VETT457

Does anyone have a price trend plot for C1's over the last few decades?

61 Roadster

Closest I know of: https://www.hagerty.com/valuationtools

You'll still have to choose year and features; the devil is in the details. A NOM 62 with shabby paint, some 70's customisations like flared fenders will have an entirely different value than an NCRS/Bloomington 57 4spd Fuelie.

Frankie the Fink

All I can tell you is that it took about 9 months to sell my numbers matching, no hit, dual quad, 270hp, two top, '61 for $65,000... A very strong, "turn-key", #2 car...

I think it might have brought more 3-4 years back but who knows....

stratplus

Frank, I would say that guy bought a hell of a car for $65k.

Were you happy with the price?

Frankie the Fink

I was fine with the price...I don't really think I left much, if anything, on the table with the current market.

The car started off being marketed in the mid-$80K range to a wide audience including overseas, never even got any 'bites' until the price reductions got down into the lower $70K range.... Then there was some spotty interest but no takers. I was within 48 hours of pulling the car back from the consignment shop when it sold to a local gent....

Folks may be hearing big numbers for C1s but those cars have beau coup awards, some special provenance, or, the like...

Root2812

I may be wrong but I felt I watched the market fairly closely while looking for my car but I knew I could never aford the NRCS, Bloomington Gold, ect cars that are big bucks so I didn't watch them close at all. I kept my eye on project and driver quality cars with little known history.

I think a numbers matching C1 driver quality car seems to be in the $35k-$50K range depending on condition. Projects can be anywhere depending on what you get but I never saw any below $20k. Anything over $50k tended to be those real nice cars that I knew were out of range so I didn't watch too closely. It also seemed like these ranges held true for nice NOM cars too but within reason.

I felt really good about the $35k I gave for my numbers matching 59 this fall. I think if I finished the interior (had fresh paint and engine rebuild) and a few other small things I think it would be in the $45-50K range to the right buyer.

OP, Thats just my opinion on the value thing so I hope it helps.

Frankie the Fink

I'd say you're pretty close to the mark in your observations...
I had set my own mental 'reserve' for my car at $65K; if it hadn't brought that I would have continued to keep and drive as I've always done.

I went to StreetSide Classics in Lutz, FL this past Saturday, they are a large, LARGE consignment shop nationwide. Several hundred cars on display with a few #1 examples but most #2 and below. VERY few, prob less that 6-8 were priced in the range that I sold my '61 for. And those were 'asking prices'; subject to negotiation...

I think I did just fine...

Root2812

My observations were on mostly #4 cars or some #3s based on the Hagerty grading scale. I like that you gave the condition grade your car would be in. When I said driver I was using a subjective term. For the sake of this conversation using those numbers is a good idea. #1 and #2 cars are the ones that were way beyond me, your car was too nice.

VETT457

I'm really interested to see where, in the last thirty or so years, value for these cars saw steep slopes.