While the majority of attention and cash has been aimed at the high-profile musclecars, cars like a Mercury Caliente (shown) or AMC's performance lineup are also growing in value.
We also spoke to American Chevelle Enthusiasts Society (ACES) club president and ex-Car Craft staffer Chuck Hanson, who has been swimming in the deep end of the Chevrolet musclecar pool for almost three decades. Hanson thinks that auctions accomplish two things--they escalate interest in musclecars and they escalate the prices. "Let's put this into perspective," Hanson said. "Here are people with money who want a car and they're willing to pay for it." He went on to say, "I think ego is driving a lot of this. The auctions are a lot like Vegas--you see these guys with gold chains around their necks and hot women on their arms ... they're being a hero to their own ego. But you have to give kudos to the Barrett-Jackson organization for making this thing work."
Most of the examples of cars that are going for "stupid money" are the most rare cars like the Hemi 'Cuda convertibles. But this also contributes to a continuing escalation of the value of more commonplace musclecars. Part of the reason for this increase is the simple fact that mid-'60s to early-'70s cars are now 30 to 40 years old and the pool of available cars is rapidly diminishing. This makes even mundane cars worth more money. As an example, our sister magazine Mustangs & Fords reported in their July '04 issue on a bone-stock '72 Maverick Grabber with a 140hp 302, automatic and 49,500 miles on the clock. While hardly a prized rare musclecar, this car went for $20,100 on eBay.
Alternative cars like this Mercury Cyclone will continue to climb in value, but not nearly as fast as its more popular big-block Ford cousins. It is demand and perceived value that makes a car like a Boss 429 Mustang worth more than this Mercury.
Futures Market
So where does this leave the budget-strapped car crafter? All the news is not necessarily bad. Every crystal ball we tried was, at best, translucent. But many enthusiasts, including Chuck Hanson, believe that this current price explosion won't last. "I think the market is overheated a bit right now and the pendulum will swing the other way. Average musclecars have increased in value 13 to 15 percent in the last 2 years, but it can't continue."
The lure of a big-block musclecar that can smoke the tires for as long as you want to keep your foot in it while simultaneously enjoying that Hollywood cool factor appears to be part of what's pushing the musclecar movement right now. Once all the investors and fashion followers bail out in search of a new trend to dive into, it's possible that prices will stabilize. But you might as well get used to higher prices for your favorite musclecar. It appears to be the way of the world.
Auctions are major money-movers these days. This is the most recent Barrett-Jackson auction held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles in late June. Of 165 cars listed, we saw at least 6 clones. | 
This is a Challenger T/A clone we saw at the Barrett-Jackson auction at the Petersen Museum. Prices continueto climb even for clones. |
The T/A clone was fitted with a six-barreled small-block. The owner claimed over $50,000 in receipts to complete the restoration. It didn't sell because it didn't reach its reserve of $32,000. | |