Have you ever been browsing online classifieds and seen two classic cars, one model year apart, and wondered why their asking prices were so radically different? It’s surprising when one vehicle can command a considerably higher sum over another despite being from the same generational stock, but there’s always an explanation hidden somewhere, either under the hood, in the body work, or sometimes even in the materials used to put it all together.
Here are five classic models that see gigantic price deltas as soon as you push the built-by date 12 months into the future.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette versus 1964 Chevrolet Corvette
On paper, there’s a lot to love about both the 1963 and 1964 Chevrolet Corvettes. Redesigned for ’63 by Bill Mitchell and Larry Shinoda, the Corvette brought the “Sting Ray” look to the vehicle’s second generation, along with a basic platform that would carry the sports car forward for most of the next two decades. No fewer than four versions of the 327-cubic-inch V8 engine were offered in both model years, with the ’64 upping the ante on its mightiest motor to deliver 375 horsepower.
And yet, despite offering more output, there’s no version of the 1964 Chevrolet Corvette that can touch the loftiest of price tags attached to its predecessor. That’s because of a single styling motif that was only ever available for 1963: the split rear window. Entirely an affectation, this feature was by some accounts intended to simulate a spine, dividing the back glass into two symmetrical halves and tying in to the actual sea-going sting ray’s anatomy.
Here’s where it gets weird. The “split-window” Corvette only lasted a single model year because buyers (and some Chevrolet big-wigs) were unhappy with how it affected rear visibility. In fact, it was even possible to head to a Chevy dealer and have them retrofit a single pane of glass in its place.
Despite this early antipathy, today a split-window Corvette can command between US$120,000 (in good condition) and US$217,000 (excellent condition) for cars with the base engine. Tack on another $30k to $70k if it features a top-spec version of the 327. That’s considerably more than the US$55,000 to US$100,000 it would take to buy a comparable 1964 Corvette.
1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda versus 1972 Plymouth ‘Cuda
In the early 1970s, muscle-car madness was living on borrowed time. With emissions regulations right around the corner, and a series of energy shocks jacking up fuel prices, the party was almost over for a long list of extroverted Detroit machinery.
A perfect example of this horsepower hangover was the Plymouth ‘Cuda. Introduced in 1970, the ‘Cuda quickly gained a reputation for performance thanks to the big-block V8 engines on its order sheet—motors that all made the transition to 1971. Whether it was the 385-horsepower 440-cubic-inch V8 with a “Six Pack” (three two-barrel carburetors); or a 425-horsepower 426-cubic-inch Hemi, the Cuda was a formidable drag-strip terror.
And then, suddenly, it wasn’t. In just one year, the shifting automotive landscape had completely reshaped the ‘Cuda’s engine options, with a 340-cubic-inch eight-cylinder now sitting at the top of the heap (featuring an SAE net horsepower rating of just 240 ponies). A few other changes were made—swapping quad headlights for singles, and installing a new grille—but platform-wise and in its looks generally, this was the same car.
You wouldn’t know that by looking at prices today. The beefiest 1971 ‘Cuda coupe—the Hemi—will set you back between US$290,000 and US$484,000. Let’s not even talk about the convertible, which is priced in the millions (due to only 12 being built). Think it’s unfair to focus on the Hemi? A Six Pack 440 ‘Cuda is a six-figure car, too. That’s a far cry from the $40,000 to $67,000 you’ll spend on a 1972 model.
1977 Ferrari 308 GTB versus 1978 Ferrari 308 GTB
Ferrari isn’t one to be left out of million-dollar vehicle valuations, and it turns out that there’s a single-model-year shift that offers a similar-to-‘Cuda incredulousness at shopping time.
The Ferrari 308 was for a long time overlooked as the entry-level Italian sports car made famous by a certain Hawaiian detective show, but it’s been re-evaluated in recent years and now commands a healthy premium among similar-era exotica. For example, a driver-quality 1978 Ferrari 308 GTB will set you back about US$73,000, while a pristine model will crest US$155,000.
Those numbers are impressive, until you take a look at a 1977 version of the same car and realize you’ll have to add $100,000 to the price tag of that ’78 driver just to get the conversation started (and cough up double the cash for a mint model).
What happened? Simply put, the 308 got chunky. After an initial two-year run where the svelte coupe was built out of fibreglass (or “vetroresina” in Ferrari-speak) the switch was made to steel in 1978. This resulted in 150 kilos of extra mass being added to the equation, which hurt performance and handling (especially since there was no concomitant power boost). The vetroresina cars are highly sought after, while their metallic siblings fail to capture the same amount of attention.
1985 Buick Grand National versus 1986 Buick Grand National
Buick was all-in on turbocharging starting in the late 1970s, and that interest hit a fever pitch with the succession of T-Type and Grand National cars that appeared in the early 1980s. The automaker’s continual investment in turbo technology also created an unusual situation when pricing out 1985 versus 1986 versions of its Grand National muscle-car flagship.
You’ll have to fork over between US$17,000 and $46,000, depending on condition, to slip behind the wheel of an ’85 Buick GN. Looking at an ’86 instead? Be prepared to spend nearly double the money.
This is because starting in 1986, Buick began equipping the Grand National with an intercooler, a feature that dramatically improved the output and reliability of its 3.8-liter turbo V6. On paper, the car moved from 200 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque; to 235 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque, and with the intercooler in place, the potential for pushing past those stock figures was that much higher. The extra grunt has carried the day for the ’86 model (and the ’87 that followed it) versus the valuations attached to earlier editions.
1984 Ford Mustang GT versus 1985 Ford Mustang GT
The last model-year price-gap monster on our list doesn’t touch nearly the same heights as the other vehicles mentioned here—but that doesn’t make it any less of a jump, proportionately-speaking.
In 1984 the Ford Mustang GT featured a carbureted 5.0-liter V8 engine that was good for 175 horsepower, a decent if not spectacular figure for the time. Unfortunately for the Blue Oval’s marketing department, there was a turbocharged four-cylinder version of the Mustang called the SVO that produced the same amount of power.
Seeking to narrow the gap, the GT’s V8 was upped to 210 horsepower for 1985 (with the SVO now lagging just behind at 205 horsepower). Dyno results suggest that the V8 was somewhat underrated, too, giving the car considerably more punch than its ancestor.
What has that done to Fox-body pricing for classic Mustang collectors? A decent 1984 GT will run you around US$10,000, but one model year later you’ll pay $16,000 to get the GT badge on the deck lid. Compared to what we’ve seen until now, these sums seem modest, but that’s still a 60% price increase over a single model year. Comparing flawless cars also reveals a sizable jump, from $46,000 to $62,000.
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