Topping this year's list of future collectibles is the Jaguar F-Type R, the new coupe has been described as the “spiritual successor” to the British maker’s legendary E-Type.
Walk into a showroom, plunk down your money and within a few years that new car will likely be worth a fraction of what you paid. Or so it goes with most vehicles, but there are a handful of models that will defy the aging process only to become collectibles that buyers not only covet but that they’ll be willing to pay a premium for.
How do you sort out the mundane from the someday rare and unique? It helps if you know someone like McKeel Hagerty, the president and CEO of the eponymous Hagerty Insurance and a recognized expert in the car collector world. For those who don’t know McKeel on a first-name basis, no problem. He’s offering up his annual Hot List, a guide to the vehicles – notably priced at under $100,000 – that are most likely to be tomorrow’s collectibles.
“Most new car news focuses on the latest interactive technology, alternative power sources, and the race to increased efficiency,” Hagerty explains. “But for a car to be collectible in the future, it has to be cool right off the assembly line. A collectible car has to grab you and not let you go.”
The BMW M5 cracked the Top 10 list of future collectible cars, coming in at No. 2.
Topping the list – and barely making it at an MSRP of $99,000 – is the Jaguar F-Type R, the new coupe version of the sports car that has been described as the “spiritual successor” to the British maker’s legendary E-Type.
Not surprisingly, the 2014 Hagerty Hot List is loaded with sports and performance cars, ranging from the BMW M5 to the seventh-generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. There’s also an affordable pocket rocket in the form of the $21,400 Ford Fiesta ST, and even a sport-utility vehicle, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X.
Significantly, half of these collectibles-in-the-making have domestic origins. That includes two Chevrolets: the Stingray and the new Chevrolet COPO Camaro of which the Detroit maker has promised to build just 69, by the very definition all but insuring it falls into the collectible category. Also falling into the classic muscle car category is the Dodge Challenger Shaker which brings back the bulging hood Chrysler was known for four decades ago.
Japanese makers traditionally haven’t fared very well with Hagerty, perhaps because they tend to focus on mass-market segments. But the relatively limited-edition Nissan 370Z NISMO makes the cut this year.
(Dodge hits the ground running with new Dart Blacktop. For more, Click Here.)
The twin turbochargers feeding the 410 horsepower 3.0 liter V6 ensures the Maserati Ghibli is more than just pretty curves.
Another name you might not have expected on the list is Maserati which is normally priced well above the $100,000 cut-off point. But it squeaks in this year thanks to the newly reborn Ghibli, at a price tag of a “mere” $75,000.
Sadly, we may never get our hands on one of these 10 desirable machines. Fiat/Chrysler keeps promising – and delaying – the return of the Maserati brand to the U.S. shores, though if it finally does arrive, Hagerty suggests snapping up one of the little Alfa 4C sports cars. Otherwise, you may need to trek over to Europe to grab one.
(Click Here to get the first look at the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG)
Here’s the full 2014 Hagerty Hot List, the 10 models listed in descending order by price, along with McKeel Hagerty’s observations:
1. Jaguar F-Type R ($99,000) – The British marque makes a triumphant return to the sports car scene with the growling F-Type. Boasting a healthy V8 engine and rear drive platform, the F-Type will surely be a driving enthusiast choice soon enough.
The Corvette is the most popularly collected vehicle in the U.S. Dollar for dollar, it's perhaps the best value in the sports car arena.
2. BMW M5 Sedan ($92,900) – A performance-oriented sedan with an old school manual transmission is quickly becoming an extinct species. While more drivers shun the thought of using three pedals, we applaud BMW for keeping this option alive in this segment.
3. Chevrolet COPO Camaro ($90,000) – Chevrolet basically guarantees future collectability of the dragstrip-ready COPO Camaro by limiting production to 69 units. It is only appropriate that the first production model will be sold at the upcoming Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona.
4. Maserati Ghibli S ($75,000) – The Ghibli returns for a third time, and this time as a four door. The twin turbochargers feeding the 410 horsepower 3.0 liter V6 ensures the Ghibli is more than just pretty curves.
5. Alfa Romeo 4C ($54,000) – A budget-friendly Italian sports car might sound like an oxymoron, but the 4C is saying all the right words. With a carbon fiber tub leading to a curb weight of just over 2,100 lbs., this sporty two-seater isn’t pulling any punches as it aims at the U.S. market.
6. Chevrolet Corvette ($51,000) – The Corvette is the most popularly collected vehicle in the U.S. so GM had no choice but to make the new C7 great. It is a nice mix of Corvette heritage with real world performance figures and technology goodies. Dollar for dollar this is the best performance buy on the market.
Following the enthusiasm surrounding the Focus ST, the little brother Fiesta ST has been pumping the same iron.
7. Nissan 370Z NISMO ($43,000) – The Nissan Z car has amassed a following and the 370Z NISMO is the latest and greatest in this lineage. With Japanese cars now representing a standalone class of collectables in a way that we have not seen in the past, 350 and 370Zs will not be ignored by collectors in years to come.
8. Dodge Challenger Shaker ($36,995) – While the styling of the new Challenger has always harkened back to the glory days of muscle cars, nothing says horsepower wars like a bulging hood scoop. Dodge went back to the roots and added the iconic shaker hood to atop of a healthy HEMI engine and R/T options package. We will take ours in Plum Crazy Pearl.
9. Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X ($35,095) – Vintage SUV’s are the fastest growing segment and Jeep leads that pack. While more comfortable than its bare bones workhorse ancestor, the Rubicon X is highly capable for not a lot of money. Many of these now compete at events, which means they will one day command respect at vintage off-road demonstrations.
10. Ford Fiesta ST ($21,400) – Following the enthusiasm surrounding the Focus ST, the little brother Fiesta ST has been pumping the same iron. Youthful buyers attracted to compact cars don’t always want to sacrifice performance. The Fiesta looks, sounds and acts the part of a modern day enthusiast’s car.