What’s it worth? If you’ve ever owned—or wanted to own—a classic car, you’ve asked the question. While most collectors aren’t in it to turn a profit, knowing what drives classic car values helps you make smarter choices whether you’re buying, selling, or just daydreaming.

Where to Check Classic Car Values

Before you worry about what influences price, start with a trusted price guide:

These sites, and others, use a combination of auction data, private sale reports, and careful forecasting to estimate values. What influences those values in the first place? The factors that determine a classic car’s value can be broadly separated into three categories: Economic, General, and Individual. Let’s take a look at all three.

How the Economy Affects Classic Car Prices

Classic cars aren’t immune to financial ups and downs. When interest rates rise or wallets tighten, discretionary spending like collector cars usually dips. Conversely, when the market’s hot, so are auction prices.

Still, classic cars offer a unique value proposition. Unlike stocks or crypto, they offer tangible joy—you can drive them, show them, and wrench on them.

Market Trends That Influence Collector Car Value

Understanding what’s hot—and why—can help you time your buy or sell.

  • Age and Import Eligibility: Cars often rise in value at 15 and 25 years old due to Canadian and U.S. import laws. This has boosted interest in JDM cars like the Nissan Skyline R32 or Toyota Celica GT-Four.
  • Nostalgia Drives Demand: Buyers tend to want the cars they grew up admiring. That’s why Gen X and early millennials are driving prices up on ’80s and ’90s muscle cars and imports.
  • Media and Pop Culture: If your car was featured in a movie or music video, expect a premium.
    • Think:
    • Back to the Future → DeLorean
    • Fast and Furious → Toyota Supra
    • GNX album → Buick Grand National
  • Rising Tide Effect: When high-end versions become too expensive, buyers often seek out lower trims, which then rise in value too.
  • Supply and Demand: A rare car isn’t valuable unless people want it. A popular car isn’t valuable unless it’s hard to find. Desirability and scarcity must intersect.

What Impacts the Value of Your Individual Car?

Even among the same year, make, and model, one classic can be worth significantly more than another—and much of that comes down to individual factors. Condition is often the biggest driver of value: a well-maintained, rust-free example with minimal wear will always command more than a neglected counterpart. Originality matters too. Cars with matching numbers, factory-correct paint and trim, and rare or desirable options tend to fetch higher prices. Documentation plays a role—service records, build sheets, and ownership history can all increase buyer confidence. Even where and how the car has been stored makes a difference. Indoor, climate-controlled storage preserves a vehicle better than sitting outside through the seasons. In short, the better your car’s story, both mechanically and visually, the more likely it is to attract serious buyers at a higher price.

Every Classic Car Has a Story – and That Matters

At the end of the day, collector car values aren’t just about rarity or horsepower—they’re about stories. Your car might have a movie connection, race history, or even just be the exact trim your dad used to own. That emotional connection? It counts.