10 Future Classics Under $40,000

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Courtesy of Honda

Honda S2000

An antique auto show in the year 2038 probably won’t have many Chevrolet Malibus or Honda Accords on display, but some experts say you might find affordable, everyday vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and Mini Cooper there.

These would seem out of place sharing a podium with exclusive models from Bentley and Ferrari, but they have enough appeal to keep from fading into the scrap yard of history.

“If we look back into all the eras of collectible cars — to the Brass Era, the big American classics of the ‘30s, the European sports cars of the ‘50s, and American muscle cars of the ‘60s — a single set of facts made the cars collectible,” says Dana Mecum, president of Mecum Auctions, in Marengo, Ill. “If the car was of limited production, was special in its day, and was bought for personal enjoyment and not for basic transportation, it became collectible.”

Although it’s impossible to know exactly which cars are destined for future acclaim, looking at those indicators helps narrow the field. “In making a prediction for the future, apply that criteria to cars today — those bought primarily for pleasure and limited in production — and you'll have a strong indicator if they will be collectible in the future," Mecum says.

Based on feedback from auto experts who specialize in classic cars and used-car valuations, we came up with a list of 10 possible future classics. We capped the starting price of vehicles considered for the list at $40,000 to make it relevant to as wide a cross-section of buyers as possible.

The price cap eliminates obvious choices from boutique automakers like Rolls-Royce, whose cars typically become instant icons due to their exquisite craftsmanship, sky-high prices and limited production.

Our list isn't definitive — it can't be. Because aside from supercars built to achieve legendary status upon introduction, the public decides what becomes a collectible classic.

Courtesy of BMW

BMW Z4 Roadster

For example, the 1958 Edsel was a relative flop in its day, but it has become highly sought after. The same fate might await the Dodge Magnum SRT8 wagon on our list, which is being discontinued due to lack of demand.

Some sources say its combination of power and practicality will give it lasting appeal.

Other cars on the list, like the Smart Fortwo and Toyota Prius, are symbolic of a seismic shift in American consciousness — in this case, a demand for fuel-efficient vehicles — as well as a genuine craze.

This cements them in a certain period of time, similar to how tail fins — those fanciful protrusions on older American cars like the Cadillac Eldorado — immediately evoke the ‘50s.

The Fortwo and Prius are hardly exclusive rides, but people will remember them, sources say, as they’ll remember the year Michael Phelps won a record-breaking 7 gold medals in the Beijing Olympics, the stock market crashed harder than it had in decades, and America elected its first African-American president.

Narrowing the Field

Our list of affordable future classics isn’t an exercise in absolutes, but rather an educated guess by industry expects drawing on their knowledge of past trends. Terry Lobzun of RM Auctions, in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada, cautions buyers against getting too caught up in finding an affordable future classic, because no matter how unique a vehicle built in large numbers might be, the classic-car market still favors exclusivity.

“If you’re looking for what you should buy today as an investment, there’s nothing unless you get into the supercars, built in low numbers, hand-built and which will hold their value,” he says. “We wouldn’t make a prediction or give advice to anyone to go buy a Honda Civic, for example.”

With vehicles built in large numbers, picking certain model years can make a difference in terms of how collectible it could be in the future. “You’d have to get the first one off the assembly line, or a prototype, and that would make it a future collectable,” Lobzun says.

Sometimes, one variation of a vehicle can prove more popular over the long-run than another. Where Minis are concerned, the wagon-like Clubman on our list looks to be a hidden gem in the lineup, says Phil Skinner, collector-car market editor at Kelley Blue Book, in Irvine, Calif.

Courtesy of MINI

Mini John Cooper Works Clubman

“While the Mini coupes have become quite popular, the Clubman still hasn’t been discovered by that many in the Mini crowd,” Skinner says. “In the future, the Mini Cooper will be well remembered, but the Clubman might not retain the same degree of fame, so when one of these pops up in the collector-car circles, it is sure to draw attention. And if it is stock and well maintained, I am sure those who have to have something a little different will look to the Mini Clubman.”

Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book, agrees that the Mini Clubman’s unique body style sets it apart; and he points to another Mini model as a classic in the making: “I also think the Mini Cooper S Convertible will be a future collectible. Collectors love open cars.”

That helps explain why five convertibles made our list.

Droptop Dreaming

The rarest and priciest convertible that made the list is the Ford Shelby GT Convertible, a limited edition of the Mustang Convertible, not to be confused with the more expensive and powerful Shelby GT500.

The differences between a Shelby GT Convertible and a Mustang GT Convertible are mostly cosmetic, though the Shelby GT is slightly more powerful. Both vehicles’ appeal as a future classic is wrapped up in the burly 4.6-liter V8 they share. That’s because V8-powered American muscle cars could become extinct as the industry focuses on fuel-saving technology and gasoline alternatives, sources say.

The V6-powered Mustangs, however, might not prove as valuable. “Those with lesser Mustangs will try to dress-up, soup-up, and hop-up their cars to perform, look and handle just like the real ones, which is one reason that the GT Convertible and, to a similar extent, the coupes, will be sought after,” Skinner says. “For the purist, an untouched Mustang GT Convertible in 2038 will be like a rare jewel that will show the care and workmanship of Detroit’s finest assembly robots.”

But the very thing that makes muscle cars so desirable — their neck-snapping acceleration and raucous exhaust sound — could pose a problem for car collectors in coming decades. Skinner doesn’t expect alternative fuels to replace petroleum-based ones for years, but when they do, owners of older cars could have a hard time fueling up their gas tanks.

Even before fuel becomes an issue, there are other complications. “The biggest problem I see with cars of today — actually cars dating back to the late 1970s in general — will be a total lack of maintenance replacement parts,” Skinner says. “Already for those who own older vehicles, it is getting harder to find carburetor-rebuild kits, tune-up parts like points, rotors and condensers, and hard parts like water pumps, manifolds, generators and starter motors. The cars of today use new technologies, and when a carmaker decides to discontinue items like EGR valves, control computer modules, etc., collectors of the future should start stocking up on non-renewable items today.”