Collector cars span everyday enthusiast vehicles, restored classics and multimillion-dollar auction cars. The statistics below distinguish survey populations, auction activity, guide estimates and company context across the periods reported.
Key Collector Car Statistics
The most useful headline figures include:
- In 2015, €1.58 billion was the estimated trade value of global classic-car auctions.
- In 2015, classic-car auction activity represented under 10% of global classic-car transactions.
- From approximately 2005 to 2015, global classic-car auction transaction count increased 241%.
- In a 2020 SEMA survey, 49% of pre-1974 vehicles were primarily used as collector vehicles.
- In the same survey, 88% of classic-vehicle owners had only one classic vehicle.
- In the 2020 survey, 67% of classic-vehicle owners also owned a modern vehicle.
- In 2020, 46% of classic vehicles were bought in good driver condition.
- In 2020, 30% of classic vehicles were in better condition at survey time than when bought.
- In 2020, 37% of classic owners described their ultimate vehicle vision as keeping it a driver.
- In 2020, 44% of classic owners wanted to keep their classic forever.
- In the year before the September–October 2020 interviews, 52% of classic owners took pleasure or Sunday drives.
- In the same prior-year period, 41% of classic owners attended a car show or meet.
- Owners of pre-1974 vehicles spent $890 million on parts in 2019.
- In the 2020 survey, 70% of pre-1974 owners did the majority of work themselves.
- In Hagerty’s September 2021 valuation update, 14,172 of 37,585 tracked vehicles increased in value.
- In Hagerty’s January 2024 report on the Monterey season, collector-car auction sales exceeded $224 million.
- A 1963 Ferrari 250 California Spyder sold for $17.85 million in the cited Monterey results.
- Hagerty’s 2025 Bull Market list contained 11 enthusiast vehicles selected for expected one-year appreciation.
Contents
- Collector car market size and auction trends
- Collector car ownership and vehicle use
- Condition, restoration and customization
- Buying channels, holding periods and goals
- Participation, events and digital engagement
- Spending, labor and valuation indicators
Collector Car Market Size and Auction Trends
The 2016 Classic Car Report estimated €1.58 billion in 2015 global classic-car auction trade value. That report also estimated that auctions represented under 10% of all classic-car market transactions, while trader, private-sale and restorer transactions could exceed €15 billion; these are report estimates and do not represent the whole market as a measured census.
Classic Car Report 2016 reported the following changes in its defined global auction universe:
| Measure | Reported result | Period and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Overall auction revenue | 39% growth | 2015 year over year; global classic-car auctions |
| Transactions above $1 million | 51% growth | 2015; auction subset |
| Transactions above $1 million | 220 transactions | 2015; auction subset |
| $100,000–$1 million transactions | 40% growth | 2015; auction subset |
| Transactions below $100,000 | 15% growth | 2015; auction subset |
Over approximately 2005–2015, the report recorded a 241% increase in auction transaction count, a 335% increase in auction revenue and a 267% rise in its classic-car index. The index is not a guaranteed return for every car or owner, and the report’s private-market totals and comparisons use an approximate defined universe.
Collector Car Ownership and Vehicle Use Statistics
SEMA’s Classic Cars, Modern Markets survey interviewed classic-vehicle owners in September and October 2020. Its definitions vary by segment: 49% of pre-1974 vehicles were primarily used as collector vehicles, while the use figures below concern the report’s pre-1990 classic-vehicle segment.
Ownership was generally concentrated rather than multi-car. 88% of owners had only one classic vehicle, and 67% also owned a modern vehicle.
| Primary use among classic vehicles | Share | Definition and period |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasure driving | 28% | Pre-1990 classic vehicles; 2020 survey |
| Running errands | 27% | Pre-1990 classic vehicles; 2020 survey |
| Commuting | 16% | Pre-1990 classic vehicles; 2020 survey |
These are primary-use responses, not measures of how often a vehicle was driven. The source is Classic Cars, Modern Markets, which also notes that the survey is self-reported.
Collector Car Condition, Restoration and Customization Data
Condition at purchase ranged from projects to show-ready cars in the 2020 SEMA survey. The largest category was good driver condition, while nearly one-fifth were driveable vehicles needing work.
- 46% of classic vehicles were bought in good driver condition in the 2020 survey.
- 24% were bought in excellent show-vehicle condition.
- 19% were bought as driveable vehicles needing work.
- 8% were non-operational when acquired.
- 3% were disassembled or in pieces when acquired.
Owners’ self-assessments also show that condition changes were mixed: 30% said their vehicle was in better condition than when bought, 52% said it was unchanged and 18% said it was worse. These figures describe self-assessed change since purchase, not an independent inspection.
Ultimate vehicle visions favored usable cars, but restoration and modification remained substantial goals. In the survey, 37% of classic owners aimed to keep their vehicle a driver, 29% targeted a restoration, 26% targeted a restomod and 7% targeted a custom or hot-rod build; the categories are report-defined responses and not completed projects.
Collector Car Buying Channels, Holding Periods and Ownership Goals
Personal networks were the leading reported acquisition channel in the 2020 SEMA survey, followed by dealerships. Online listings and auctions were meaningful but smaller reported routes.
| Acquisition channel | Share of classic owners | 2020 survey |
|---|---|---|
| Friend or relative | 32% | Reported acquisition channel |
| Dealership | 27% | Reported acquisition channel |
| Online listing | 14% | Reported acquisition channel |
| Private party | 10% | Reported acquisition channel |
| Online auction site | 5% | Reported acquisition channel |
The same survey found long-horizon ownership intentions: 44% wanted to keep their classic forever, and 22% planned to pass it to children or grandchildren. These are stated goals rather than observed retention or completed inheritance transfers.
The acquisition and ownership figures come from Classic Cars, Modern Markets. They should not be read as a current market-wide channel share because the survey population and interview period are specific.
Collector Car Participation, Events and Digital Engagement
The SEMA survey recorded a mix of driving, practical use and community participation during the year before interviews in September and October 2020. COVID-19 affected in-person activity, so event figures should be interpreted within that unusual period.
- 52% of classic owners took pleasure or Sunday drives during the prior year.
- 50% used their classic for errands.
- 36% took day trips in their classic.
- 28% showed their vehicle at car shows or meets.
- 22% used their classic for cruises or parades.
Attendance figures were lower for some organized activities: 41% attended a car show or meet, 18% attended a swap meet and 14% attended an in-person car auction during the prior year. These measures concern attendance, whereas the preceding group includes reported vehicle uses and activities; they are not mutually exclusive.
Digital participation was especially visible among younger owners. 51% of owners under 45 posted about their vehicle or posted work videos in the 2020 survey, a self-reported age-subgroup measure.
Collector Car Spending, Labor and Valuation Indicators
SEMA estimated that owners of pre-1974 vehicles spent $890 million on parts in 2019. In the 2020 survey, 70% of pre-1974 owners did the majority of work themselves, while the corresponding figure for classic truck owners was 75%; both are self-reported labor shares, not total restoration spending.
Hagerty’s September 2021 valuation update covered 37,585 vehicles. Of that guide universe, 14,172 increased in value, approximately 38% according to Hagerty, 2,346 decreased and 21,067 were unchanged; guide coverage is not the worldwide collector-vehicle population.
| Hagerty guide example | Reported valuation movement | Scope and caveat |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 Nissan Skyline GT-R NISMO 400R | $375,000 to $1.1 million; 193% increase | #3 Good condition; guide value, not guaranteed sale price |
| 1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible | $1.7 million to $3.05 million; $1.35 million gain | #3 Good condition; guide value |
| Ferrari 365 California Spider | $100,000 decrease to $3.75 million | #3 Good condition; guide value |
Hagerty’s January 2024 guide covered more than 38,500 collector cars, trucks and SUVs. In the Monterey season cited in that report, auction sales exceeded $224 million, less than 1% above the prior year’s record despite 104 additional cars, and a 1963 Ferrari 250 California Spyder sold for $17.85 million; that single sale is not representative of median collector-car prices.
Hagerty’s 2025 Bull Market list, announced in December 2024, selected 11 enthusiast vehicles for expected one-year appreciation. This is a company forecast, not a realized return; its 1978–1983 Datsun 280ZX example was listed at $32,800 in excellent condition and had increased 138% since 2019, a guide estimate rather than a transaction price.
Hagerty also reported that 67 million Americans self-describe as car enthusiasts in a 2024 company release. That population is broader than collector-car owners, while the company’s 2024 financial figures provide business context rather than market size: Hagerty ended December 31, 2024 with $105 million of cash and availability and $105 million of total debt, including $30 million of debt tied to Broad Arrow Capital’s portfolio of loans collateralized by collector cars; adjusted EBITDA was $124.5 million in 2024, up 41% year over year.
The valuation and market-context figures are from Almost 40 percent of collector cars are up in value, and this one jumped by $1.3M, With Inflation, Collector Car Values Are Back to December 2019 Levels, Hagerty Announces 2025 Bull Market List: 11 Collector Cars Poised to Gain Value in 2025 and Hagerty Reports Full Year 2024 Results; Provides 2025 Outlook for Revenue and Profit Growth. Guide values are condition-specific estimates and do not account for restoration, storage, insurance or transaction costs.