These 6 Japanese Classics Got More Expensive This Summer

It wasn’t until relatively recently that Japanese cars became a huge part of the classic car market. With many of them built in the 1980s or 1990s, they were more “used” than “classic” or “collectible.” Those days are mostly behind us, though, as Japanese cars and trucks are definitely part of the conversation now. We even have a Japanese Vehicles Index to keep track of this increasingly important segment of the market.

While prices for some Japanese classics have plateaued or softened in recent months, others continue to appreciate. Below are the six that grew the most with the latest release of the Hagerty Price Guide this summer.

1990–95 Toyota MR2

Average increase in #2 value: 18 percent

Toyota introduced the Midship Runabout 2-seater aka the Mister-Two aka the MR2 for 1985. Agile and affordable, the first-generation car was the only entry-level mid-engine sports car from a mainstream manufacturer, and its wedge (some might say doorstop) styling left it looking like a miniature European exotic, while an available supercharged model for 1988–89 packed a serious punch. Toyota built the MR2 for three generations, and in this family it’s the middle child that’s the best-looking and most athletic. It’s also by far the most valuable.

The Mk II MR2 arrived for 1991, trading ’80s creases for ’90s smoothness and sexy scoops ahead of the rear wheels. Base cars got a 130-hp 2.2-liter four shared with the Celica and Camry, while Turbo models got a 2.0-liter twin-cam that was turbocharged for an even 200 hp and 200 lb-ft. Plenty of Mk II MR2s have been modified, crashed, or driven to death over the past 30 years, but the car’s dual personas—exotic looks and layout coupled with Toyota parts and reliability—still resonate. Clean MR2s gradually have been getting pricier since 2020, and some massive sales earlier this year have pushed them further. Condition #2 values range from $23,800 for an early base car to $36,900 for an early Turbo, while the later 1993–95 Turbos with suspension improvements and available limited-slip can stretch to 50 grand or more.

1989–91 Honda Civic Si

Average increase in #2 value: 19 percent

The Si (“Sport injected”) version of the Honda Civic is a sport compact staple that goes all the way back to 1984. The second-generation Si arrived in the U.S. for 1989 and carried the Honda hot hatch torch through 1991. A capable and fun little car, it has mostly lived in the shadow of its similarly capable and even more fun cousin—the CRX Si. They’re mechanically similar, though, and have the same 108-hp D16A6 SOHC four-cylinder and five-speed manual. The Civic is a little heftier but still weighs less than 2300 pounds. Think of it as a CRX with back seats and a little extra cargo space, because that’s basically what it is.

Prices for clean CRXs (of which there aren’t many left) started increasing significantly in the late 2010s. The Civics lagged behind a couple of years and are still growing, but they just saw their largest increase ever. Owners were even less likely to pamper their 1989–91 Civic Si than the equivalent CRX, but a clean #2 condition car is worth $21K at the moment, with condition #3 cars coming in at a little over $15K.

1964–66 Honda S600

Average increase in #2 value: 20 percent

A little further back in the Honda catalog is one of the company’s very first four-wheeled vehicles—the S600. Its size, performance numbers, and styling are reminiscent of contemporary Triumph Spitfires/MG Midgets/Austin-Healey Sprites, but it is much more unconventional and advanced in its design. Its 57-hp aluminum overhead-cam engine and five-speed, for example, drive the rear wheels via chain, and the S600 can rev all the way up to 9500 rpm, faster even than its beloved spiritual successor, the S2000.

Honda didn’t officially import the S600 here, but enough have been imported on an individual basis that there are a decent number of them on our shores. Prices have been rising since the late 2010s but, as with the later Civic, S600s just had their largest increase in value ever. The current #2 value for a convertible is currently at $79,200, and for a coupe it’s $58,300. That comes out to roughly $131 per cc of displacement, or $1389 per horsepower.

1991–98 Suzuki Cappuccino

Average increase in #2 value: 10 percent

Similarly tiny, similarly Japanese, and similarly not imported here, the Suzuki Cappuccino is small on size but big on fun and charm, and not as slow as the spec sheet might suggest. The Cappuccino, along with the rival Honda Beat and Autozam (Mazda) AZ-1, were built for Japan’s low-tax keijidosha minicar segment. But, coming out of an ambitious time in Japanese car design, these weren’t commuter cars or urban utility vans but sports cars. Because of the kei segment’s restrictions on size and displacement, the Cappuccino is more than a foot narrower and more than two feet shorter than a contemporary Miata. Its twin-cam, 12-valve turbocharged and port-injected triple makes 63 hp and can return about 40 mpg. Prices for these little coffee machines started gaining steam over the past two years, and are up about $3K so far this year. Condition #2 values are currently $17,300 for a base car and $19,000 for the Limited trim.

1991–96 Subaru SVX

Average increase in #2 value: 5 percent

Sold in Japan as the Alcyone SVX but everywhere else as simply “SVX,” this Giugiaro-penned oddball replaced the Subaru XT but was more powerful, more luxurious, and more expensive. Probably its most famous feature is the aircraft-inspired split side windows, in which only the bottom half rolls down. The four-seat coupe has a 3.3-liter flat-six and all-wheel drive. MSRP was in the mid- to high-$20K range, at the time making it the most expensive Subaru ever. That said, it wasn’t competitive with similar Japanese sport coupes like the Mitsubishi 3000GT or Nissan 300ZX, and it was automatic-only. About 14,000 came to North America.

Over the last two years, though, SVX prices have surged. Their median #2 value is currently $16,800, which is essentially more than double compared to five years ago.

1990–97 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80

Average increase in #2 value: 12 percent

By the time the FJ80 came out at the dawn of the 1990s, the Toyota Land Cruiser already had decades of tackling rough terrain under its belt and a well-deserved reputation as one of the most capable vehicles on the planet. This generation, however, took the Land Cruiser in a slightly different, more luxurious direction. The FJ80 had air conditioning, better soundproofing, leather seats, and more refined fit and finish without losing the utility of previous Land Cruisers. Toyota addressed initial grumbles about the sluggish 155-hp 4.0-liter six in 1993 with a new 4.5-liter unit. The FJ80 was also the last Land Cruiser with an inline-six and solid front axle.

Compared to earlier FJ40 and FJ60 Land Cruisers, FJ80s haven’t seen huge upswings in value. But they have appreciated, and condition #2 values currently sit at $32,800 for a 1991–92 4.0-liter model and $44,400 for the later 4.5-liter model.