Month in Motoring, August 2025
Setting the Tone for the Collector Car Market
It’s not the end of the motoring season, but the auctions held during car week at Pebble Beach do set the tone for the remainder of the year for collector car pricing. The enthusiasm about the collector industry in general can be measured by sales, attendance, and the overall feel of the week. Although in general, Pebble Beach caters to the elite of the collector car world, several trends can be seen that affect everyone involved in the hobby.
Let’s look at a couple of trends.
The Auction Reality Check
First, the auctions. One thing was very clear: With a few exceptions, the idea of buying a collector car and holding it for a year with the goal of returning a significant profit is becoming increasingly difficult. Over the last 10 years, it was the reverse. Popular cars of the day were solid investments. Sure, some categories were struggling, like prewar cars, but even within that category, records were being set. But in general, if you made a good buy, you were almost guaranteed not to lose money and, in most cases, make money. That time might be over.
European Classics Hit Hardest
The group being hit the hardest are those heavily invested in European classics and sports cars. Significant price drops were seen, in some cases in the millions of dollars, at the auctions last month. If you paid $125,000 for a ’60s Alfa 1600 roadster a few years ago, the loss you’ll see when it sells might be meaningful to your pocketbook.
Another group being hit are those who paid significantly over the MSRP for cars like the Porsche GT3 RS. $100K over list was not out of line a few years ago. But the payoff came when you were able to sell for a profit just a year later. That has become very difficult, unless you have a very unusual specification.
The Silver Lining
Bottom line: The idea of buying, holding, selling, and walking away with more money than you started with is not realistic for most cars today. But is that bad? Not at all.
The reduction of investors getting involved in the collector car world makes obtaining your dream car increasingly possible. And those who buy their dream car are more likely to support the car hobby in general by joining clubs and participating in events, both local and national. This is and will always be the basis for a healthy collector car market.
Enthusiasm Remains High, But the Audience is Shifting
There is no doubt that enthusiasm is high for the collector vehicle market based on the attention that Pebble Beach received from attendees and the media. But dive a little deeper into the numbers, and there is certainly a shift. As of this writing, the Pebble Beach Concours live video on YouTube has 42,000 views. When compared to YouTube personalities like Tavarish, the numbers speak for themselves. One of his car videos can hit over 1,000,000 views in a single week. And consider me one of those viewers. But what do those numbers mean?
The New Generation of Car Enthusiasts
First, events like Pebble Beach have always been an in-person show. The location, cars, and people are always best up close. Also, it’s tough to relate to million-dollar works of art when you don’t know the stories behind them. I think this is the secret behind the success of YouTube presenters like Tavarish and Mat Armstrong. Their projects are interesting, and they give hope to a new generation of collectors that they can follow in their footsteps, or tire tracks.
I look forward to the day when established events embrace the new class of restoration work done by these YouTube pros and invite them onto the show fields with their latest work. I think it would be great for all aspects of the hobby. Bridging the gap between the old guard and the new breed of restorers and collectors will only help the hobby.
The Evolution Continues
Bottom line: The collector car hobby is evolving, like it always has. And we all need to continue to evolve with it. To protect your collector car, contact us at 888-901-1338 for a free collector car insurance quote.
Happy Motoring.
