3 Japanese cars you might want to consider selling

Japanese cars have certainly come into their own in the collector car market, and so have many other vehicles from the 1980s and ’90s. Unmolested, low-mileage examples of cars like the Mk IV Supra and Acura NSX have become downright expensive, but since not all cars are created equally, there are some lesser models that the market doesn’t seem so sweet on for whatever reason.

Here are three Japanese cars that, despite plenty of positive attributes, can be considered fully priced for the time being. If you’re looking to sell, now might be the time.

1986–91 Mazda RX-7

Both literally and figuratively, the second-generation (FC) RX-7 is the unloved middle child of the RX-7 family. Despite Porsche 944-like looks, the availability of a convertible (making it the only drop-top RX-7), a turbocharged model, and a successful sales run with over a quarter-million built, people often forget about it. It lacks the purity of the first-generation (FB) model and has neither the gorgeous looks nor the technical sophistication of the third and final generation (FD).

It seems like something of a hidden gem, but the market doesn’t seem to be coming around to the FC RX-7 any time soon. Values saw some minor increases in 2017, but the rise hasn’t continued and these models still cost about what they did 10 years ago on average, not counting for inflation. Over the last 12 months, buyer interest has fallen 7 percent, and the number of cars added to Hagerty policies has fallen too. Without any real long-term changes and a drop in interest, things don’t seem to be looking up for these particular rotary sports cars.

1984–89 Nissan 300ZX

Like the FC Mazda RX-7, the Z31 Nissan 300ZX is caught chronologically between two cars that people just plain like more. The Z31 came after the original Z-Car that helped put Japanese performance on the map, and it was replaced by the Z32 Nissan 300ZX, which came in twin-turbo form and has a more enthusiastic following. With decent looks, robust build quality, and low cost of entry, the Z31 is an appealing entry-level collector car, but that isn’t driving people to rush out and buy one. Values have increased, but only by small amounts (16 percent on average since 2011), and in recent months interest has been trailing the rest of the market.

1982–86 Toyota Supra

While the Mk IV Supra has been one of the hotter cars in the market lately, the second-gen Toyota Supra is an entirely different story. It’s also an entirely different car. Back in the first half of the 1980s, the Supra was still based on the Celica’s underpinnings and only had 160 horsepower on tap. While interest has turned to these cars more recently, with a 55-percent increase in their values since 2012, prices have flattened out over the past year as buyer interest has dipped by 3 percent. These models are following a different path, value-wise, than the more desirable later cars, and they don’t look like they’ll be making any positive movement in the near future.