Falling valuations, rising valuations
04/09/2021
Who still needs an almost 380-page booklet with classic car valuations when you can look up the current values online at zwischengas.com ?
Well, even we are happy every year when the thick booklet from the classic car market editors is on the table, because a printed booklet has its advantages. Typically, you leaf through it sequentially and discover a few things that you might otherwise have overlooked. According to the new magazine, the Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9 is 247% more expensive in 2021 than it was five years ago! At the same time, almost all early Porsche 911 models have fallen in price by 12 to 28% over the same period.
Yes, the column with the price development in percent, which compares the price differences for condition 3 at the end of 2015 and the end of 2020, is quite something! As we know, classic car prices were pretty much at their peak in the mid-teens, so it is only understandable that they have fallen since then. Downward corrections are colored red in the magazine, price increases in black. It is easy to understand why there are many red percentages, especially for pre-war cars, particularly when it comes to less sporty or rare vehicles. What is interesting, however, is that many red percentages can also be seen on super classics, while the black percentages are in the majority, especially on young or less expensive classics. The early Mazda MX5, for example, became 32% more expensive, a Mercedes-Benz C36 19% more expensive, early Lotus Esprit increased by 28%, the Maserati Ghibli 4.9 lost 7%.
Of course, you always like to look at the values of vehicles that you have "invested" in yourself. And then often marvel at the fact that, although the car has become more expensive since 2015, the prices are still below the value you paid x years ago.
It is also important to understand that the Classic Data figures are guidelines and that deviations can be considerable for a variety of reasons. But even if not every figure is completely correct and the 825% increase in value of the Mercedes-Benz 300 D Turbodiesel (4 Matic) (1983-1993) is probably the result of a calculation error, it is still a real pleasure to leaf through this magazine, which is very reasonably priced at less than EUR 8.00. And you can play wonderful "If only I had ...." games with it.
And if you are frustrated by slightly falling prices, I recommend taking a look at a Mark-Preise magazine from back then, for example the 1989 issue. A Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupé with a 3.8-liter engine in condition 2 was listed at DM 39,400 at the time, the equivalent of around EUR 20,500. The current issue lists EUR 94,000 for the same car, despite a 14% loss in value (condition 3) since the end of 2015.
If you would like to have the current Oldtimer-Markt price booklet, you can order it for EUR 7.90 within Germany including shipping and VAT. This will make another lock-down hour fly by.
