats, but the Mark VII’s growth isn’t limited to 2024. Since 2021, this car has more than doubled in value, with current #2 prices ranging from $22,000 to $24,500.
1999-2004 Ford SVT Lightning: +18 percent
The 1993 F-150 SVT Lightning was Ford’s original sport truck, and alongside the ’93 Mustang SVT Cobra, it introduced the buying public to Ford’s Special Vehicle Team. Ford retired the Lightning name in 1995, but brought it back on the 10th generation F-Series platform for 1999. Whereas the original Lightning used the tried-and-true 351 Windsor, the 1999 Lightning used an Eaton supercharged 5.4-liter Triton engine good for 360 hp (up to 380 from 2001). MSRP for the 1999 Lightning came in at $29,355 (about $55,800 when adjusted for inflation) when the regular F-150 XL V8 listed from $16,015, and Ford sold over 28,000 units of the boosted pickup from 1999-2004. When adjusted for inflation, then, Lightnings haven’t quite caught up to their original price unless they’re in #1 (“best in the world”) condition.
1965-68 Plymouth Fury/VIP: +11 percent
Plymouth’s fourth-generation Fury rode on Chrysler’s new, full-size C-body platform and was available in a wide range of body styles, engine configurations and trim levels, including a luxury version called the Plymouth VIP. Given the wide range of equipment and body styles, Fury values have a broad range as well, from under 13 grand for a 318-powered Fury I sedan to over 100 for a Hemi-powered Sport Fury. Prices have moved differently among the various body styles: Most convertibles and sedans have actually moved down about three percent, while two-door sedans and hardtop coupes are up 20 percent since January.
1965-68 Dodge Polara: +9 percent
Also built on the full-size C-body platform and available with a wide range of engines, body styles, and trims, the third generation Polara similarly has a wide range of values that move differently from each other. And, like the Fury, it isn’t the first name in American muscle despite being available with big V-8s, including 440s and Hemis. While most versions haven’t moved at all, convertibles are up 15 percent since the beginning of the year.
1984-2001 Jeep Cherokee XJ: +10 percent
Introduced for 1984, the XJ-generation Jeep Cherokee was Jeep’s first all-new design since the 1960s as well as the first with unibody construction. This proto-SUV was so popular that when Chrysler bought the Jeep brand from AMC in 1987, it retained the XJ and kept on building it until 2001. That’s an impressive run, and XJs are still in demand. Their #2 values are up by 10 percent across the board so far this year, and have more than doubled over the past five years.
1973-75 Pontiac Grand Am: +16 percent
Pontiac debuted the Grand Am model in 1973 as a sort of mix between the luxury-oriented Grand Prix and the sporty Firebird Trans Am. Built on the GM A-body platform, the “mid-sized Pontiac with Foreign Intrigue…American Ingenuity” (according to the ads) was available as a 2-door colonnade or 4-door “pillared” hardtop, and adorned with the massive beak found on most ’70s Pontiacs.
Introduced after the golden age of muscle was already over, the first-gen Grand Am is like many ’70s American cars in that it isn’t very expensive and its prices historically haven’t moved much. They started getting pricier in 2020, however, and have started the year with a 16 percent gain on average.
1961-63 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass: +13 percent
Olds used the Cutlass name on a 1954 Motorama show car, but it didn’t reappear until 1961, with the introduction of a deluxe coupe version of the all-new F-85 “senior compact.” It came with a 215-cubic inch aluminum V-8, similar to the Buick engine that went on to become the famous Rover V-8. The Cutlass-based 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire was also the first production car offered with a turbocharger.
F-85 values were flat for most of the 2010s and didn’t move dramatically during the earlier part of this decade. Convertible models and Jetfires are also flat so far this year, but all other trims (F-85 and F-85 Cutlass) and body styles (coupe, sedan, and station wagon) are up 20 percent since January.
1973-77 Chevrolet Monte Carlo: +30 percent
The redesigned ’73 Monte Carlo was a big success for Chevrolet. Motor Trend named it their “Car of the Year,” and the Monte helped the company set a sales record that year. New features like standard radial tires, wrap-around interior styling, and one-piece swiveling bucket seats helped the Monte Carlo lead the parade of entries in America’s personal luxury car market. Through several restyles and despite shrinking engines and power figures, the second-gen Monte remained a sales juggernaut through its five-year production run.
These cars shot up in price starting in 2022, and #2 values are up a whopping 82 percent over the past two years.
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I don’t know what it was about those 73-74 Pontiac A-bodies, but it seemed like everyone I knew was driving one in the mid 70’s. Of my two best friends, one had a white 73 Grand Am 2 door 400 2bbl and the other had a green 73 LeMans GT 350 4 bbl. Another friend had a maroon 4 door 400 4bbl 74 Grand Am and a forth guy I knew had a silver 73 GTO with a 400 4bbl….and a 3 speed floor shift. There was also an older guy (he was in his mid to late 20’s, LOL) in the area who had a Blue 73 Grand Am 400 4 speed that use to fill up at the Sunoco station I hung out at, but he wasn’t anyone I really knew I just knew his car.
Always thought the 67/68 sport fury with the fast top was one of the best looking. Plymouth went all out on the on the interior. Absolutely gorgeous. Wished I had kept mine. It was a blue/green metallic,don’t know what they called it, with white interior, 383, console shift 727
As the owner of a 01 Lightning it’s cool to us gen 2 owners get a mention. From what I’ve seen though is that gen 2 Lightning aren’t all that rare, especially down south. My truck, my Pops bought it new here MN in 2001 and my folks moved to Florida. He daily drove it, actual used it as a truck until he passed away. They made about 30,000 or so total from 99-04. I know they weren’t made for that many years though. Near me there’s a guy with 3 gen 2s. a white 99, the one year only medium blue I think it’s called and a custom teal colored one with air bags and mini tubs. Literally EVERY time I drive the truck somebody is either giving me a thumbs up or stopping to talk to me, it’s very cool and odd at the same time. It’s a truck, not a Viper or a lambo or some old classic.
With that said, some parts for the Lightning are hard to get. LMR does a great job but they don’t have everything. I’ve found a lot of stuff on eBay but for new reproduction parts it’s basically LMR or no one.
Nice to see the ’73-’77 Montes getting some love. My folks bought a brand new one in the spring of ’73 in metallic Kelly green with a white full vinyl top and cloth bench seat interior, and Rally wheels. Of course being near Chicago we had the Ziebart rust treatment done. My siblings and I all had our turns with it until the 350 jumped the timing chain in 1990; by then it had finally started rusting out so my dad junked it. Would love to have another like it.
Face reality! With government spending causing high inflation most of these cars have just stayed even!
Effort should really be made to get things right. Accuracy can be insured either by hiring writers who have interest in the subject at hand and know stuff about it, or are at least capable of doing some cursory research before posting. Otherwise Hagerty’s reputation of being a go-to source for collector car facts pretty much goes out the window.
False: The Cutlass-based 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire was also the first production car offered with a turbocharger. When the Corvair Monza Spyder was launched at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1962, it was heralded as the world’s first turbocharged production car. But to be fair, Oldsmobile introduced its turbocharged Jetfire just weeks later on April 20 at the New York show, and surely both vehicles were developed and signed off in the same timeframe at General Motors. So for most purposes we can say it was effectively a tie.
In Chevy’s favor, the Monza Spyder was considerably more successful than the Olds. While the Jetfire was offered for only two seasons, the turbocharged Corvair remained in production through 1966 with nearly 60,000 cars built and sold. What’s more, the Monza Spyder was affordably priced.
All are rather interesting and attractive vehicles, some quite so, except maybe the relatively commonplace Cherokee, and the unattractive Grand Am and ridiculous Monte Carlo. For examples of good-looking GM midsize cars during that 1973-1977 era, see the Olds Cutlass Supreme, Pontiac Grand Prix, and the 1976-77 Buick Regal.
Oh, boy, a 15% increase. Isn’t that great. I think I can do better in the stock market. I know my holdings in the S&P 500 for the last 30 years have done better. I definitely know my 10 years holdings in Nvidia and Costco have done better. Cars are adult toys and not investment vehicles. I have 8 because I like to work on them and drive and frankly could care less as to what they would sell for since I am never selling.
I kinda expected to see mention of the 2nd gen Dodge Chargers. Their market value has exploded to an obscene level over the last decade, to the point that they have become almost unobtainable unless you are rather wealthy. I see basket case project (more like parts cars) Chargers hovering around the 20k mark anymore. Of course that bubble is likely to pop sooner or later once people demanding that kind of money realize that genuine car people, and not investment wonks, are going to think hard before they pay a year’s salary for a decent ’68 Charger. I know for certain there’s no 2nd gen Charger in my future… 😉