Chasing Cars: John Mayhead’s market analysis
Japanese and German classics dominate young ownership
Classic and collectable cars with an above-average number of younger owners tend to be from either Germany or Japan and were built since 1982, according to newly released data from Hagerty. The company identified nine cars: four Nissan models (R32, R33 and R34 Skyline and the present GT-R), two BMW M3 generations (E36 and E92), the Toyota Supra and Porsche 944.
These Japanese and German modern classics are at the heart of a thriving network of enthusiasts, and are the cars that Gen X and Millennials grew up watching in films, computer games and on TV, as Caffeine & Machine founder Phil McGovern explained. ‘From the poster on your wall to the model you had on the side table, cars of the early to mid-Eighties are now the achievement of many a petrolhead in the UK market.
Hard work, dedication, and a drive to achieve that aspirational vehicle you dreamt of so much now reflects in the number of under 40s driving around in those iconic vehicles, and in turn visiting C&M on a regular basis.’
Other than the R34 GT-R that has an ‘excellent’ Hagerty value of £120,000, the remainder of the cars on the list are all relatively affordable but prices have risen in recent months. ‘The good side is they’re out there and being driven,’ said McGovern. ‘The downside is that supply and demand is driving prices into harder-to-find levels.’
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