10 Movie Cars That Have Appreciated In Value The Most
By
Jeffrey N. Ross
Jan 24, 2020
1963 Aston Martin DB5
While most people know movies can make stars out of people, they can also put certain vehicles in the limelight. This in turn will increase values as people feel a connection to a certain car and desperately want to own one. The following list of the top 10 production cars from movies to have appreciated in value the most comes from research done by comparethemarket.com. This means no one-off cars like the Batmobile. Imagine if you somehow had the foresight to grab and preserve some of these rides when they were brand new.
1963 Aston Martin DB5
If you say James Bond cars, the one everyone automatically thinks of is the Aston Martin DB5. That kind of fame has an effect on value. Brand new, the British car cost $5,511.00, but today they average a whopping $620,229.72. That 11,154% increase in value would’ve made for one amazing investment.
1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
It seems everyone loves Eleanor, which had a starring role in the 1973 movie Gone in 60 Seconds as well as the Nicholas Cage remake in 2000. If you grabbed a Shelby GT500 back in 1967 it would’ve set you back $4,195.00, but today they’re averaging $178,200.00 on the market, an increase of 4,134%.
1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback
Steve McQueen made this car cool in Bullitt, and audiences went pretty much straight from the theater to the dealership demanding one like it. While it originally sold for $3,500.00, prices have risen today to an average of about $80,745.72. That’s an amazing 1,200% growth since 1968.
1970 Dodge Charger
Quite a few shows and movies have made this American muscle car quite famous, especially The Fast and Furious as the big bad car at the end. Back when it was new, the car cost $3,711.00 but today it goes for an average $82,629.36, which is a $1,120% increase in value.
1966 Ford Thunderbird
While the 1966 Ford Thunderbird didn’t fare so well at the end of Thelma & Louise, anyone who purchased one back when it was new is sitting pretty. The original purchase price was around $4,482, versus a value today of on average $32,728.55, for a 630% appreciation rate.
1963 Volkswagen Beetle (Type 1)
This iconic little German car was featured in The Love Bug, charming viewers for five sequels spread out over 31 years. Collectors are obviously smitten with it, leading to a 931% increase in value from $1,595.00 to $16,493.40 on the open market today.
1977 Pontiac Trans Am
Everyone knows the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit, which fetched about $5,012 brand new. If you want to own this icon of brash independence, the average price today is around $20,096 for a 300% increase in value.
1964 Lincoln Continental
Audiences got an eyeful of this classic in National Lampoon’s Animal House. It might have allured some to grab one, which originally sold for about $5,780.00. Today, the 64 Continental goes for about $25,521.09 on the open market, an increase in value of about 341%.
1977 Chevrolet Camaro
Often passed over for other model years, the 1977 Camaro was perfect for the role of a beater car that was actually a sentient robot in the first Transformers movie. The original price for this Chevy was $4,233.00 but today it averages $12,012.00 on the market, a decent 183% increase.
1981 DeLorean DMC-12
While these American-made cars look shockingly exotic for the 80s, and even non-car people recognize them, that doesn’t rocket it to the top of this list. Back in 1981 the DMC-12 went for $25,000.00 but today the average sales price is a mere $32,378.28, or 29% more. Of course, if you have a DeLorean that’s been modified to look like the Back to the Future car the price increases quite a bit more.