I really believe you are seeing the results of several factors playing out at the same time. Similar to what 55-57 Chevy lovers experienced 5 years ago and model T people decades before that. The muscle car crowd is aging out. Owning and enjoying a muscle car is taking a back seat to all kinds of expensive health issues which require large amounts of cash for co-pays and deductibles to stay alive. Muscle cars that are self-restored and older restorations become a bargain when the sellers need cash in a hurry. Combine that with a rapidly diminishing number of buyers and you have what we are experiencing now. When SD Catalinas are selling for half of what they were bringing 7 years ago, you know the market just doesn't have enough interested buyers with money for a nice steel SD car. Grand Prix's, same deal. They made 97,000 of them in 69. I love them. But only an SJ with a 4-speed will bring maximum $. There are a few wealthy Pontiac buyers out there that will always have the $ to buy the best and rarest of the rare. All the rest, the typical non-Ram Air IV GTO, Firebirds, and the like will continue to be great buys. My friend who I am always mentioning that buys and sells these cars for a living is buying like crazy right now. He specifically buys over-restored, rotisserie restorations of regular muscle cars now. He is buying near perfect examples from all the manufacturers at 30-40% of what the restoration cost to perform. In the last few months a few examples are: a Dodge Dart GTS 340 column auto, a 390 4-speed Mustang. This is a great time to get into a muscle car and ENJOY it as it was intended. People who really love these cars for what they are have a great opportunity to buy one now and have a decade or two of enjoyment from the car and still not get hurt on depreciation. As a retirement investment, not so good right now.
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