Classic Spider Prices

[dreavis]

I find myself watching a lot of car restoration and auction shows and am always startled by the prices people pay for cars. I think these prices are particularly startling because of how Spider prices are comparatively so low. For example, on an episode of Chasing Classic Cars on Velocity, a 1975 Datsun 280Z sold for $45,000 (USD).
I sat there wondering why that would sell for 45K and most Spiders are selling for under $10K. I know it has a larger more powerful engine, but the Spider is easily as stylish (if not more so), so what's the deal here? I see VW Bugs selling for crazy money, so the argument that prices on Spiders is down because they made so many just doesn't seem to hold water. Is it the reputation of Fiat as a mechanically unreliable car?

BTW, the gentleman I know who has worked on Fiats for 50 years said that the issue in the US was that they imported the cars, but didn't have proper dealerships with trained service technicians, so the cars developed an undeserved reputation as being troublesome and tricky to work on.

[aj81spider]

I think you have to be careful about numbers you see on TV. You can buy a 280Z in my area for $6,000 - $12,000. There's a really nice one that's been listed on Craigslist for $29,000 all summer and fall without selling.

I didn't see that Chasing Classic Car's episode, but I'm guessing that was some sort of "special" 280Z. If you had a "special" Spider you'd get better money too.

I always check my local Craigslist when some absurd number pops up on TV just to calibrate myself. Mecum Auctions sold a 70's Trans AM for over $70K earlier this year, but locally they are for sale for $8,000 - $20,000. I'm sure there were things that made the car that valuable, but I wouldn't use it to calibrate my expectations for 70's Trans Ams.

[550Rob]

I agree, made for TV tends to be "Made for TV". I rarely believe anything I see on television, especially on "reality" shows. That said, I love these cars and always have at least one to drive and one or two more as projects. I personally am happy to pay $10-15,000 for well sorted, good running early cars, especially AS or BS. There are very few of them in the country that haven't been butchered and it legitimately takes at least $15K to get a car to great driving (not show) condition even if the starting point is a free donor.

In last two years I have bid as high as $20,000 for cars that went for a few dollars more, this http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1971-f ... -spider-3/ brought $23,500 and http://bringatrailer.com/listing/1972-fiat-spider/ over $20,000 as well.

With more enthusiasm for early Italian spiders continuing, I tihnk we will see $25-30,000 regularly in the near future.

[dreavis]

While I am always suspicious of reality TV, when I see something sell at an auction I have to assume that someone actually paid that amount for that particular car. My father in law said a Spider sold at the most recent Barrett-Jackson auction for $6500, and he said it was really nice.

It's a great little car, so I guess I'm surprised people aren't paying more for them. But then again, had it been more, I wouldn't be driving one.

[RRoller123]

It seems to me that the reason that some restoration companies are using the Spider as a base vehicle to work with, is precisely because the prices for good starting point cars is so low. Just good business sense.

[TStark]

Well, That 280 was a time capsule, an ungainly 2+2, but had 2200 miles on it or something similar. Some Datsun enthusiast had a chubby for it, that's all.

Just cant compare such things to our well-used rolling restorations. Nor to the typical 240z out there that's seen 150k+

Albiet, these cars are a bit fragile as shipped. a bit underpowered. definition of a chick car. If you had 20+k, would we buy one, knowing all the warts? In that context unless one is nostalgic for their first bj in one, the curb appeal only goes so far.

[scusi]

About a month ago, a nice 79 went for only $3000 at the Mecum auction in Chicago.

[azruss]

TV auctions are very deceiving. The camera is very flattering to nearly every car and it requires a very sharp eye looking for detail to spot flaws that would be very obvious if you were standing in front of the car. I have attended several Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auctions and have viewed many of the cars up close. The high priced cars have been restored to near perfection with great attention to detail.