Ups and downs: winners and losers in the 2018 classic car market

Highs and lows according to Hagerty

Hagerty loves hindsight. Since 2015, the specialist insurer has been tracking the risers and fallers of the classic car world with its Classic Index – and its latest update makes for very interesting reading.

For example, if we’d known that a Mazda MX-5 1.6i would be worth 8.5% more now than in April, we’d have ploughed all of our pennies into Japanese drop-tops.


Similarly, if we’d had any idea that a Ferrari 308GTB would fall almost 11% in value in that same period, we’d have shipped the Prancing Horse quicker than a freshly baked hot cake.

What were the other revelations? We delved into the data to bring you the biggest movers and shakers since April.

Ferrari 308 GTB

Change in value since April: -10.7%

First up is that fallen Ferrari. Appealing as the Pininfarina-penned Prancing Horse might be, the sharp-nosed V8 machine hasn’t faired well in the second half of 2018, joining the 26% of classic car models that have fallen in value during that time.

Porsche 924 Lux Coupé

Change in value since April: +5.6%

In contrast, Porsche’s first front-engined sports car has enjoyed a steady rise. Long-derided for its middling performance and non-911 looks, it seems the 924 is finally coming of age – with the Lux variant gaining almost 6% since April.

Fiat 500F

Change in value since April: +4.3%

An icon of the ’60s, Fiat’s economical 500cc runaround was cheap to run and – judging by Hagerty’s figures – wouldn’t have made a bad investment in April, at least in flip-top 500F guise.

Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV Coupé

Change in value since April: +5.4%

A late-’60s replacement for the Giulia Sprint GTV, Alfa’s quad-headlamp 1750 launched in 1967 with a revised chassis, shell and engine – and remains an appealing coupé today. So appealing, in fact, that its appreciation has beaten most savings accounts since April.

Willys MB Jeep

Change in value since April: -8.6%

Not the most common sight on UK roads today, the Willys MB Jeep was a ubiquitous army-bred off-roader in the 1940s.

The world’s first mass-produced 4x4, it might be good on low-grip surfaces but its value seems to be on a slippery slope, dropping almost 9% in the last eight months.

Volkswagen Beetle 1200 (Oval Window)

Change in value since April: +0.9%

Built as a car of the people, the Beetle has long been an icon of ’60s mass-motoring. The fact that millions were built in period doesn’t seem to have harmed its appeal as a classic, with values climbing slowly but surely over the last several years – a trend continued by the early 1200cc variant with its oval rear window (replaced in ’58 with rectangular glass).

BMW 2002tii

Change in value since April: +4.3%

Another firm performer according to Hagerty is the 2-litre BMW 2002 in fuel-injected tii guise. An early-’70s saloon with a 115mph top speed, it set the tone for Beemer styling for decades to come – kidney grille and all.

Aston Martin DB4

Change in value since April: -3.5%

Sixty years on from its launch, the DB4 continues to capture hearts with its classic GT styling and lightweight straight-six performance.

That said, with any classic worth hundreds of thousands, there’s always a risk of fluctuation – and, while the Aston still commands prices in excess of £250k, its average value has fallen 3.5% since April.

Aston Martin DBS Vantage

Change in value since April: +1.6%

In contrast, the muscular DBS – in 325bhp Vantage guise – has reportedly enjoyed a small but steady rise in value over the last eight months.

Long hovering around the £100,000 mark, the DBS is yet to enjoy the kind of price rise that its predecessors have experienced, but the two-door fastback will doubtless have its day.

Lancia Delta HF Integrale 16v

Change in value since April: +4.2%

Bred to rally and released for the street, the nutty Delta HF Integrale derived 200 turbocharged horses from its 2-litre Lancia engine, meaning it could do the 0-60 dash in 5.7 seconds and continue all the way to 137mph – not bad for an Italian family hatchback.

Anyone in possession of an unmodified, unharmed example will have seen the worth of their fearsome four-door climb handsomely since April, to the tune of more than 4%.

Ferrari Testarossa

Change in value since April: -7.6%

Ferrari’s all-’80s legend has long been a poster boy for the Italian marque – what with its striking side strakes and end-of-an-era flat-12 performance – but, having risen rapidly in value over the last few years, it seems the Maranello masterpiece has fallen back again. Only time will tell if or when prices will recover.

Ford Escort Mexico

Change in value since April: +3.7%

It might not be as rare as an RS Cosworth, but Ford’s ode to the Escort rally car has had a strong year since April, with the ’70s Mk1 Mexico – built to the tune of 10,000 or so examples – gaining the better part of 4% and proving that Blue Ovals don’t need a Cosworth engine to make decent investments.

Austin Mini Cooper S 1275

Change in value since April: 0%

One of several non-movers reported by Hagerty, this featherweight ’60s classic shot up in value years ago, with prices for the John Cooper-tuned S variant now relatively stable, reflecting what the market is happy to pay for the Alec Issigonis masterpiece – and that’s still a pretty penny, even if it’s not increasing.

Mazda MX-5 1.6i

Change in value since April: +8.5%

Of the 52% of models that have risen in value since April, Mazda’s lightweight masterclass in mid-engine, rear-wheel drive handling and performance has been one of the star machines.

Reflecting what Hagerty reckons is a growing preference for practical, stylish and accessible sports cars, the Japanese classic has enjoyed a near-9% rise in value in 1.6i form.

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Change in value since April: +3.6%

Fast Fords continue to rise in value – and the Blue Oval’s mid-’80s performance saloon is no exception, gaining almost 4% in the eight months since April, according to Hagerty.

Affordable, practical and rapid, the homologation special is less expensive than the rarer RS500 but shows few signs of slowing on its progressive price climb.

MGB GT V8

Change in value since April: +0.4%

Pretty poky in standard guise, the MGB gained a V8 upgrade in 1973, with a 3.5-litre Rover unit equipping the ubiquitous British sports car with almost 140bhp.

The rarest of MGBs, just 2500 or were built – and even fewer were wrapped with chrome bumpers. They remain desirable, but gains have been modest in the latter part of 2018.

Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato 1.6

Change in value since April: +5%

One of the better gainers in our round-up is the Lancia Fulvia – or, rather, the Sport variant: a stylish, sci-fi two-seater built by Zagato in the early ’70s.

In its most powerful 1.6-litre guise (built between 1971 and ’72), the aerodynamic Sport was good for 118mph and remains a desirable motor today.

Jaguar E-type Series 1 3.8 Flat Floor

Change in value since April: -10.9%

This one might come as something of a surprise – but with this most quintessential of British sports cars having fetched high prices for years, it’s perhaps only natural that the market would reset itself (particularly after values jumped at the start of 2018).

Early flat floor examples have traditionally been up there with the most desirable of E-types, but an almost 11% fall in value suggests that tastes might be changing – even for this most stylish of roadsters.

Porsche 911 2.4T

Change in value since April: +10.1%

Last up is the out-and-out top performer according to Hagerty: the 2.4-litre Porsche 911T available from 1971 to 1973.

Available in both Targa and coupé form, the 911 2.4T may not have been as powerful as the E or S variants from the same period, but it was produced in far greater numbers. Despite not being quite so rare as some 911s, though, this ’70s sports car has gained an impressive 10% in value over the last eight months.

If only you’d bought one in January, eh?