4 Classic Car Investments Still Affordable in 2024
Every December, Hagerty releases its “Bull Market List” of collectors cars it expects to be worth even more by the end of the year. The 2024 version had many high dollar classics that–if you can afford to invest in them now–should give you a good return. But I tossed the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Jaguars, and (almost) priceless old muscle cars. What’s left are four niche classics, mostly Radwood era, that are relatively affordable. But there’s a catch. Most of these made the list because they are exceedingly rare. So if you can find one now, you’ll be far ahead of the market.
1997-1999 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution
Is it a race car? Is it an off-roader? The “Evolution” is a limited edition Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero trim built from 1997-1999. Mitsubishi only sold the souped-up, fender-flared 4×4 so it could run it in the Paris-Dakar rally (which it’s won more than any other brand). Pretty cool story, and great piece of automotive history. But there were only about 2,500 made, so if you can find one you’d better buy it quick.
1946-1950 Chrysler Town & Country
Some of the classics on the Hagerty list include the Chevrolet Impala SS and Ford Thunderbird. But name-brand cars such as this currently command a premium and–like Mustangs/Camaros/Chargers–there’s no guarantee the price will keep climbing. But there’s a relatively finite number of wood-bodied cars. You can still get a Town & Country in mediocre shape for under $30k. But do your research because restoring wood panels is different than your standard automotive tasks.
1997-2003 Plymouth Prowler
Yeah, I know. Many of us laughed when Plymouth’s modern hot rod dropped and Justin Timberlake (then N’Syncs front man) bought one. But, it is the icon of a certain moment in automotive history and one of the final cars Plymouth ever made. You still see them around for under $30k, sometimes even around $15k if they need love. But with only 11,000 built, prices can only go up.
1981-1986 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler
Old Jeeps are great, and there is a pretty steady stream of new enthusiasts discovering them all the time. Investing in a CJ may seem like a silly idea, but then there’s the CJ-8 pickup truck. These were made famous when Ronald Reagan bought one for his ranch, but Jeep only made 27,000 for the U.S. and many of those were driven hard and are no longer on the road. You can still get these for about the price of other vintage CJs, with the bottom end also being around $15k. But experts think they’ll come up.
