-
Classic Cars: A List of the Most Popular Vintage Collector Vehicles
Classic cars is a class that, to most people, encompasses anything from the post-war era through the early 70’s. Fiat, Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Cooper, Ford, Chevy and Dodge all have cars from this era that are highly coveted collectibles that always increase in value. In the paragraphs below, you will be presented with a listing of the most popular American classic cars for collectors. This list will include muscle cars, luxury cars and hot rods.
The 40’s
The 40’s were an era of what hot rodders and collectors call the “Fat Body Era”. Fenders and body lines were rounded and appeared inflated. Convertibles were very popular back in the 40’s, just like they are today and they are highly prized by collectors. Listed below are some of the more popular collectibles from the early post-war years.
- 1947 Chevrolet-Both the Fleetmaster Country Club Coupe with the wood inserts and the Fleetmaster Sport Coupe are highly sought after collectibles.
- 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Four door convertible-This is a beautiful example of the pre-war convertibles that were highly popular with new car buyers as well as contemporary collectors.
- 1947 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible-This is a beautiful example of post-war automobile craftsmanship.
- 1946-1949 Cadillac Fleetwood-The Fleetwood model series from Cadillac has always been highly prized by collectors.
- The Woodie-During the 40’s, Ford produced a series of cars with wooden body panels, eliciting the moniker “Woodies” to describe any vehicle that had wooden body panels. Cars like this were produced by most automakers before and after the war, but the Woodies of the 40’s from Ford are the most popular.
The 50’s
The Fifties saw a resurgence from American automobile manufacturers. Chevrolet was the dominant player in the American automobile market by this time, and this popularity is reflected by collectors. By and large, 1955 was the year that most highly prized collectible cars were produced by Chevrolet.
- Corvette-First introduced in 1953, Chevrolet’s Corvette has always been popular with collectors. The ‘Vette is the first American car to use lightweight body panels and fuel injection.
- Ford Thunderbird-Ford’s answer to the Corvette, this sporty two-seater was first introduced in 1955 and remains highly prized by collectors today.
- 1955 Chevy Bel Air-Anyone who’s seen “American Graffiti” or “Grease” knows the ’55 Chevy Bel Air. Distinctive body styling and two tone paint jobs make this one of the most prized collector cars of the 50’s.
- 1957 Chevrolet Impala 2 Door-First year of production for this popular line of car was 1957.
- Chrysler C-300-First produced in 1955, this was the first real muscle car.
The 60’s
The 60’s saw a plethora of cars that today’s collectors just can’t do without. This was the era of the first truly recognized muscle car. Narrowing any list of most popular muscle cars, or hot rods, down to something that will fit in this venue isn’t easy. Ford, Chevy and Dodge all produced cars during the 60’s that any collector would love to have more of in their collections. The Chevy Corvette and Ford Thunderbird continued their popularity from the 50’s. Listed below are one example from each of the three major automakers.
- 1967/1969 Chevy Camaro RS/SS (RS/S)-These two cars were produced in extremely limited quantities, which enhances their popularity. The RS/SS, or RS/S badging came about from a factory combination of the Rallye Sport and Super Sport option packages. These cars were originally produced to be used as Indy Pace Cars.
- 1968 Dodge Charger/Coronet R/T-Some would call this Dodge’s crowning achievement. The classic lines and powerful muscle make this a must have for any Mopar fan.
- 1964/1965 Ford Mustang-The first Pony car, ford’s entry in the muscle car era.
Listed above are some of the most popular classic cars and muscle cars of all time. Favorites will vary by collector to collector, however the above mentioned models are always popular at auctions where muscle cars and hot rods are sold.
