One debate that seems to always arise at an Aero Car event is why are the Ford Aero cars valued so much less than the Mopars? I will not even approach that subject in this article. However, what I will do is provide you with some information and you can then reach your own conclusions. I simply went to one resource which I think should be fairly accurate, Hagerty Insurance Valuation Tool. Since they are in the business to insure these cars it only makes good sense that they must stay reasonably current on values of each car. The cars I researched are the 1969 Ford Talladega, 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler, 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II, 1969 Mercury Cyclone Cale Yarborough, 1969 Mercury Cyclone Dan Gurney. Now before you jump all over me for the confusion of models listed, I just searched for what Hagerty had to supply. For some reason they had the Yarborough and Gurney editions listed separate from the Spoiler and Spoiler II designations. It just goes to show you that even people who should know better don’t get it right. Our task to educate people on these cars is huge. There was also no consideration for engine size or transmission on any of Spoiler/Spoiler II values. In addition we looked at the 1969 Dodge Daytona 440 and the 1970 Plymouth Superbird 440 4bl. We did not bother with the optional engines since those numbers are greatly distorted due to the Hemi factor. As a start here is the Ford Talladega values. From the graph it appears that in 2006 a Condition 2 car (Yellow Line) was $45,000 and in 2013 this had increased to $67,000. On all of the car values we will only be looking at the Condition 2 because that is what most of us have or at least strive for. The Condition 1 car is a pure show car and can’t really be driven. If you want to look at any of the charts in more detail simply double click on them and they will enlarge to full screen.
The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II is shown as valued at $28,000 in 2006 and $33,000 in 2013.
The Spoiler is estimated at $20,000 in 2006 and $24,000 in 2013.
Here is some of the confusion. I have no idea who they give values to the Spoiler and Spoiler II separate from the Yarborough and Gurney designations. However, the Cale Yarborough Special was valued at $35,000 in 2006 and $36,500 in 2013.
The Dan Gurney Special was $35,000 in 2006 and $36,500 in 2013.
The 1969 Dodge Daytona 440 was valued at $170,000 in 2006 and $180,000 in 2013.
The 1970 Plymouth Superbird 440 4bl was $110,000 in 2006 and $150,000 in 2013.
I am very interested in what you have to say about these numbers. Would you sell your Talladega or Spoiler II for the values listed here? Would you purchase another aero Ford product today for the listed 2013 numbers?
What about the difference in values between the Fords and Mopars? How many of you would be willing to purchase a Winged Mopar for the values listed?
For the last questions: Where do you thinks these values are headed in the future? Will the Ford products ever approach the Mopars? Will the Mopars increase or decrease in value in the future?
Please add your comments and suggestions below!
Hi Richard,
Thanks for posting these charts. I think they are all within reason {Not perfect but within reason}.
Yes we need to get more people educated on our cars & I believe your website has helped with this. Certainly we all hoped the values were higher {if selling} or lower {buying}. I think a lot of the value posted is for insurance evaluations {Carl could help here} I believe that the cars available on the open market today can be purchased at lesser value than the chart. Economics & market saturation {when have you seen this many Talladegas for sale?}have cause a slight decline in values.
This is just my opinion & would certainly like to hear a con to my post.
Marty
Marty, thanks for your comments. I think your perspective of more Talladegas for sale recently is a good one. Our page Selling and Sold Prices at https://www.talladegaspoilerregistry.com/sold-car-prices/ lists 55 Talladegas that have been for sale in the last 3 years and that is just the ones I have found! Now, I realize that some of these are repeat ads but I also know from personal experience when we were looking for a Talladega to purchase 5 to 6 years ago they were next to impossible to find. Although this may hurt the prices some I believe it also means that more people are aware of what they are and digging them up to sell. I also believe that there are more Degas left in existence than I once thought. It use to be I would just see some of the same cars being recycled from owner to owner but now quite often I will see a car for sale I did not know of and many have never been registered on our Registry.
If anyone sees a Talladega out there for sale or at a show check the VIN and see if it is in the Registry. If not please send in the VIN and we can at least make a note on the Registry that the car exists.
Richard, great subject.
Marti, thanks for the confidence; but, as an insurance agent, we typically use NADA as our “go to” resource on values. (Although, occasionally, someone will spring for a certified appraisal for their specific car.)
The key, from an insurance perspective, is being able to determine condition. NADA typically shows a condition 2 car as their “high” value. (If anyone has a true condition 1 car I would encourage them to spring for the certified appraisal.) Keep in mind that NADA numbers are all based on “recent” dealer sales; therefore, due to the relatively low numbers of these cars that typically change hands each year, a couple of high (or low) sales can really impact the numbers on rare models like ours.
Currently, NADA shows a high retail of $90,000 for a Condition 2 Talladega. Keep in mind, this is only an approximation. The number of cars sold is so low, it is not nearly as accurate as it might be for a higher volume sales car (e.g., a Mustang of almost any vintage).
What they label as “Average Retail”, I would consider to be a condition 3 car. In this example they show a value of $53,550. Whereas they show a low retail value (my version of a condition 4 car) at $30,150. Note: even a condition 5 car should still be a driver – it is not a basket case car. Considering we have seen (or in some cases sold/purchased) non-running project cars well in excess of $20,000, I feel these numbers are somewhat reasonable. Are they accurate in every case? Absolutely not.
I think that Richard hit the nail on the head when he asked, “would we take these prices for our cars?” Or, “would we pay these prices for another one?” Generally speaking, most of us would not sell for these prices (unless we really needed the money), and since most of us already have at least one, very few of us would pay these prices. It sort of goes back to, “what will the market bear?” And, that is a question for a used car salesman, not an insurance agent.
When I ask for a level of coverage to be accepted by my underwriters, I want to make sure that the “agreed upon value” for which we (State Farm) are insuring a car will at least be in the right ball park. My underwriters do not wish to “over insure” to the point that a policyholder would be tempted to stage a claim, and my policyholders want enough coverage so that the vehicle will be able to be repaired (even if it is in a serious accident), rather than being totaled out a low value that would not allow them to repair/replace it.
To all members, regardless of who you insure your classic cars through, make sure that you get an “agreed upon value” policy. They are available in most states through State Farm (and a few other companies). With an agreed upon value policy, the value of your car is agreed upon at the time it is written (and at each renewal).
Try to stay away from an “Estimated Value” policy, as they are priced based on your estimated value, but the values are not actually determined until after the loss. Needless to say, there is little you can do about any disagreement you may have with your insurance company after the fact with one of these types of policies.
Well said Carl. Having purchased my first Aero Car in the last 6 months I can say from my experiences that value and sale prices are very different creatures. I first became serious about buying a Talladega or Spoiler over a year ago and spent a great deal of time researching. Though I was not purchasing as in investor, I also didn’t wish to over pay just so I could have one right away. One thing I found was that auction starting prices and reserve prices tended to be higher than most people (myself included) were willing to pay. Twice I was the high bidder but failed to meet the reserve (in one case the seller sold a Spoiler II in a private sale and in the other, a color code 428 Cyclone, the seller told me he’d had it apprised at $40K and wouldn’t take a penny less…) Eventually I found exactly what I wanted (Blue T) for a price I could afford in a private sale. I think I paid a fair price considering the condition of the car and the fact that it is not strictly an investment.
As knowledge of these cars increases I think values will follow suite. They will always lag behind the Mopars due to their high profile reputations and name recognition (most people know what a Superbird is yet few are aware of the Talladega). So like RIchard says, drive ’em, show ’em and take them out where people can see them.