Finding a car that appreciates it is a tough ask. Over time, many vehicles simply depreciate as they are used more regularly and become secondhand on the market.
Yet, contrary to expectations, some exceptional cars appreciate and increase in value.
Only a handful are lucky enough to do this, and some of us are even luckier in owning a car that appreciates.
McLaren F1
One car that appreciates virtually every year is the McLaren F1. When McLaren first launched the F1 in the 1990s, the supercar had a sticker price of $815,000, which was already a lot of money. However, the F1 has increased in value and is now worth over $20 million. In 2021, the only brown-on-brown F1 sold for $20,465,000 at auction.
The 6.1-liter BMW V12 under the hood of the F1 produces 618 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque. While some cars are faster out there, the F1 is still the world’s fastest naturally-aspirated production car, with others like the Bugatti Veyron, which is assisted by turbocharging or supercharging.
First Generation Honda NSX
While the second-generation Honda NSX was less popular than Honda hoped, the original NSX may become more popular. Honda launched the NSX in 1990 and remained in production until 2005, with F1 legend Ayrton Senna aiding in its development. The NSX could fight European rivals, such as Ferrari, and it became one of the most revered supercars ever.
The performance of its V6 engines, exceptional handling, and design have all cemented its legacy. The NSX would also see various special editions, such as the NSX-R, which provided a no-compromise racing experience for those wanting a more ferocious NSX over the years.
Honda/Acura Integra Type R
Another classic Honda rising in value is the 1995-2001 Integra Type R. Also sold as an Acura, Honda first introduced the Integra Type R to the Japanese market in 1995. It came standard with a tuned variant of the B18C engine producing 197 hp. The Type R produced 195 hp in the United States, and in the UK, it produced 187 hp.
Honda strengthened the chassis, reduced the weight of the Integra, set the rev limit to 8,500-8,600 rpm, and added cosmetic changes to the car. This resulted in what many still believe is one of the best front-wheel drive cars of all time, thanks to its superb handling, and one that received huge critical acclaim worldwide from the motoring press.
Ferrari 250 GTO
Whenever we think of expensive and valuable classic cars, one of the first that comes to mind is the gorgeous Ferrari 250 GTO. First produced in 1962, Ferrari made just 36 examples of the 250 GTO, and when new, they cost around $18,000 in the United States. Powering the 250 GTO is a Tipo 168 V12 engine producing 296 hp and 217 lb-ft of torque.
The 250 GTO has become the most valuable classic car in the world, and they have repeatedly set sale price records whenever they appear at an auction. The current record for a 250 GTO came in June 2018. A 1963 250 GTO, chassis 4153GT, sold at a private sale for a staggering $70 million, perfectly showcasing how desirable the 250 GTO has become.
Bugatti Veyron
The Bugatti Veyron is the original 1,000-hp, 250-mph iconic supercar that stunned the world when it debuted in 2005. The Veyron relaunched the Bugatti brand after over ten years of absence, and it would become the template for all future Bugatti products, such as the Chiron.
At the heart of the Veyron was a massive 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged Volkswagen WR16 engine. In the original Veyron, this produced just shy of 1,000 hp at 987 hp. But Bugatti upped the ante in the Super Sport and Grand Sport Vitesse, producing 1,183 hp.
Honda S2000
Honda hasn’t produced the S2000 since 2009, a critical factor in its ever-rising value. The two-seater roadster is one of the best sports cars ever made, launched in 1999 to celebrate Honda’s 50th anniversary. The S2000 has become a modern classic, and rumors of its revival have continued since Honda stopped producing it.
Under the hood are the F20C and F22C1 inline-four engines, some of the best to grace a sports car and producing up to 239 hp. However, the highlight of the S2000 is the brilliant six-speed manual transmission, which provides one of the smoothest and crispest shifting experiences of any sports car. The S2000 would come at the top of the rev range.
Lotus Elise S1
With Lotus set to cease production of internal combustion cars, any of its previous offerings will undoubtedly leapfrog in value. The Elise S1 is one of them, as it is the sports car credited with saving the British manufacturer when things got tough in the late 1990s.
The Elise S1 adhered to the philosophy of its founder, Colin Chapman. The manufacturer created a light and agile sports car with a low center of gravity. It quickly became recognized as one of the best-handling cars on the planet, setting Lotus to critical acclaim, and it is still in use today.
Volvo P1800ES
The Volvo P1800 is a true classic and one of the finest vehicles produced by the Swedish manufacturer. The coupe’s value is already on the rise, but so is the value of the P1800ES, the shooting brake version of the P1800 produced in far fewer numbers.
Volvo produced the P1800ES for just two years, from 1971 to 1973, and it was the final variant of the P1800 when it launched for the 1972 model year. It was a gorgeous-looking car, with a frameless, all-glass tailgate and the same inline-four as in the standard P1800, albeit downgraded slightly to produce 125 hp. However, as the engine was less “peaky,” the on-road performance of the P1800ES was better than that of the standard coupe.
BMW 507
Already highly valuable, the gorgeous BMW 507’s rarity will likely see its value rise even further over the coming years. Following World War 2, Germany was reinventing itself, and the 507 was a way for automotive manufacturer BMW to reestablish itself within the West. Introduced in 1956, BMW hoped that the 507 would take on the American market and rival the Mercedes-Benz SL.
Although its high price tag prevented it from competing with the Mercedes, it was still an impressive sports car. The 507 had a 3.2-liter M507/1 engine under the hood, with 148 hp, and weighed just 2,932 lbs. They are now highly sought after, with the average value on Classic.com listed at $2.1 million.
BMW Z8
The BMW Z8 is a sports car often overshadowed by some of BMWs more well-known models, such as the M3 and M5. But this 1990s classic is a brilliant sports car. BMW launched the Z8 in 1997 as a direct homage to the 1950s 507, and the Z8 also followed the concept car, the Z07, which was also unveiled in the 1990s,
BMW placed a mighty 4.9-liter V8 from its E39 M5 saloon under the hood of the Z8, producing 395 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Placed behind the front axle, the Z8 had perfect 50/50 weight distribution and was swift. The 0-62 mph time was just 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 155.4 limited by the electronics. However, removing the limiter could easily make the Z8 reach 180 mph.
Lancia Delta HF Integrale
As the final Lancia to win a World Rally Championship title, the Delta HF Integrale will always hold high value. Prices of the Integrale are rising, thanks to its pedigree of winning six consecutive WRC titles in the 1980s. The Delta HF Integrale is also the last Lancia to win a WRC title and the final Lancia to win a WRC event before its Beta rust scandal of the early 1980s caught up with the Italian manufacturer.
From 1987 to 1992, the Integrale won 46 WRC events; its current highest recorded sales figure is $66,000. A look at Classic.com reveals that the average market value is rising and that the average sales figure at the time of writing is $38,060. The most recent sale of a Delta HF Integrale went for $32,554.
Bugatti EB110
The striking Bugatti EB110 was the only production car produced during the Comano Artioli era before its tricky financial situation caught up. However, the EB110 remains an impressive supercar, thanks to the massive 3.5-liter Bugatti quad-turbocharged V12 engine under the hood. The EB110 produces a stunning 553 hp, which rises to 603 hp in the Super Sport version.
The EB110 is exceptionally rare, with the Super Sport even rarer, with just 30 units produced. The highest recorded sale for an EB110 was for a Super Sport version in 2022, which sold for $3.16 million to WeatherTech founder and supercar collector David MacNeil.
