In this episode, Derek and Jason peer into the crystal ball to concoct the recipe for the perfect collectible car. What it comes down to is a number of factors; a checklist of characteristics.
Did the car represent an end of an era? Or if it was replaced, was its replacement fundamentally different in a bad way? How many units were made — only two cars to ever hit the million-dollar price tag were produced in greater than 1000 units — the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing and the Ferrari F40.
Don’t forget attrition: some cars were made in large numbers but typically destroyed by rust, abuse, neglect, or just use. Or lift-off oversteer.
Cars that are aberrations in their product lines (like the original GTI or the Mercedes Black Series cars) tend to do well. We can’t, of course, forget intrinsic desirability, nostalgia, and cars that represent the ultimate expression of their era: 1959 Cadillac’s fins, Aston Lagonda’s wedge styling. Don’t underestimate the cyclical nature of fashion: at one time, the Lamborghini Countach was seen as the car you buy if you can’t afford a new Lambo.
Four-door cars have historically underperformed, but the Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II shows a sea change. Perhaps that’s because, for the first time, many of the most desirable cars of the last 40 years were saloons: Lotus Carlton, BMW M5, etc.
Provenance of the marque plays a role — but it’s not a guarantee (hello, Ferrari 308 GT4), but speed and experience almost always win. Speed alone isn’t enough, because as cars get faster and faster, the experience is what becomes dominant. The same go for looks: great looks are necessary for collectibility but certainly not sufficient.
At the end of the day, Derek always counsels his clients to drive what makes them happy. Then, even if the car’s value doesn’t skyrocket, the ownership experience alone is enough to make it all worthwhile.
What an out-of-character optimistic view from a true curmudgeon. We’ll make sure Derek is far less happy next week.
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The Carmudgeon Show is a comedic, information-filled conversation with Jason Cammisa and Derek Tam-Scott, two car enthusiasts who are curmudgeonly beyond their years. Proving you don’t have to be old to be grumpy, they spend each episode talking about what’s wrong with various parts of the automotive universe. Despite their best efforts to keep it negative, they usually wind up laughing, happy, and extolling their love for cars. Which just makes them angrier and more bitter.
ISSIMI is an enthusiast-owned, full-service specialist offering sales, consignment, collection management, service, and consulting to discerning enthusiasts and collectors. Specializing in complex transactions that include international services for exceptional cars, ISSIMI’s San Francisco Bay Area and Europe-based teams of experts pride themselves on transparency and knowledge. ISSIMI also produces enthusiast editorial media, including “Spotlight,” “Jason Cammisa on the Icons,” “The Carmudgeon Show,” and “Proper Care & Feeding of Cars.” Some of the vehicles featured in these editorial products, including the subjects in this Spotlight video, may be listed for sale through ISSIMI’s platform. Please check ISSIMI.com for more information.
Jason Cammisa is an automotive journalist, social-media figure, and TV host with over 250 million views on YouTube alone. Jason’s deeply technical understanding, made possible by a lifelong obsession with cars, allows him to fully digest what’s going on within an automobile — and then put it into simple terms for others to understand. Also, a Master’s Degree in Law trained him to be impossible to argue with.
Derek Tam-Scott still tries. He’s a young automotive expert with old-man taste in cars, and a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering — which means he knows how to be civil to Jason. Or
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