According to the VDA's German Classic Car Index, prices for cars over 30 years old rose by 2.2% in 2018. One could therefore speak of a moderate increase, but inflation is almost as high, which neutralizes value gains.
In 2017, the increase was even lower at 1.4%. These growth rates are rather low in a long-term comparison. The German Classic Car Index has been calculated since 1999.
Starting from a base value of 1000 points, the last 20 years show an impressive 160 percent increase in value in Germany.
Leap in value for BMW E9
Despite the slowdown in price development across the market as a whole, individual models made stronger gains last year. A German car from the 1970s is leading the way: the BMW 3.0 CSi experienced a leap in value last year.
The rarity of this type is probably one reason. Today there are only 441 registered vehicles of the BMW sports coupé.
In contrast, the VW Beetle is the most common classic car in Germany, experiencing the second highest price increase last year. Due to their age, these vehicles, which used to be quite affordable in the past, increasingly require extensive repairs or restorations, which are then reflected in the price.
Bulli still at the top
In a comparison of price trends over the last 20 years, the 1st to 3rd places remain unchanged from the previous year.
The VW Type 2 "Bulli" bus leads the way ahead of the iconic Citroen 2 CV and the increasingly popular BMW 3 Series.
The BMW 3.0 CS and VW Beetle have moved up to 4th and 5th place due to the positive development last year. A total of eight of the top 10 are vehicles from German brands.
Functions similarly to a stock market index
The German Classic Car Index was launched by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). Together with the Bochum-based valuation specialist classic-analytics, a system was developed that reflects the price development of the most popular classic cars in Germany. For this purpose, 88 representative vehicles are selected and weighted according to their registration figures. Vehicles that are particularly expensive due to their rarity or history are not included.
Editor's note
Whether the prices of old cars are really still rising will probably only be known in retrospect. For example, how can the stock be valued by dealers and owners if it is not traded? In fact, statistical classic car valuations usually lag a little behind reality. This is the case both with sharp rises and falls in value.
Further information on the German Classic Car Index can also be found on the VDA website.
