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These Classic Cars Will Make You Want To Remortgage Your House

The classic car market has continued to explode in popularity and value over the past decade. What used to be an affordable project car will now cost much more. Why are classic cars becoming so pricey? First, more people who grew up wanting these cars now have the disposable income to purchase one. So the car that you might have wanted as a kid is going to set you back a pretty penny, and the car that you’ve held onto since high school might be your future retirement fund.

Collecting classic cars is a rewarding hobby and driving them is just as fun. Nothing beats the feeling of tearing down the open road in a powerful muscle car, especially if it’s a car that you built yourself. While the thought of purchasing a muscle car can be quite daunting, there are a few that are priced out of this world. We looked at classic cars that will make you want to remortgage your house. While they are great rides, the prices on these muscle cars are insane. Check them out here.

Photo Credit: Mecum

1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible – $74,000.00

The Malibu was the quintessential mid-range muscle car in the ’60s and ’70s. The Malibu had a powerful V8 engine and a lightweight design that was attractive to enthusiasts. The V8 engine was one of the best that GM had put into a muscle car at the time. The Malibu boasted some of the best 0-60 times in the automotive industry. It was undoubtedly one of the most popular car models with young affluent consumers at the time (via Motor Trend).

Photo Credit: Mecum

A 1965 Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible fetched a pretty penny at the Barrett Jackson auction. The minimum price of these muscle cars will only rise as time goes on. When it comes to the quintessential Chevy muscle car from the 1960s, the Malibu SS was it. There were quite a few special editions of the Malibu SS built, but the 1965 Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible is by far one of the most desirable options from this era.

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Everyday Cars From The ’90s & 2000s Sure To Become Classics

The 1990s and 2000s were two of the best decades for the automotive industry. Cars’ designs went from the boxy-looking vehicles of the 1980s to modern and aerodynamic designs. Engine design also advanced quite a bit and cars became more smooth and efficient. Reliability also increased as the carbureted engines were phased out in favor of fuel injection. Consumer tastes were shifting towards SUVs during these decades, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some great cars designed.

The 2000s also brought many muscle cars back into the fold, including the GTO and the Charger. Both of these models were groundbreaking in terms of performance, and one is still in production today. The decade also brought many advances in hybrid and electric vehicle technology. We looked back at everyday cars from the 1990s and 2000s that will eventually become full-fledged classics as time marches on.

Photo Credit: GM

GM EV1

The EV1 sparked a whole lot of controversy and praise at the same time. The car was the very first mass-produced electric car that was sold by a domestic automaker. The design was pulled largely from the GM parts bin but the product was capable and comfortable to drive. There were even a few celebrity owners of the car including Jay Leno and Danny DeVito (via Car & Driver).

Photo Credit: Wiki

The EV1 hit the market on a lease program that was direct to the consumers. The problem is that there was no option to buy. At the end of the lease, GM destroyed the EV1 cars, and there was a massive public outcry over it. This event spurred the creation of the popular documentary “Who Killed The Electric Car”.

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Blue Oval Blunders: Cars & Trucks That Nearly Put Ford Out of Business

The Ford Motor Company is the oldest automaker in the world and has achieved astounding success. When the company was on a tremendous growth spur for decades, part of the reason for that success was the unique automotive designs. Cars like the Model T and the Mustang defined generations of drivers. Ford understood what it took to be a dominant force in the automotive industry. Other companies like AMC have come and gone but the ‘blue oval’ is still here.

Yet there have also been quite a few failures at the Blue Oval. These were cars that didn’t quite cut the mustard, but Ford tried to push them onto consumers anyway. The Ford Pinto comes to mind. The second-generation Ford Explorer was also marred in controversy. That controversy alone cost the company over a billion dollars in settlements and tarnished the reputation of the Explorer brand. Some of these failures were extremely costly and damaging, so we looked back at the less-than-successful cars and trucks that could have potentially put the blue oval out of business for good.

1955 Ford Thunderbird
Photo Credit: Hot Rod

Ford Thunderbird (1955-1957)

Where do we begin with the Thunderbird? It wasn’t necessarily a bad car, but it was a huge gamble for Ford. The company spent millions of dollars developing a car to compete against the Corvette. The problem with the first generation of the Thunderbird is that it wasn’t a direct competitor to the Corvette. The Corvette was built for speed while the Thunderbird was built for comfort and luxury (via The Motor Digest).

1955 Ford Thunderbird
Photo Credit: Ford

Still, the Thunderbird would be one of the most popular cars at Ford. The styling resonated with a new generation of buyers who wanted something different. The Thunderbird did gain the following in the automotive world, but the car was a major gamble for Ford. Whenever an automaker embarks on a completely new product, there are a lot of risks involved to follow.

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These Discontinued Cars Will Stun True Auto Fans If They See Them

Many older drivers remember it fondly. American roads were simply much more interesting back in the day than they are today. Many different brands, models, nameplates, and shapes roamed the streets and interstates. Unfortunately, remarkably few major companies survived because of several reasons. This left true car connoisseurs to miss the old times and discontinued names as a result.

So we compiled a list of the most remembered car models and brands that once were common in the USA. These cars are now discontinued. But at the end of the day, people miss these cars due to the sheer nostalgia and good times they had. From economy cars to high-performance exotics, some are from way back and some are from the recent past. Take a ride down memory lane right here.

Photo Credit: Flickr

DeLorean DMC12

For a short time, it looked that America got a sports car brand that could rival Europe’s finest companies. DeLorean presented an exciting concept of a sports car with those famous Gullwing doors, modern design, and a stainless steel body but a slow V6 engine (via Autozine).

Photo Credit: Flickr

The importance of the DeLorean brand was that this was the first global sports car company. The design came from Italy. But the engines were from France and Sweden and the cars were assembled in the UK. The owner was American. The DMC-12 had a lot of potential despite its problems with power and reliability. It’s a shame the lifespan of this sports car was cut short.

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The Best & Worst Cars That Forgotten Brand Pontiac Ever Made

The Pontiac brand was, at one time, one of the most well-known automotive brands in the world. Part of this was the success of the GTO and the Firebird in the 1960s and 70s. But despite that constant run of success, the brand steadily declined until it was ultimately discontinued in 2010. There was a special place in the hearts of automotive enthusiasts for the Pontiac brand. Pontiac was once known as the “excitement” division at GM. There were good reasons for that as their cars offered great performance and a unique sense of style.

But there have also been many blunders at the Pontiac division. Still, there have been far more successes for Pontiac than failures. The brand had endured decades of change at GM to ultimately become the victim of a poor management structure and a global recession. We looked at the best and worst cars Pontiac has ever made. Strap in, because some of these cars are as good or as bad as you remember.

Photo Credit: Mecum

1960 Pontiac Bonneville (Best)

The 1960 Pontiac Bonneville was a work of art when it hit the market. The styling of the car was all-American with big fins off the rear end and an adequately-appointed interior. Pontiac was doing things differently, and there was not another car on the road that looked as unique as the big and bold Bonneville did (via Fifties Web).

Photo Credit: Mecum

Under the hood of the Bonneville, the excellence in design continued as the car had a powerful 389 CI/303 HP V-8 engine. Motivating this car was the technologically advanced 4-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. The Bonneville’s design was groundbreaking at the time, and it ushered consumers into a new era of automotive design in the 1960s.

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Underrated Luxury Cars You Can Get Today That Will Make You Feel Rich

Luxury cars are a segment of the auto industry that can completely change how you feel behind the wheel. When you get into a nice luxury car, you immediately attract attention. Certain cars invoke all kinds of emotion, such as a Rolls Royce or a Bentley. These are vehicles that you know are the top of the line in the automotive industry. Luxury cars are also the most negatively affected vehicles when it comes to depreciation. A Mercedes-Benz depreciates much faster than a Honda Accord.

Because of this depreciation, you can get all kinds of luxury cars for a fraction of the price the vehicle was sold for when it was brand new. There are certain luxury cars that you should steer clear of and there are others that not only make a great investment but will make you feel rich when you’re behind the wheel. The following luxury cars were well-built and continue to make drivers feel rich even by today’s standards.

Photo Credit: Car Domain

Lexus SC400

The Lexus SC400 was one of the most over-engineered sports cars of the 1990s but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing because the car aged better than many other sports cars from this era. The V8 engine under the hood is the 1UZ-FE, an engine that cost $400,000,000 for Toyota to develop. The SC400 was and still is one of the best bargains that you can get in the luxury car world. The styling of the car was beautiful when it was released and it still holds up today (via Car and Driver).

Photo Credit: Hagerty

The SC400 will make you feel like you’re rich as there are all kinds of unique tech items that are built into this car. There is even a built-in car phone right into the center console. The right quality of the SC400 is also very quiet. There is plenty of insulation to give this car one of the quietest rides on the road. But you’ll still hear the roar of the V8 engine under the hood when you drive it.

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