Generation change
11/05/2025
There is a lot of discussion about how the classic car market is changing. A nice illustration of the change is the comparison between two Ferrari models, namely the Ferrari 330 GTC and the F40.
Based on the Zwischengas auction database, the average prices achieved for both models were compared over 10 years (2016 to 2025).
The analysis shows that the valuations have developed completely differently with a similar starting point. While the 330 GT developed rather flat or downwards, the F40 showed a clear upward trend. A 1:1 developed into a 6:1, i.e. the F40 is now worth around six times as much at auction as a 330 GTC.
It is worth taking a closer look at the two coupés to understand the differences. The Ferrari 330 GTC, built between 1966 and 1968, was produced in (mostly non-red) 598 examples. It represented the classic Italian Granturismo sports car with a V12 front engine and elegant, understated design. With independent rear suspension and disc brakes, the car was at the height of its time and was popular for long distances.
The Ferrari F40, on the other hand, is a racing car tamed for road use. The number of units was actually limited, but because customers kept buying more and more, 1311 (practically all red) examples of the mid-engined two-seater with twin-turbo V8 engine were eventually produced between 1987 and 1996. The F40 was a car for a short and dramatic drive or self-testing on the circuit.
The fact that the Ferrari F40 is now able to outstrip the 330 GTC in terms of value despite its higher production volume is also due to the changing demands of classic car buyers. Long-distance comfort and good manners are less important today, but an impressive appearance is all the more so. Younger auction visitors in particular hardly notice the classic GTC any more, whereas they already had the F40 as a poster in their children's room or as a Burago model car on the playground.
For all those who have always dreamed of a classic Ferrari, the changed buyer preferences also offer new opportunities. While the twelve-cylinder front-engined Ferrari coupés of the sixties and early seventies were practically unaffordable for decades, they are now becoming more affordable again and may fit into the budget at some point ...
P.S. An evaluation of almost 30 other popular and well-known classics will be published in the upcoming Zwischengas annual magazine 2026 .
