Are GTV's good collector cars?

[fangio8c]

I'm relatively new here. I like GTV's but I'm wondering how they rate from a "poor man's" collector viewpoint (i.e. I know they'll never be worth 6 digits in my lifetime). I'm currently looking at a very nice silver/red 1974 GTV that a guy bought from Bobcor in 2006.

1. If I purchased one in "excellent" condition what should I expect to pay?
2. What is the consensus about current pricing and rate of appreciation?
(I've read rumors on the BB that GTV's will be worth $40K+ in a few years)
3. Any other GTV advice?

Cheers,

Mark

[180OUT]

The short answer to your question is, yes, Alfa GTV's are desirable collector's and enthusiasts cars because they have a unique combination of design and performance that makes them very attractive to own.

As to what they're worth, that's always a debatable subject. It possible, even probable, that GTV's will be appraciate in value to $40k in future years,
but then perhaps not. Car prices are driven by market economics: if the buyers are there with money in hand the cars sell for a lot, if not they get sold cheaply. I know this sounds a little simplistic, even discouraging, but I think the reason to buy an Alfa (or really any interesting car) is because you like it and not because you think it's going to make your fortune. If you want to make money invest in the stock market.

Auction prices are good indicator of a car's market value. Classic and Sportscars magazine in the UK publishes a pretty good price guide. Prices ranged below (from the left) reflect excellent, good, and restoration quality cars.

Giulia Sprint GT/GTV 1963-68 £9,000 £4,250 £850

1750/2000GTV 1967-77 £9,250 £4,750 £800

Alfetta GT/GTV (1.6, 1.8, 2.0) 1974-87 £5,000 £1,300 £200

GTV6 1981-87 £4,500 £1,600 £350

[canberraphil]

I agree with everything 180out has said. I would add that 105's, like most classic cars are not a good financial proposition if you plan to drive them. Unless you are very lucky the ammount you spend on parts and servicing will likely exceed any value the car will accumulate. Even if you don't drive it much the risk of rust and other nasties popping up would be higher than most investors would tolerate. I would also advise you to invest in the stock market if you want to make money. In my mind classic car prices tend to loosely follow the stock market anyway, so if car values rose drastically you'd probably looking at a good return on some shares anyway. Just an opinion though.

How about investing in a company that does Alfa spare parts? There will always be a good demand for those!

[Zunige]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fangio8c I'm relatively new here. I like GTV's but I'm wondering how they rate from a "poor man's" collector viewpoint (i.e. I know they'll never be worth 6 digits in my lifetime). I'm currently looking at a very nice silver/red 1974 GTV that a guy bought from Bobcor in 2006. 1. If I purchased one in "excellent" condition what should I expect to pay? 2. What is the consensus about current pricing and rate of appreciation? (I've read rumors on the BB that GTV's will be worth $40K+ in a few years) 3. Any other GTV advice? Cheers, Mark

[lowmileage]

Advice. Don't buy any car as an investment.

[green 69 gtv]

Every ten years of joy I get from my car, I erase the tab and start over

[peterosefirepit]

it seems to me that quite a few cars have been dug up, cleaned up and put up ,as in put to market. A bit of interest in the market or a nephew with a good eye,and anyone who had one in the barn got it lookin good and dropped it on ebay. That seemed to be the case last year. THe market got a little flooded and some people got a look at some really crappy rushjob GTV's.
Cant say what the future will bring but I see 74 spiders going up a lot and I hear they are the ones that will make you a few bucks, like maybe 500.00

[peglegtom]

You don't ever want to drive the car again. (Not my choice as an Alfa driver)!

You can afford to keep the car until the "market is right"!

You have the funds to make (and maintain) the car in the condition that potential owners would want!

I personally don't buy cars because of their "Investment" value, but only if I personally enjoy the car and want to drive it. If I make a "profit" from it, so much the better, but at that point, I would probably prefer to have the car over the money!

Nobody has a "crystal ball" that can predict the future. Just look at the old Road & Track classifieds to see what you "could have done if I had only purchased at that price" but remember, you would have had to store and maintain the car in the interium.

IMHO, if you purchase a car as an investment, you will be more likely to get "burned" than if you put your money into the stock market. So if you want a GTV to drive and love, by all means purchase it, put all of your spare change into it, love it, and if at some point you have to sell it, you will reget it like losing a child, but hopefully, you can make a slight profit! At that point, you can realize that you had a great car for "X" number of years, and be able to tell your grandchildren about it, not about the profit you made.

[Damo105]

The positive side to all of this is that GTVs are unlikely to ever go down in value, unless economic conditions cause a crash in classic car values. But even then it is more likely to effect the high-end market, rather than the affordable classics.

The costs of maintaining and running the car are the real costs of owning a hobby car (which is what it is for me, a hobby), and the initial capital outlay I expect to recover one day when I sell the car. If I get more than my original outlay that's a bonus.

If you want to buy a car as an investment, buy a Bugatti Veyron and lock it away for 20 years!

[Alfajay]

If you want to buy a car as an investment, buy a Bugatti Veyron and lock it away for 20 years!

Aw nuts! I've been driving my Veyron to Home Depot to haul lumber and manure. Do you think the door dings and paint chips will hurt its value?

(I hope you all realize I'm kidding - I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those ugly things - not that I could afford one)

[180OUT]

Mark, from the responses to this thread it's pretty obvious that you are talking to a bunch of drivers here. That's one of the best things about the bb, I think; there is a lot of Alfa experience here. FYI, there are some interesting (and quite varied) experiences reported on the bb about Bobcor cars. Before you buy a "Bobcor car" you might find it useful to do a search for the relevant threads. If you are unfamiliar with Alfas, make sure you have someone who knows the cars look the car you're considering over (you should do this with any Alfa regardless of where it came from---these are 30-40 year old cars, after all) before you agree to by it. Old GTV's are generally quite robust cars but there are some hidden "gotchas" that can be easily overlooked in the excitement of buying a great looking car.

[BlpltGTV]

I'd say a GTV is a good investment. Its not like its going to loose value in the long run. I have found that the car needs to be driven on a regular basis, if it sits it starts to degrade faster than you would think. If you drive it and take good care of it (in other words don't treat it like a honda civic), not only will you have a usable car, but one that isn't depreciating every second you own it. Upkeep is not too bad, most parts are still obtainable as many were used on the spiders for years. Especially true with the 71-74 cars. The minor exception is a US spec 69 105.51 (1750) there are many parts that are almost unique to the 640 that were built. (Front seats and brake master cylinders being 2 of them off the top of my head.)

If you have the $$ for a nice GTV, I say go for it, but as other people have mentioned, have a knowledgeable Alfisi come and look at the car as well. (I guess that kinda goes with any car from this era.) When you find one that you like, drive it, research it, and go from there.

just my $.02

Will

[Chi Si Dici]

I think some of you guys are living in the past. I good track car will set you back at least $40K. You can buy a nice $18K GTV, but it will take at least another $20K to make it right.

A good restoration will cost you at least $45K. Two real nice GTV's just sold in the Chicagoland area for over $40K.

If your a 45 year old GTV owner and have a 92+ point car, I would bet you will see six figures before your life time.

Consider that real good Supers have increased 250% over the last five years, I see no reason why a real tight GTV would not increase at least 10% per year for quite some time.

Moreover, don't forget that the majority of high end GTVs are purchased by Ferrari owners that can no longer afford classic Ferraris.


Stay strong and hold on to your cars, you will get more that what you think.

[BlpltGTV]

I don't know where my car would fall in as far as concourse quality. It is mostly original. Infact the only things I have changed are the springs, wheels, added an MSD (removable in less than 5 min.) and a carefully hidden stereo (cut 2 small holes in the back of the glovebox.) Is the interior flawless? No, the driver's seat has a small tear in it where the vinyl dried out during its 30 year nap, and the rear seat was removed by the original owner in 1969. The carpet shows some wear, but the dash is uncracked, the gauges look great, and everything works. There is also no rust. At this point I can't say that the car is a restoration project, its a preservation project. If you can find a car like this, I think you have it made.

Will

[180OUT]

I

Quote:

think some of you guys are living in the past. I good track car will set you back at least $40K. You can buy a nice $18K GTV, but it will take at least another $20K to make it right.