Most Wished For Classic Cars

Most classic car collectors have a running wish list of cars they would like to own at some point in their lives; the final car to complete their collection.   For every collector, there is a much sought-after make, model, and year of car that will be the culmination of their life’s work. Take the time to sit down with a classic car aficionado, and they will spin a yarn for you about how long they’ve been searching for a particular car, and how long “she” has managed to elude them. To hear a collector speak about their missing car is akin to listening to a story of unrequited love, and for many classics fans, it is.

While the coveted car is always a little bit different for every collector, there are some similarities that are bound to occur. Most collectors will look for a specific year, a specific make, and a specific model, but to some, color won’t matter. For others, color is paramount. The way the car is sought is entirely dependent on how particular the autophile is about his or her own collection, but the pursuit will always be dogged and there will always be a story attached. Here are some of the top vehicles igniting passion in the hearts of car collectors nationwide.

• Camaro – The Chevrolet Camaro is always a widely sought after piece to most collections, particularly when it falls in to the popular ’67-’69 year span and is accompanied by the SS, ZL1, or Z-28 insignia. The Z-28 was the most popular model in 1967, but the ZL1 from ’69 is an almost impossible find, being one of the uncommon Camaro models on the market. Considered a fairly priced vehicle in its day, the hunt for this car could cost collectors upwards of $90K.
• Barracuda – For Plymouth, the Barracuda has a humble history. Meant to compete with the other muscle cars on the market, it took the Barracuda some time to build up steam with American audiences. However, once she hit her stride, the ‘Cuda has been tremendously popular and some models are known to cost up to $2 million dollars. The most wanted years span from 1970 t0 1971, and for most collectors, colors won’t matter.
• Dodge Charger – Sure, the Charger has had a resurgence as of late with a new version being pumped out and mass produced, but this hasn’t stopped the passionate quest for 1968 and 1968 models of Dodge’s powerhouse muscle car. A lot of the resurgence of popularity is due to the final scenes of The Fast and The Furious, where the Charger becomes, without a doubt, the start of the film. When it first came off of Dodge’s line in 1968, it cost $3500, but a mint condition version will cost aficionados well over fifty times that price.
• Pontiac GTO – For the now defunct Pontiac brand, the GTO will keep their name alive. The “Goat” is known as one of the first, and therefore greatest, muscle cars, and its appearance and speed are part of what makes it distinctive.   Known for its zero to sixty speed in six seconds, the GTO is quite the powerful machine. Most wanted models range anywhere from 1964-1969, and can fetch an admirable $200K for motivated collectors.
• Chevrolet Chevelle – With a body based on one of Chevy’s other original rumbling engines, the Impala, the Chevelle surpassed its prime influencer in terms of sales, and now is one of the most widely sought-after muscle cars in existence. From the years of 1966 to 1970, Chevy produced the Chevelle in an SS and LS trim level and these models are the craze of classic car collectors across the United States. What would’ve cost $30K just twenty years ago, may cost you up to $375K now.

In this world we appreciate and seek out stories of how star-crossed lovers are separated and reunited, or how the underdog comes back to win the big game. We love a story of triumph. For car collectors, so much of life is wrapped up in how to achieve their greatest goal; that ultimate car to round of the collection. For us regular folks, we’ll take the bench to listen to the tales of lost love and the pursuit of the perfect muscle car.