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Used cars from the 1990s are enjoying a remarkable uptick in value, automotive insiders have revealed – with vintage models from America and Japan being among the most sought-after models.
Values for collectible cars skyrocketed an average of 78 percent over the past three years, according to Brian Rabold, vice president of automotive intelligence at Hagerty, a firm that closely monitors the collector car market.
Rabold’s team found as millennials get older and pine for the cars of their youth, 30-year-old models from manufacturers such as Toyota, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen have seen their prices soar.
Models include more rare options such as the iconic Nissan GTR Skyline – released only in Japan – and the infamous Ford Bronco, which achieved notoriety as the preferred getaway vehicle for 1990s NFL star and then-murder-suspect OJ Simpson.
Other vehicles seeing increased desirability include other Japanese sports cars including Nissan 300ZXs and Mazda Miatas.
Culprits include more rare options like the iconic Nissan GTR Skyline – a car released only in Japan at the time that has since enjoyed mythical status thanks to appearance in various films
Those cars have ballooned in popularity – and price – over the years, due to the stunning array of appealing sports cars pumped out by the country in the 90s.
That’s thanks to an economic boom the country saw in the 1980s – which Rabold says is now spurring the recent surge in demand and subsequent price hikes.
Values for seemingly less impressive, but somehow desirable 90s models have also swelled, such as the recognizable Buick Roadmaster, a wood-paneled, long bodied station wagon once popular with vacationing families.
While practical family cars are not generally considered collectible, cars’ character can also be blamed for their resent rise, Rabold says, as millennials brought up during the decade snap up models they associate with their childhood, with newfound disposable income.
Also enjoying a pronounced uptick was the infamous Ford Bronco, which achieved notoriety as the preferred getaway vehicle for 90s NFL star and then- murder-suspect OJ Simpson
That said, price tags for well-worn Roadmaster wagons have increased 48 percent since 2019, Rabold’s Hagerty found. It is now a common sight in the coolest neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
And other more impressive options have experienced increases even more pronounced.
‘Values, for the last three years, for cars and vehicles from the 1990s have increased the most out of any decade,’ Rabold told Yuma, Arizona, CBS affiliate KYMA in an interview Monday.
The car expert added how values for 1990s-era collectible cars have risen by nearly 80 percent over the past three years along – an increase he called ‘huge,’ and caused by several factors.
Values for seemingly less impressive, but somehow desirable 90s models have also swelled, such as the recognizable Buick Roadmaster, a wood-paneled, long bodied station wagon once a popular with vacationing families
The first influencer driving up used car costs, Rabold said, is the passage of time.
After three decades, the automotive tracker explained, cars that were considered special during their time – like the lauded 1996 Nissan Skyline GT-R, a a rarely seen model hailed as almost mythical in the United States – are considered collectible, causing quick appreciations in price even with depreciations in condition.
Thus, Rabold said, as the cars have gotten older, so have the people who were teenagers or maybe even in their early twenties when they first came out.
Perhaps not having the means to purchase the then new cars then, now, an fast growing demographic of drivers now have the funds to buy options that rose to prominence during the decade, from the Mitsubishi 3000GT to the Ford Bronco.
Experts said the increases from models from the decade can be attributed to several of the cars’ iconic looks, which may have captivated now grown millennials upon their release
What’s more, Rabold added, even inexpensive Japanese cars of that era hold up to today’s standards, and boasted quality that took years for American automakers to match.
This, the expert said, has seen values for still-common models such as the early ’90s Mitsubishi Eclipse to rise as much as 40 in the past two years alone.
Prices for the closely related Eagle Talon, a product from a mid-90s collaboration betweeen Mitsubishi and Chrysler, have similarly risen nearly 45 percent in that same period, Hagerty said.
Values for previously affordable models such as the Nissan 300ZX and ’90s Mazda Miatas are also on the rise, data shows.
Other vehicles seeing increased desirability include other Japanese sports cars like the Nissan 300ZXs. Experts said thee rising popularity of Japanese cars is because vehicles that era still hold up to today, and boasted quality that took years for American automakers to match
That said, they they remain fairly affordable when compared to the exceedingly rare Skyline GTR – better know in the US as simply the GT-R – which was not available in the US upon its release in 1996, but are now available due regulations that allow for cars that couldn’t be owned here to be freely imported and driven after 25 years.
Art Cervantes, the organizer of a series of car meet-ups for 1980s and ’90s cars for motorists in Northern California – told KYMA that he bought a Skyline in March of 2022, and that in the past nine months alone the car has ‘appreciated approximately $20,000.’
The car – also known as the R33 – was a popular option for enthusiasts and street racers during its heyday in Japan, and has appeared in a variety of media since such as the Fast and the Furious and Need for Speed franchises.
This, the expert said, has seen values for still-common models such as the early ’90s Mitsubishi Eclipse to rise as much as 40 in the past two years alone.
Other, less rare models that have ascended to collectible status include American aging vehicles that many might view as clunkers, including the aforementioned Roadsmaster and Bronco.
Between 2015 and 2018, buyers paid an average of $13,375 for 1990s Ford Broncos, Hagerty found. Now those Broncos – which went out of production in the latter part of the decade but enjoyed a rerelease just a few years ago – going for double that amount.
Prices for Volkswagen Vanagons, a more modern version of the VW Bus – a car that has enjoyed iconic status due to appearances on film and television spanning decade – have similarly increased, according to company.
Prices for the closely related Eagle Talon, a product from a mid-90s collaboration betweeen Mitsubishi and Chrysler, have similarly risen nearly 45 percent in that same period
Toyota Land Cruisers, a Japanese rendition of the quintessential, more boxy 90s SUV have also enjoyed a recent resurgence, Rabold said.
Early ’90s Miatas, a popular sports car during the period, are currently going for roughly $14,000 used, and Nissan ZXs – another racing stalwart from the Japanese automaker – for about $26,000 on various auction sites with well over 100 miles.
Both cars – like many other from Japan and even the US during that time – were decidedly smaller than its current counterparts, as in the 90s, automakers had recently mastered how to make small cars that met fuel economy requirements, while also be fun and easy to drive.
‘You had this mix of high horsepower, light weight with minimal safety systems that made them for a very fun combination,’ said Eric Charnholm, the proud owner of a 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R, a car he spent 15 years looking for.
Prices for Volkswagen Vanagons, a more modern version of the VW Bus – a car that has enjoyed iconic status due to appearances on film and television spanning decade – have also increased
“A lot of people think of the golden age of the automobile was the ’50s and ’60s,” said Charnholm, speaking to the outlet. ‘There’s an argument to be made that the ’90s is actually the golden age.’
Cars from brands like Ferrari, Bugatti and McLaren meanwhile, will of course always remain highly valued, Rabold said – but added that in the coming year, more models from manufacturers like Toyota, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen previously thought as things of the past could soon see their values soar, as the phenomenon persists.
The news comes after a recent report published last week from online automotive research giant iSeeCars revealed that he most purchased used car in the US last year was the Ford F-150 in a year where full-size pickups dominated the secondhand market
The news comes after a recent report published last week from online automotive research giant iSeeCars revealed that he most purchased used car in the US last year was the Ford F-150 in a year where full-size pickups dominated the secondhand market
Drivers in 31 out of 50 states preferred the pickup – which comes as decidedly more expensive than smaller, more compact options from the aforementioned manufacturers.
The results came in little contrast to last year’s, when the truck also took the top spot. Coming in second was the similarly priced Chevrolet Silverado, with several of as the tried and true usual suspects – such Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla – rounded out the top ten.
The report looked at nearly 10 million sales, and breaks down what model was most popular in each state. All of the vehicles analyzed by the research site were between one and five-years old.
Data published this week by online automotive research giant iSeeCars illustrates America’s love affair with trucks, and breaks down the most purchased used car models by state
No 90s models made the top ten – though Rabold says that despite this, cars from the decade still hold up, unlike models from the early 20th century which have, on average, fallen in value in recent years, due to surprisingly modern comfort and safety features.
‘They have air conditioning, they have power windows, they have airbags, a lot of them,’ he said, “but they have a little more character.”
This, coupled with the cars’ increasinly iconic statues – have seen once inexpensive cars enjoy their recent rise in popularity, and therefore price.
Though at the end of the day, Robert Yeager, author of the book The NextGen Guide to Car Collecting, says, it all comes down to the joy the cars bring to their drivers.
“I think the ’90s are really a sweet spot for people who are looking for cars that are fun.” Yeager said,
He owns a 1996 Lexus SC 300 – another decidedly ’90s’ make that stands out from cars currently on the road. He said he loves the car for its design
Plus, ‘it’s exciting to drive,’ he said.
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