The first 500 Alfa Romeo 4Cs sold in the U.S. get the "Launch Edition" name, becoming an instant collectible.

Most cars are just basic transportation, but a few transcend the moment. Oh, to have bought – and kept – a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird, a 2003 Ford GT or a Ferrari 250 GTO.

If you’re looking to buy a new car this year but want to get something that won’t be just another commodity, losing value every year until it’s time to trade in or, worse, send it off to the junkyard, McKeel Hagerty, head of the leading classic car insurance company, puts together an annual list of the new models most likely to become collectibles.

“They all have some characteristics that are shared by the great collectible cars” of years past, says the CEO of Hagerty Insurance.

BMW M4 Convertible

The list automatically assumes the new McLaren P1, Ferrari 458 and other exotics are destined to be collector cars. So, the list focuses on models priced under $100,000. Not surprisingly, it focuses on performance cars, though not all are high-powered monsters like the 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger Hellcat or the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The 25^th Anniversary Edition Mazda Miata, fans are likely to say, has “just enough” to power to make it fun to drive.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

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Imports dominate the list, with six of the Top 10. And prices vary widely, from as little as $24,950 for the Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop, to $78,995 for the Z06.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat

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Here, in alphabetical order: the 10 Most Collectible Cars of 2015:

• Alfa Romeo 4C Launch Edition. At $69,685, the little two-seater marked the return of Alfa to the U.S. market after a two-decade absence. “It oozes Italianess from every single carbon fiber, making it perhaps the hottest car on a very hot Hot List,” says Hagerty.
• 

  Ford Mustang GT

  BMW M4 Convertible. At $73,450, it’s one of the most expensive models on the list. It offers “the silky torque of a twin turbo,” says Hagerty, who also notes it is one of only two BMW M models sold in convertible form.

• Chevrolet Camaro Z28. At $75,00,” think of it as “the ultimate road course Camaro.” More power, less weight is a formula for serious performance. This “monster” is a clear sign, says Hagerty, that “we’re living in a new golden age of automotive performance.”
• 

  The Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.

  Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The most expensive of the 2015 class, at $78,995, it nonetheless “may well be the all-time performance-for-the dollar champion,” Hagerty suggests. It’s a supercar on par with some of Europe’s best for a fraction of the price.

• Dodge Challenger Hellcat. For $58,295, you get a blast from the past, a classic muscle car that has some very modern features that allow it to turn and brake as well as blast down the quarter mile. “Dodge just exercised the nuclear option with this beast,” says Hagerty.
  

  25th Anniversary Mazda MX-5 Miata

• Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack. For $37,125 you get plenty of extras on top of the raw performance of the new Mustang GT. “We think the GT performance package is the true driver’s car,” says Hagerty, adding it’s a great way to celebrate Mustang’s 50^th anniversary.
• Mazda Miata 25^th Anniversary Edition. For $33,000 you celebrate the end of one era and the beginning of another. This is a limited-edition version of the outgoing MX-5, so it defines collectible with only 100 coming to North America.
• 

  The new Mini Hardtop JCW.

  Mini John Cooper Works Hardtop. At 24,950, the most affordable offering on the list. “The performance specs are impressive, but what will have collectors drooling in the future is the attention paid to the MINI’s design concept,” says Hagerty.

  

  Volkswagen Golf R

• Subaru WRX STI Launch Edition. At $38,190, this is a “smile-inducing” limited-edition take on the latest STI model. With Mitsubishi abandoning the EVO, it’s one of the few cars in its class, notes Hagerty, who praises its “stiff body, advanced suspension and turbocharged Boxer” engine.
• Volkswagen Golf R. VW finally delivers a serious player in the hot hatch segment, at $36,595. It pumps out 292 horsepower through a specially tuned 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and, says Hagerty, “It’s the Golf that GTI fan boys and girls have been begging VW to build.”

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