Take it from Doc Brown in Back to the Future Part II: nothing good can come from knowing the future, not even something as seemingly harmless as a sports almanac. That said, if we had access to a prediction tool even less consequential than that — say, a Magic 8-Ball for car collecting — there’s no chance we’d turn down the opportunity.
Just think about it. What if you knew the #vanlife trend was coming all the way back in 2000? Or what if you knew Ford was going to introduce a new Bronco back in 2010? You could have bought up first-gen Broncos only to sell them off for a hefty profit a decade later to restomodders and nostalgic collectors, or converted a Volkswagen Bus into the ultimate road trip machine before they were scooped up by Instagram influencers.
While we don’t have that level of automotive prognostication, we have the next best thing. Today, Hagerty released its Bull Market List, an annual estimation of the cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles that will gain the most value in 2021. It’s an educated forecast, not a financial certainty, but the results are based on proprietary data from the company’s various divisions and experts (as an insurance provider for collectible cars, they’re constantly monitoring vehicle valuation).
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The reason you may not have heard about this invaluable cheat sheet before is that this is only the fourth year they’re releasing it, so it’s still a relatively well-kept secret. That also gives us a track record to look back on and see whether Hagerty has fortune-telling chops to rival Biff with a copy of Grays Sports Almanac or is just a Zoltar machine spitting out predictions at random.
The verdict? They’re batting around 93 percent. Only two of their 30 vehicle choices are valued lower today than the year they picked them (the 1970-1976 Porsche 914 and 1994-1998 Ducati 916), and only one has stayed stagnant (the 1972-1975 BMW 3.0 CSL, though they still expect that holy grail to get even more expensive eventually).
As those of you with a head for numbers will understand from those three vehicles alone, Hagerty’s Bull Mark List runs the gamut from entry-level options for people looking to dip their toe in the car-collecting waters to genuine supercars for those with some extra cash (and temperature-regulated, security-enabled garage space) on hand. That diversity is an extension of Hagerty’s ethos that classic and collectible cars are for everyone.
“Owning and enjoying a classic is cheaper than many think,” Larry Webster, senior vice president of media and editorial for Hagerty, said in a press release. “These are the cars that you can buy, enjoy, and if the time comes to sell, you can likely do so without a depreciation hit. At Hagerty, we strive to spread the love for cars, and thanks to our treasure trove of data we’re able to show that owning a compelling older car is not the financial risk many fear.”
Without further ado, here are the vehicles Hagerty has their eye on for the coming year, and that you should have your eye on too. Still not sure what you want for Christmas? Any of these would make a good addition to your list. (A note on prices: values listed are for those in “Excellent” condition, the second class in a four-class rating system that designates cars as Concours, Excellent, Good or Fair.)
- Jaguar XK 120 (1948-1954)
- Current value for 1954: $121,500-$144,000
- Honda S600/S800 (1964-1970)
- Current value for 1966: $29,500-$38,500
- Honda CB750 Sandcast (1969)
- Current value for 1969: $32,000-$37,500
- Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia (1980-1991)
- Current value for 1982: $27,000-$36,000
- Ferrari Testarossa (1984-1991)
- Current value for 1990: $96,000-$108,000
- Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 (1993-1997)
- Current value for 1997: $23,500-$37,000
- Audi TT Quattro Coupe (2000-2006)
- Current value for 2000: $10,500-$16,000
- Ford GT (2005-2006)
- Current value for 2006: $337,000-$395,000
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005-2017)
- Current value for 2007: $45,000-$52,500
- Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 (2006-2010)
- Current value for 2007: $29,500-$36,600
- Lexus LFA (2011-2012)
- Current value for 2011: $558,000-582,000
Want to learn more about a particular vehicle or Hagerty’s methodology? Head over to their Bull Market List page.
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