The Best Collector Cars of the 1980s: By the Numbers

The crew at Hagerty, thanks in no small part to having reams of data at their disposal, know the minutiae of the collector car market. After all, it’s their job.

However, data is useless without analysis. That’s why it is Hagerty’s job to distill the important stuff so you needn’t go blind looking at spreadsheets and instead get back to installing that roll cage in that Mazda MX-5 you bought last year to go racing but never did. Slacker. Nevertheless, whether one is using data to make a smart buying decision or simply to show off at the pub quiz, Hagerty has you covered.

Most Popular Collector Cars of the 1980s

As the purveyor of insurance for collector cars, in addition to being a rather organized bunch, Hagerty keeps record on the volume of quotes requested by gearheads across the nation. For our purposes, this means it is well equipped to suggest a list of the five most popular ‘80s-era collector cars based on frequency of inquiry.

In terms of popularity as determined by the number of Hagerty insurance quotes last year, it should surprise no one that the 1987-1993 Ford Mustang is on the list. Driven by inquiries from Millennial-aged drivers, this is the post-refresh Fox-body ‘Stang which most young gearheads at the time coveted massively. A combination of a reasonably affordable sticker price and the option of rumbly V8 (plus its chunky good looks) meant these things were popular when new. They remain popular now that this generation has cash to spend on stuff they desired as youngsters.

Its direct rival, the 1982-1992 Chevrolet Camaro stands alongside in terms of Hagerty popularity, racking up inquiries from the Gen X crowd. This makes sense given the model was introduced in the early ‘80s and had a distinct vibe from that decade up until its replacement in 1993. Boomers are still keen on the C4-era Chevrolet Corvette, probably because it represents one of the more affordable ways to get into ‘Vette ownership (and a pair of New Balance sneakers).

Rounding out the Top Five most popular collector cars in terms of Hagerty inquiries are a pair of four-by-fours. The venerable ‘squarebody’ GM trucks are no surprise, especially given the sheer number of these things originally produced and the rising cool factor of a cherry farm truck. For the purposes of this article, the 1981-1987 model years are counted. And for all the smack it took when it was new for those square headlights, it appears the ‘87-’96 Jeep YJ is finally getting its moment in the (removable roof) sun.

Value Proposition

Sitting in another stratosphere is the most valuable collector car from this era to have been quoted on by Hagerty last year, showing up as the mighty Ferrari 288 GTO estimated at roughly $3.5 million in value. On the other end of the affordability pool is the much maligned Cadillac Cimarron, produced from 1982-1988 and bearing a value of $4,471 according to Hagerty’s estimates. Surprisingly (or not, if you’re a Blue Oval fan) is the appearance and estimated value of the tongue-twisting 1985-1989 Merkur XR4Ti, clocking in at just over $11,000. This car was Ford’s attempt at infusing a bit of European style into its Lincoln-Mercury showrooms; customers didn’t know what to make of it, dealers didn’t know how to sell it, and the whole experiment was shuttered as the calendar flipped into 1990.

Rising and Falling Stars

A collector vehicle growing in popularity is the 1981-1989 Toyota Land Cruiser. Known as the ‘FJ60’ by off-road nerds and simply as the ‘60-Series’ by everyone else, this 4x4 workhorse was one of the last vestiges of rugged-yet-mildly-luxurious dirt road machines from Toyota; after this model, the Land Cruiser consistently grew in both size and creature comforts - though the next-gen ‘80 Series’ is a favorite of this author. Nerds, indeed. Eminently capable, thoroughly buildable, and surprisingly handsome, the FJ60’s newfound popularity is understandable.

Rising (or perhaps more accurately - rocketing) in value is the 1985-1991 Honda CRX, a pert little Japanese two-seater which pulled off the trifecta of sporty handling, fuel efficiency, and good looks. These years encompass two generations of CRX, ‘85-’87 and ‘88-’91, though Hagerty is rolling them into one as an example of a model which is getting more expensive. The reason for its demand is largely the same as why the similar-era Mustang is admired these days: people who were kids at the time and lusted over the things now have adult money to spend on toys. A gentle shift in the collector car market from old-school muscle to ‘80s/’90s era Japanese cars is also responsible.

But some cars in that time frame from the Land of the Rising Sun have already enjoyed their bump in value and are now sliding down the backside of financial appreciation. Specifically, the 1989-1994 Nissan Skyline’R32’ GT-R has been underwater for some spell compared to prices being asked just a few short years ago. Blame supply and demand as a potential reason. A relative glut of these things appeared on the used car market once they became legal for import into the country, so everyone who wanted one (read: people who lusted for them after seeing the cars featured in Gran Turismo games and Fast & Furious movies) already has a copy in their garage.