Going, Going, Gone

The generational shift that's redefining what a collector car is.

- COLIN COMER

SEVEN YEARS AGO, I offered Road & Track readers some collector-car market predictions. Here's an excerpt: "Gen Xers are chasing cars from the Seventies, Eighties, and even the early Nineties. Leading the charge? Yep. Fox-body 5.0L Mustangs.... Which brings us to my pick: 1984 to 1993 Saleen Mustangs.... With a significantly improved suspension, brakes, and upgraded interior trim and exterior styling, they are indeed the 1965/1966 GT350s of the Eighties. And just like those Shelbys that were quite inexpensive even in the Nineties, the Saleen prices of today will seem ridiculously cheap in the next 10 years....

The 5.0L Fox-body cars are increasing in value rapidly-at least 10 percent a year from what I've seen. And the really special versions, such as the Cobra Rs and Saleens, are exceeding that by a large margin. Examples: a showroom-quality, low-mileage 1988 LX 5.0 5-speed will trade around $15k. A similar quality 1988 Saleen Mustang is $25k."

Well, I just returned from a Mecum Auctions sale in Indianapolis, where I witnessed a 1989 Saleen Mustang sell for $192,500. Now, granted, this one had just 15 miles on the odometer, but still, almost $200K for a Saleen Mustang exemplifies what I am seeing: Eighties and Nineties cars are what's the emoji the kids use today? Oh, yeah, fire.