Five Classic Cars You Can Drive, Enjoy, and Invest In

When you've got a vintage or collector vehicle -- whether it's a race car, sports car, hot rod, or beloved project -- knowing it's value to the larger world can be helpful! Is it time to sell and find that next passion project, or hold on and wait until it makes more sense? Alternately, is it time to invest in a new hobby, and watch that appreciate. At RacingJunk, we see the trends (and the funds) come and go as the market values and devalues various vehicles, and while the enthusiast and race space is a different beast than the collector market, it's always helpful to know if what you've got may be worth more in that world. A recent edition of the Hagerty Price Guide inspired us to showcase some of the vehicles that are appreciating that we see regularly on RacingJunk. So check them out and let us know if YOUR vehicle is amongst them.

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According to Hagerty, the Fox-body Ford Mustang has surged in value a whopping 15 percent in the last quarter. It’s a longstanding upward trend – values have increased by over 250 percent in the past decade. It’s safe to say that Fox Mustangs have an enduring popularity that makes them a very good buy in any market. Fox Mustangs are pretty common here on RacingJunk, so it was hard to pick a favorite, but this 1990 7-Up edition – built for a cancelled soft drink promotion – is an exceptionally popular limited production model with an interesting story. This one is offered for sale in Tampa, Florida, for $21,995. That’s the higher end of the pricing scale for these, and we’d like to see the correct turbine-style wheels replace the white Pony wheels.

The original unibody SUV has maintained an impressive level of popularity, even two decades after the last one rolled off the Toledo, Ohio production line. The appeal comes from their versatility. In stock form, they seat four adults in reasonable comfort and exhibit surprisingly good road manners. They also make excellent trail rigs, so many have been extensively modified to do so with lift kits and large tires. With nearly three million produced, you might expect a clean example to be easy to find. However, many were run hard in all four seasons, making rust a serious issue. However, good XJ Cherokees are still out there, but expect high mileage. This 1992 Cherokee two-door, found in Cadillac, Michigan, has over a quarter of a million miles on the venerable 4.0 liter inline six. However, the undercarriage appears clean and the interior remains in very good shape. It’s a solid candidate for a light restoration, as good condition examples have doubled in value over the past five years.

The 1970s is remembered not-so-fondly as “The Malaise Era,” thanks to the fuel crisis effectively killing the muscle car. It was the era of the personal luxury coupe, and perhaps no better example exists than the 1973-1977 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Many collectors agree, as values across the board have jumped a whopping 30% this quarter. We see they appeal. They’re handsome, stylish cars, and with small-block V8 power, they’re easy enough to modify into a stoplight warrior or dragstrip demon if you so choose. From an investment standpoint, though, we’d buy something like this beautiful gold 1973 Monte Carlo we found for sale in Morgantown, PA and enjoy it as-is.

Before it was an electrified pickup, the Ford F-150 lightning was a product of Ford’s Special Vehicle Team. This factory high-performance pickup was powered by a supercharged 5.4 liter Modular V8, and good for 360 horsepower and 440 lb/ft of torque when it was launched in 1999 (2001 and up models gained a bit more power). For collectors, the Lightning scratches a lot of different itches – it’s a limited-production, high-performance pickup truck. What’s not to love? Apparently, the collector car market agrees with this sentiment, as the ’99-’04 Lightning has gained an impressive 18% in value just this quarter. They’re still, however, a relative bargain compared to what they cost new. This 2000 example in black, found in Morgantown, PA, will set you back $32,000 with just 53,000 miles on the odometer.

Like the Fox-Body Mustang we mentioned earlier, Datsun 240Z values have been on a slow-steady climb for as long as many of our readers have been alive. The beautiful, flowing lines of the original Z-car endeared itself to enthusiasts immediately when it was released. It’s a car with the rare distinction of “instant classic.” Well-restored examples are everywhere, and you can expect to pay at least $20k-$25k for something you can start collecting car show trophies with right away. Any 240Z owner will tell you that it’s a small price to pay to own one of the prettiest cars ever made. This original final year example was found in Cadillac, Michigan, with an asking price just under $19,000. Being an original North Carolina car, it’s an ideal candidate for a light restoration.