Classic Car Pricing Information

Classic Car Pricing Information

Classic car pricing can be on par with a new car. Classic car pricing depends on the mileage and care of the vehicle, as well as the overall economy. Both NADA and The Gold Book are good resources for current classic car pricing. You will find classic car pricing under Appraisals in our Business Directory. And you can search for a classic car price guide here.

The Classic Car Era: 1960 - 1972

The American automobile industry began about 1900 and drove the US into the Industrial Revolution in the 1920's with replaceable parts and the assembly line. The first fifty years was an unruly time with an "anything goes" attitude by manufacturers and consumers alike. These were the years of The Great Depression, two World Wars, and the birth of labor unions. There were no government regulations and little regard for pollution or vehicle safety and today we think of it as the Antique Car Era.

As the American people recovered from the Second World War they embraced the role of consumer and the annual parade of fancy new cars. For the next ten years the automobile designers lead the way with bigger, better and more powerful cars and factories retooled for new methods of production. Price wars eliminated many small companies, a significant recession put consumers on edge, and the Big Three emerged as kings. The 1950's are now known as the Vintage Car Era.

The Classic Car Era began in 1960's as the Cold War, the Communist threat in Cuba, civil rights and Vietnam brought new strife and concerns to the American people. The 1960's also brought new concerns for Detroit. As foreign automakers imported a new breed of compact, more efficient cars American automakers responded by dropping their trademark fins and consumers eagerly accepted GMs' all new Corvair, Fords' Falcon and Chryslers' Valiant. The smaller cars went faster and the introduction of the Big Block V-8's assured Americans that the horsepower war was still on.

By 1964 the Big Three had stuffed V-8 engines into their mid-size cars and the Muscle Car was born with names like Camero, Firebird and Barracuda. Throughout this new profusion of speed and visual marketing AMC managed to hold on to a distant fourth place but in 1966 Studebaker closed its doors.

The American automobile industry was knocked to its knees in the 1970's by two significant events. First, the Clean Air Act of 1970 practically killed the use of high performance engines over the next few years. And then the oil embargo in the winter of 1973 encouraged consumers to conserve gasoline. By 1978 Congress had passed the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rule and Detroit was scrambling to comply. The gas-guzzlers of the past were replaced by smaller, more efficient vehicles modeled after the ever-present imports and an all new race for fuel economy supremacy began - marking the end of the Classic Car Era.