Why on earth would people spend those six figures on a 30-year old automobile? Well, what if those old ones happen to by Plymouths, Pontiac and Chevy’s? Does it all make sense then? Nowadays, just a bolted-together clone of Plymouth can reach a hundred grand. Just picture how much the real thing costs. Classic muscle cars are indeed becoming the hottest trend is the circle of muscle car enthusiast and collectors. “A lot of these cars that we’re talking about are really, really, great cars, but I think there’s a frenzy in the air.” Collector car broker Mark Hyman shared.
If we’re going to look into the general definition of what a “classic muscle car” is, it’s a two door All-American car built in the 1960’s with back seats and a huge and stocky engine. The Pontiac LeMans Tempest with the GTO high-performance option package will go down in the annals as the first widely considered real muscle car. But it has a twist though, many muscle car aficionados doesn’t really care much about authenticity. Not to say that they don’t want to know what they’re collecting, but let’s just say that they will be more than satisfied with a clone of the car with some add-ons of course.
For your sake, it is imperative to remember that a car, itself are collections of parts put together on an assembly line. The godfathers of car companies, namely General Motors, Ford and Chrysler use different accessories, including body panels and engine parts in assorted models sold under various brand names. If a certain combination of parts, like a 1971 Plymouth Barracuda convertible body with a Hemi engine wasn’t originally made in sufficient numbers to satisfy all the contemporary collectors, those parts can still be assembled today.
Think about it, cars are created this way and are sold as clones. Of course they are not worth nearly as much as the original ones, but modern collectors would really sweat it. A very-well made clone of the 1971 Hemi Cuda convertible could sell for as much as $180,000. The real and authentic 1971 Hemi Cuda convertibles are today, the most valuable of all muscle cars. Check this, there are only 11 models that were produced, at most. And the ones that survived through the years are worth over $2 million each. Still the skyrocketing values imposed by modern remakes of classic muscle cars are a matter of interest to some collector. A clone is a clone, but enthusiasts would rather settle for that one, people wouldn’t really notice anyway, so they say.
Since so few originals exist, it would be virtually impossible to pass off a cloned '71 Hemi Cuda convertible as real. While prices for clones may seem high to some, at least buyers know exactly what they're getting. With more common muscle cars, clone versions are sometimes sold as authentic. Wait a second, now that didn’t sound right. Counterfeiting? It is a fact that counterfeiting exists, but I don’t think it isn’t so common that it should scare away potential collectors. After all, there are auction companies like Barrett-Jackson that authenticates all their cars that are sold. With these procedures, the fake ones can be caught. Some owners wouldn’t even know that they’ve been fooled until they surrendered the car for auctioning. These companies have several ways to detect fakery. There are also ways to quickly check that a car has already been reliably authenticated by a third party. So in one way or another, you would know if you’re getting the real deal or not. What’s important is that you need to be wise about it and consult the ones who have the know-how. That goes for every purchase that involves a high-amount of money.
Increasingly popular with muscle car collectors are "resto-mods." As the name implies, resto-mods are restored but they are also modified or modernized. From the outside, a good resto-mod looks like a faithfully restored muscle car. Inside, though, it might have better seats, three-point safety belts not available on the original, disc brakes where the original had slower-stopping drum brakes or other modern parts that make the car more enjoyable to drive and safer than it would have been with correct parts. Now that would be the best of both worlds, you still attain the looks of a class muscle car and have it perform better.
In almost all types of collecting, any change from the original diminishes the value and it is that way with many muscle car collectors. "Some guys want matching numbers," Jackson said, referring to identification codes used to track cars and parts, "all the way down to 1970 air in the tires." For some collectors, though, modifications in the interest of comfort, safety or performance can add to a car's value. "There is a greater tolerance for modified muscle cars than there is for, say, modified '50s cars," said Hagerty. That's because many muscle car collectors like to drive what they collect. For example, Jackson even drives his authentic '71 Hemi Cuda convertible, he said. The original engine stays in the garage, though, mounted on a display stand. Well, if you think about it, what Jackson shared was a good application of practicality. Most if not all collectors would want to drive what they collect, then it would be a lot sensible if you place a few replacement parts in order to achieve the performance you want and at the same time, preserve what needs to be. Variation is the key baby.
How much variation is acceptable from the original is a matter of taste and preference. Before making any purchase of a collectible car, it is important that the buyer understand exactly what's being purchased. Wise words coming from the auto experts, take heed collector, you don’t want to be shortchanged. That means asking lots of questions, checking all paperwork carefully and, the entire experts CNN/Money spoke with agree, enlisting the help of a knowledgeable appraiser.
Experts say that while a well-bought classic car is not likely to decline in value, buyers shouldn't look at any classic car as purely an investment. But of course, it’s all about the love for the car; you don’t go into it for the money, sometimes it wouldn’t even matter.
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