Home Cars These Classic Cars Will Make You Want To Remortgage Your House

Cars

These Classic Cars Will Make You Want To Remortgage Your House

Cameron Eittreim September 1, 2022

16: Pontiac Trans Am ‘Smokey And The Bandit’ – $550,000

It should be of no surprise why the Smokey and the Bandit Trans Ams are worth a ton. The notoriety of the car alone makes for a high price tag in the automotive world. The car was not only expensive but it was also one of the most legendary cars to ever be on a TV show. Not to mention that it was a GM F-Body (via Work & Money).

In a lot of ways, the Smokey And The Bandit Trans Am put Pontiac on the map in more ways than the GTO did. The car was easier to attain and it offered some serious performance for the price. The Trans Am was a popular pony car, and it offered a decent competitor for the Mustang and even the Camaro, which was essentially the same vehicle.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Shelby GT – $600,000

Carroll Shelby always maintained a great relationship with the Ford Motor Company and the Mustang was usually the subject of his new projects. The Shelby GT was a limited-run sports car that put out some of the best performance that the Mustang has ever seen. The styling was dark and sinister, and one look at the car made other drivers know that it meant business (via Work & Money).

The Shelby GT was a very limited production vehicle which meant that finding one costs a pretty penny. Every once in a while the Shelby GT will come up at the auction block and when it does it’s expensive. What made the car great other than the groundbreaking performance, was the styling and notoriety.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Chevrolet Corvette L88 – $825,000

Every generation of the Corvette gets a model that defines that specific generation of the car. In the 1960s, it was the L88 model, which was a high-performance variant of the Corvette. Now the Corvette itself was no slouch on the track, but the L88 took things even further with a car designed to break performance records. The L88 was not a weekend cruiser, but rather a track bruiser that introduced a whole new world of performance to the Corvette (via Work & Money).

The L88 was one of the rarest Corvette models that you could get your hands on. Sometimes it was hard to find, but nowadays more examples have been showing up at the auctions. This Corvette was the model that broke the mold when it came to performance. There was nothing slow or mild-mannered about the L88 Corvette.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Shelby GT 500 – $742,500

The original Shelby GT 500 was also an impressive car that got the Mustang labeled a supercar. The performance of the Shelby GT 500 was among the fastest in the Mustang during the second generation. Carroll Shelby was instrumental in the design of the car and every aspect of what made it perform as it did. The Shelby GT 500 did everything right and challenged the status quo of the muscle car segment (via Work & Money).

The Shelby GT 500 is also among the most expensive and most highly sought-after Mustang models on the road. There weren’t a lot of them made at all and the few that are on the market have been restored. The Shelby GT 500 is one of the few Mustang models that continues to increase in value every year.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Dodge Charger Daytona Hemi – $900,000

There was a time when automotive manufacturers sent stock cars to the NASCAR racing circuit. Hence the reason why they were called stock cars in the first place. Dodge needed a way to start winning more races, and thus the Charger Daytona Hemi was introduced. The car had many similarities to the Plymouth Super Bird, which also had similar styling (via Work & Money).

The Charger Daytona Hemi went on to win many races in NASCAR. The design of the car was legendary and cemented Dodge as a serious contender in the muscle car world. Unlike the other Charger models of the time, this one had a distinct nose that made it much more aerodynamic than the other models.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

1970 Plymouth Superbird — Photo Credit: Hot Rod

Plymouth Superbird Hemi – $1 million

Perhaps more notable than the Charger Daytona was the Superbird Hemi which fetched a cool million on the auction block. The Superbird Hemi was the car that Plymouth won many NASCAR races with. Richard Petty made the Superbird famous in what was dubbed the “aero wars” of the 1960s and 1970s. Cars were becoming more aerodynamic to win the races (via Work & Money).

The Plymouth Superbird was among one of the most famous cars in the muscle car era. Its styling and performance of it were unlike anything else that was on the market. There were competitors, but never anything that came close to the quality of the Superbird when it came to performance.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Shelby GT 500 Eleanor From “Gone In 60 Seconds” – $1 million

Movie cars also fetch a pretty penny on the auction block and the Shelby GT 500 from Gone in 60 Seconds was a popular ride. The car which was driven by Nicholas Cage in the movie was a real car. It was sold to various owners over the past 20 years after the hit movie faded into the limelight (via Work & Money).

The Shelby GT 500 itself was one of the most notable muscle cars that ever hit the market. The styling and the excellent performance made it stand out from the standard run-of-the-mill Mustang models. The fact that the car was featured in such a popular movie made it even more famous in the collectors market.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Chevrolet Camaro - Chevrolet Chevelle — Photo Credit: Mecum

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – $1 million

The Camaro ZL1 was another highly anticipated sports car built by COPO. If that company sounds familiar it’s because they also built the special edition COPO Camaro. The COPO Camaro was fast off the line and had one of the most custom engines that GM had put into the car. The COPO Camaro ZL1 is different from many other Camaro models that hit the market (via Work & Money).

The COPO Zl1 offered the type of performance that was not seen on a Camaro model before. The styling and the complete package were popular, with a select few customers. The first generation of the Camaro was an iconic model for many reasons, and the ZL1 COPO made it an even better car.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Pontiac Catalina 421 “Swiss Cheese” – $1 Million

The GTO often overshadows the Pontiac Catalina and other muscle cars from that era, but it was pretty fast in its own right. The styling of the Catalina 421 made it stand out from the crowd, and the special Swiss Cheese edition was a rare car. Infused with the kind of performance that you only found on the top performance cars in the world (via Work & Money).

The car has been fetching even higher prices on the auction block which is one of the reasons that it is so rare. To find a Pontiac Catalina 421 “Swiss Cheese” that has all of the original markings is a pretty difficult thing to do. You’ll seldom see one of these on the auction block anymore, but when you do they are rare.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 – $1.2 million

The Chevrolet Chevelle was a popular muscle car, but in addition to the SS being popular, there was also a special LS6 model. The Chevelle SS LS6 is among one of the most sought-after examples on the market. What made it special was the 454 performance motor that was under the hood. Even by today’s standards, the Chevelle SS 454 was a powerful muscle car that offered a lot of bang for the buck (via Work & Money).

Of course, the Chevelle LS6 was not a common car, and finding one is not an easy task. You won’t find this example of the Chevelle for sale very often. When they are for sale, they fetch a high price because of the rarity of the car. The unique styling of the car and the fact that it was a Chevelle SS have all contributed to the unique qualities it had.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Shelby Cobra 289 – $1.6 million

The Shelby Cobra 289 was one of the rarest versions of the popular Shelby Cobra Roadster. The most recent sale of a Shelby Cobra 289 was for over $1.6 Million at the auction. Part of the reason that the car was so rare was that it had a limited production run. Carroll Shelby had a hand in every Cobra 289 built and put into production (via Work & Money).

The Shelby Cobra 289 was by far one of the rarest and most highly sought-after Cobra examples. There are many on the market, but the 289 is unlike anything else. The attention to detail that went into the car, and the sheer performance that the roadster has, will leave a smile on your face every time.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Shelby EXP500 Green Hornet – $1.8 million

The Shelby EXP500 was by far one of the rarest muscle cars ever produced in a Carroll Shelby factory. The unique look of the car is only magnified by the stellar performance under the hood. The Shelby EXP500 Green Hornet broke many records when it came to being a notoriously fast and rare muscle car. The Shelby Green Hornet was not well marketed, and thus there are very few still on the road (via Work & Money).

The Shelby EXP500 Green Hornet was a powerful muscle car that made it a hit with the muscle car community. Carroll Shelby was instrumental in creating a version of the Mustang that could perform the best that the world had to offer. There aren’t many muscle cars like the Shelby EXP500 Green Hornet.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible – $2 to 4 million

The Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible is also one of the rarest muscle cars that have come out of Chrysler. The Hemi Cuda itself was a massively popular muscle car at a time when Chrysler was growing. The look and feel of the car made it a monstrous success for the company, but it was also the fast performance that made it fly off of dealership lots. The Plymouth Barracuda proved to be one of the most successful muscle cars ever produced in a Chrysler factory (via Work & Money).

The Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible maintained dominance in the muscle car market. Generally speaking, a convertible was not considered to be a real contender but that all changed with the Hemi Cuda. The timeless styling and iconic performance of the car made it stand out from the crowd.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Shelby GT500 Super Snake – $2.2 million

The Shelby GT500 Super Snake was another great muscle car that came out of the partnership Carroll Shelby had with Ford. The styling of the car and the one-of-a-kind performance made it stand out from the crowd. The engine that came under the hood performed better than any other muscle car competing at the time. The GT500 Super Snake was an impressive addition to an already impressive lineup of Mustang models (via Work & Money).

The Super Snake kept the reputation that Carroll Shelby had for quality and performance. The product that hit the market was well above the competition’s expectations. The car was not only fast but it was also one of the fastest production vehicles on the road. There weren’t a lot of examples of the Super Snake put into production.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Ford Mustang GT390 Bullitt $3 Million

The Ford Mustang GT390 Bullitt was the car that made the Mustang name famous in the movies. You probably heard about the Bullitt, but seeing one in person is not as easy. The car was a limited production run, and the only thing that makes it noticeable is the forest green paint job and the unique pinstripe up the side. The Bullitt remained an integral part of the Mustang heritage and a car that Ford has revived over various generations of the car (via Work & Money).

The Ford Mustang GT390 Bullitt will go down as one of the most notable Mustang models of all time. The amount of design and engineering that went into the car further cemented it as a classic. When it comes to Ford and the Mustang, there are few cars as noticeable as the Bullitt.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Shelby GT 350 R – $3.85 Million

The Shelby GT 350 R is another muscle car that has come a long way in its development. The notable design of the car and the one-of-a-kind performance separated it from the pack. The Mustang was not considered a high-performance muscle car, but when the GT 350 R hit the market, that attitude towards the Mustang changed. The Shelby GT 350 R was considered a groundbreaking performance car for both Shelby and Ford (via Work & Money).

The Mustang GT 350 R was unlike anything else on the market at the time. Take one look at the paint job, and it’s evident that this was not a run-of-the-mill muscle car. There was a lot to like about the Mustang, and the main thing was the excellent performance and the almost never-ending line of special edition models like the GT 350 R.

<< Previous

These Classic Cars Will Make You Want To Remortgage Your House

16: Pontiac Trans Am ‘Smokey And The Bandit’ – $550,000

Shelby GT – $600,000

Chevrolet Corvette L88 – $825,000

Shelby GT 500 – $742,500

Dodge Charger Daytona Hemi – $900,000

Plymouth Superbird Hemi – $1 million

Shelby GT 500 Eleanor From “Gone In 60 Seconds” – $1 million

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – $1 million

Pontiac Catalina 421 “Swiss Cheese” – $1 Million

Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 – $1.2 million

Shelby Cobra 289 – $1.6 million

Shelby EXP500 Green Hornet – $1.8 million

Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible – $2 to 4 million

Shelby GT500 Super Snake – $2.2 million

Ford Mustang GT390 Bullitt $3 Million

Shelby GT 350 R – $3.85 Million

POPULAR