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CLASSIC CARS
How Does Your Car Rate?
Here's a preview of the Martin Rating System for Collectible Cars from Sports Car Market. They've selected 100 cars, each with something different to offer to a collector, and rated them on a 1–100 point scale, in five categories of 20 points each. Over 2,000 collectible cars will be rated in the upcoming book, The Martin Guide to Collectible Cars.

Rating Key:
R Rarity   H Historical and Technological Significance
B Physical Beauty   F The Fun Factor (Drivability, Spares, Ease of Maintenance, Event Eligibility)
P Performance in Its Era  
Click column heading once to reorder from highest to lowest. Click twice to reorder from lowest to highest.
Year
Mark
Model
R
B
P
H
F
Overall
Investment
Grade
Low
High
1962Ferrari 250 GTO 19 20 20 20 19 98A$ 10,000,000$ 14,000,000
The ultimate front-engined Ferrari sports/racer and the ne plus ultra of homologation specials.
1936-1939 Mercedes-Benz540K Special roadster 19 20 19 20 20 98A$ 2,000,000$ 2,650,000
The most glamorous car of the 1930s. Phenomenal performance for the era. Just cross your fingers that the original owner's name didn't include "The Butcher of..."
1956-1957 Jaguar XKSS 19 20 20 19 19 97A$ 925,000$ 1,300,000
Oozes charisma. It's a thinly disguised Le Mans winner for the road. Factory fire assured immortality.
1967-1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder 19 20 19 20 18 96A$ 3,500,000$ 4,000,000
Let's see, Chinetti, McQueen, the ultra-rare open-top version of what is already one of the most desirable post-war sports cars -- it's the bluest of blue chips.
1960-1963 Aston MartinDB4 GT Zagato 19 19 19 18 19 94A$ 2,500,000$ 3,000,000
Aggressive and charasmatic sports/racer. Although not a success on the track in its day, it is now viewed as Aston's 250 SWB.
1950-1953 Jaguar XK C-type 18 19 19 19 19 94A$ 800,000$ 1,000,000
Beautiful, unfussy for what it is, and a Le Mans winner. From the days when you could drive a contender to the circuit.
1960-1962 Ferrari 250 SWB 18 19 18 19 19 93A$ 1,400,000$ 1,600,000
Awesome dual-purpose GT truly at home on the road or in competition.
1965FordGT40 MkII 19 18 20 19 17 93A$ 500,000$ 800,000
Ford's sharp stick in the Ray-Bans of Enzo Ferrari is the stuff of legends.
1954-1957 MaseratiA6G54/A6G2000 Zagato coupe 19 19 19 17 19 93A$ 500,000$ 700,000
Brutish sports/racer from the period when Maserati was a credible competitor to Ferrari.
1954-1957 Mercedes-Benz300SL Gullwing (steel) 16 19 18 19 20 92A$ 300,000$ 350,000
The post-war Mercedes. Style, speed, handling -- and those doors.
1973Porsche Carrera RS "Lightweight" 17 18 20 19 18 92A$ 350,000$ 450,000
The ultimate 911. Ducktail, Carrera graphics, and lightweight accoutrements all add to the mystique.
1963-1965 ACCobra 16 19 19 19 18 91A$ 150,000$ 20,000
Supercharged FWD stunner. Puts some competent post-war cars to shame in the performance and handling department. Shame about the tricky gearbox.
1937Cord812 SC Sportsman 17 19 18 20 17 91A$ 175,000$ 205,000
Legendary over-the-top nose and wing were homologation items. Hemi is the MOPAR holy grail.
1970PlymouthSuperbird Hemi 19 17 18 19 18 91A$ 500,000$ 600,000
Almost as lovely as a Ferrari 250 LM, it's one of the most attractive mid-engined racers ever.
1964Porsche 904 GTS 18 19 19 18 17 91A$ 300,000$ 375,000
The AC Ace, prettiest British sports car of the '50s plus the verve of a small block Ford and the star power of a certain Texan equals an all-time great.
1965ShelbyGT350 17 18 18 19 19 91A$ 175,000$ 200,000
The Texas chicken farmer's first Mustang special is the most visceral of the "production" Shelby Mustangs.
1935-1936 AuburnBoattail Speedster Supercharged 17 20 18 18 17 90A$ 175,000$ 250,000
Simply a masterpiece of art deco flamboyance with excellent performance for the period.
1956-1959 BMW507 roadster 17 20 17 18 18 90A$ 300,000$ 400,000
Hands down, the most attractive post-war BMW. Lithe, charismatic and rare.
1947-1954 Cisitalia202 coupe 17 20 16 20 17 90A$ 100,000$ 150,000
The single car that defined the new post-war style of an envelope body with fender crowns higher than the hood. Scant performance from a tiny motor, but that's not the point.
1971-1972LamborghiniMiura 400SV 18 20 20 18 14 90A$ 350,000$ 450,000
Still (and likely forever) the most beautiful mid-engined sports car. An outrageous performer but fragile and impractical.
1954-1955 LanciaAurelia B24 Spider America 17 19 17 18 19 90A$ 125,000$ 200,000
A rare combination of Italian style plus an almost Teutonic obsession with engineering and quality.
1953-1957 PegasoTouring coupe (flat windshield) 19 19 18 19 15 90A$ 250,000$ 300,000
A backward military dictatorship of a country with no car-producing heritage builds a Ferrari-like GT. Commitment required as parts are as common as a passenger pigeon.
1967Porsche 911S Targa 17 18 18 19 18 90A$ 22,000$ 28,000
Arguably the prettiest 911, the rare, short wheelbase "S" is peaky and tricky fun.
1948TuckerTorpedo 19 17 19 19 16 90A$ 300,000$ 400,000
A sad glimpse of what might have been had Preston Tucker's advanced sedan been mass-produced and developed.
1953ChevroletCorvette 17 17 16 20 19 89B$ 100,000$ 140,000
Rare first edition of an American institution.
1962-1964Ferrari 250 GTL Lusso 17 20 16 18 18 89B$ 300,000$ 400,000
More beauty than beast, a comparatively sedate performer that is nonetheless the most beautiful closed Ferrari road car.
1968-1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona 16 18 19 18 18 89B$ 150,000$ 250,000
The last "classic" two-seat, front-engined, V12 Ferrari, and to many, the last Ferrari of consequence.
1953-1955 Fiat 8V Zagato 18 19 18 19 15 89B$ 245,000$ 350,000
The only Fiat so undeniably great that it overcomes the stigma associated with the badge. Fiat Dino owners will wait in vain for this recognition.
1951-1954Jaguar XK 120 roadster (steel) 14 19 19 19 18 89B$ 55,000$ 80,000
The first true post-war sports car. Incredible perfomance for the era and the beginning of an incredible decade for Jaguar.
1952-1954AllardJ2X 18 16 19 16 19 88B$ 95,000$ 140,000
Sydney Allard's cycle-fendered Cadillac powered weapon was the Cobra of the '50s.
1962-1967 Jaguar E-type OTS 13 20 19 20 16 88B$ 45,000$ 70,000
Aerodynamicist Malcolm Sayer penned one of the most iconic shapes of all time. Sheer numbers keep it out of the top tier.
1956-1963 ACAce Bristol roadster 17 19 17 17 17 87B$ 70,000$ 90,000
Rarity, fine handling, and a gorgeous, Italianate lightweight body.
1955ChevroletBel Air convertible 13 18 17 20 19 87B$ 60,000$ 90,000
Iconic piece of Americana and 1950s swagger. First to sport the greatest small-block V8 of all time.
1956ChevroletCorvette 265/225-hp 15 18 18 17 19 87B$ 55,000$ 77,500
Prettiest of the solid axle Corvettes with the first iteration of Chevy's sweet small-block V8.
1964-1966 Lamborghini350 GT 18 17 19 18 15 87B$ 80,000$ 140,000
First running of the Bull. A terrific first effort preferred by many contemporary testers to Ferrari's offerings.
1956-1959 Alfa Romeo750 Spider Veloce 16 18 17 16 19 86B$ 30,000$ 45,000
Maybe the prettiest volume-produced, small displacement sports car ever. Jewel-like in every respect from masterful detailing to multiple alloy castings.
1963-1965 Aston MartinDB5 coupe 16 18 17 18 17 86B$ 160,000$ 225,000
Forever linked with Ian Fleming's suave spy 007, the DB5 is a beautiful long-legged GT in the classic sense.
1972-1974 Dino246 GTS 16 19 17 17 17 86B$ 75,000$ 125,000
A close second to the Miura in the looks department. The only collectible production Ferrari with fewer than 12 cylinders.
1974-1976 LamborghiniCountach LP 400 18 17 20 17 14 86B$ 80,000$ 115,000
Gandini's arresting original design before the descent into self-parody. Brutal performer like the Miura. Just as impractical.
1956-1958Porsche 356A Speedster 16 16 17 18 19 86B$ 65,000$ 70,000
Max Hoffman's idea of a stripped-down loss leader became the 356 to have.
1967-1970Toyota2000GT 17 18 16 18 17 86B$ 135,000$ 160,000
The most collectible car ever to come from Japan. Relatively modest performance and inability to accommodate those of typical Western stature hurt.
1963ChevroletCorvette coupe (340-bhp 4-speed) 14 18 17 18 18 85B$ 40,400$ 62,000
Bill Mitchell's and Zora Arkus-Duntov's dream car come alive. Split-Window coupe is the iconic mid-year 'Vette.
1965-1974 IsoGrifo 17 19 18 15 16 85B$ 50,000$ 90,000
Another Giugiaro masterpiece. The eyeball of a 275 GTB without the heartache. Chevy lump will never be mistaken for aLatin V12 but it is the sweetest smallblock ever.
1958-1963Lotus Elite 16 19 17 17 16 85B$ 28,000$ 35,000
Amateur Peter Kirwan-Taylor responsible for one of the most beautiful small bore sports/racers ever. Revolutionary fiberglass monocoque construction.
1964-1967 PontiacGTO 13 17 18 19 18 85B$ 22,000$ 35,000
The original muscle car and the only one to have inspired a more than tolerable song.
1964-1967 Austin-Healey3000 MkIII (BJ8) 13 18 17 18 18 84B$ 32,000$ 50,000
The last Big Healey is the most user-friendly and the best performer.
1962-1964 Facel VegaFacel II 18 18 17 15 16 84B$ 50,000$ 85,000
Glamorous gallic grand routier a favorite of celebrities. Brawny Chrysler power and easy to live with, but punitively expensive to restore.
1960-1963Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 16 17 17 17 17 84B$ 75,000$ 125,000
Ferrari's first mass-produced road car is a pleasantly-styled if slightly ponderous GT.
1960-1968 Lotus Seven S2 16 15 18 18 17 84B$ 22,000$ 27,000
Chapman paid more attention to the Seven's weight than the most binge/purge obsessed supermodels. Payoff was race car handling and excellent perfomance.
1963-1965 Porsche 356 Coupe SC 14 16 17 19 18 84B$ 25,000$ 30,000
The ultimate development of the 356. From an Austrian sawmill to this finely developed piece of industrial design in 15 years.
1964-1966 AustinMini Cooper S 14 15 18 20 16 83B$ 15,000$ 22,500
Sir Alec's giant-killer. A shockingly competent handler even today. Makes even the most ham-fisted driver look ready to take on the Monte Carlo Rally.
1964-1966 Lotus Elan S2 convertible 14 17 18 18 16 83B$ 21,500$ 26,500
Drivers still swear that even on tires that today wouldn't be suitable for Segways, the handling is otherworldly.
1967-1973 MaseratiGhibli coupe 16 20 17 15 15 83B$ 35,000$ 60,000
Achingly beautiful Giugiaro design saddled with a pedestrian rear suspension and a V8 instead of a high-revving V12.
1966-1967 Alfa RomeoDuetto 13 17 17 18 17 82B$ 15,000$ 20,000
Immortalized as the graduation gift to Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 film, it has all of the typical Alfa attributes.
1964-1966 FordMustang convertible 13 17 15 19 18 82B$ 29,500$ 40,000
A Falcon in a sport jacket, but what a jacket. Possibly the most instantly recognizable American car ever.
1955-1957 FordThunderbird 13 17 16 18 18 82B$ 25,000$ 42,000
Ford's softer answer to the Corvette. It's a pleasant sunny-day cruiser.
1955-1962 MGA roadster 13 18 16 18 17 82B$ 15,000$ 30,000
Lovely to look at, delightful to drive, and cheap to keep. An ideal first collector car.
1945-1949 MGTC 14 17 14 20 17 82B$ 22,000$ 32,000
The sports car America loved first as long as they weren't in a hurry. Spindly and fragile-appearing, it would corner ringsaround the average post-war American hippo.
1955MGTF 1500 15 17 14 18 18 82B$ 20,000$ 30,000
The last traditional separate fender MG was arguably the most graceful and certainly the best performer.
1967SunbeamTiger MkII 16 17 17 16 16 82B$ 23,000$ 30,000
Rootes commisioned Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles to turn its boulevardier Alpine into the king of the mid-priced sports car jungle. 289 MkIIs are rare and fast.
1962-1963 TriumphTR3B 15 16 16 17 18 82B$ 20,000$ 27,000
Tough-as-nails end of the line for the side-curtain TR benefits from all-synchro box and larger engine.
1972-1974 BMW2002 tii 13 15 17 19 17 81B$ 10,500$ 16,500
Another Max Hoffman home run. The category-defining sports sedan.
1971-1974 DeTomasoPantera 14 18 18 16 15 81B$ 30,000$ 45,000
Handsome Ghia-bodied middie is a more practical alternative to a Bora or a 308.
1967-1969 PontiacFirebird 400 coupe 15 17 17 16 16 81B$ 20,000$ 25,000
Prettier twin to the Camaro suffers from the "not a Chevy" syndrome.
1962-1963 Studebaker Avanti R2 16 16 17 16 16 81B$ 18,000$ 28,000
Raymond Lowey's controversial fiberglass GT with love-it-or-hate-it looks failed to save Studebaker.
1970-1973 Datsun240Z 13 17 16 18 16 80B$ 9,000$ 17,000
Style, reliability, and performance. Huge production numbers and national origin will always hold it back.
1966-1972 Fiat Dino Spyder 16 17 17 16 14 80B$ 22,500$ 35,000
Relatively handsome, appealing roadster that is unfortunately not quite handsome or appealing enough to overcome thestigma of its pedestrian badge.
1954-1964 Mercedes-Benz190SL 13 17 15 16 19 80B$ 35,000$ 50,000
A German T-Bird. A pleasant boulevardier, harmless unless you try to restore one.
1973-1976Porsche 914/4 2.0L 13 16 17 17 17 80B$ 6,000$ 9,000
Shunned back in the day as neither Porsche nor VW, revisionists now see it as a cheeky proto-Boxter. The first mid-engined production Porsche.
1968-1970 AMCAMX 390 15 17 17 15 15 79C$ 18,000$ 30,000
The short-wheelbase Javelin has looks and performance let down by typical Kenosha quality and hard-to-find parts.
1962-1967MGB roadster 13 16 15 18 17 79C$ 12,000$ 17,000
Pretty, sturdy, and accessible. Doesn't excel in any one category, but the whole is undeniably greater than the sum of its parts.
1972-1974 Alfa RomeoGTB 2000 13 18 16 16 15 78C$ 9,500$ 15,000
Giugiaro again pens another for the ages, this time with Bertone. A wonderful small GT.
1969-1971 Jaguar E-type Series II OTS 13 17 16 17 15 78C$ 40,000$ 55,000
Idiotic "safety" and emissions regs took the edge off the Series I's style. Still a nice driver, as worthwhile improvements were made to cooling and brakes.
1972-1976 MaseratiKhamsin 17 17 17 16 11 78C$ 18,500$ 30,000
Striking Bertone design; among the few wedges that has held up well. Euro version much prettier. Citroen hydraulics and parts prices make it suspect.
1966-1967Oldsmobile Toronado 13 18 17 18 12 78C$ 7,000$ 12,000
Stunning looks and a technical milestone. Size, poor brakes, and expense of restoration work against it.
1969-1976 TriumphTR6 13 17 15 17 16 78C$ 12,000$ 18,000
Rugged good looks, smooth six-cylinder power make this last vintage Triumph a sports car everyone should own once.
1972-1974BMW3.0CS 14 18 16 16 13 77C$ 8,000$ 14,000
Very handsome pillarless coupe for the descriminating is unbelievably rust-prone and expensive to restore.
1971-1974 Jaguar E-type Series III OTS 13 16 17 17 14 77C$ 38,000$ 55,000
Turbine-smooth V12 returned the pace at the expense of grace. The last E-type was more a grand tourer than a sports car. Notoriously unreliable.
1968-1971Mercedes-Benz280SL 13 17 15 16 16 77C$ 33,000$ 45,000
Neither terribly sporty nor light, they are comfortable, well-made and a more capable boulevardier than a 190SL.
1965-1966 GriffithSeries 400 19 13 16 12 16 76C$ 26,000$ 37,000
What to do with some spare TVR bodies and chassis designed to cope with a hundred or so horsepower? Double it? Triple it? A diabolical, homemade little beast.
1968-1978 LamborghiniEspada 16 17 17 15 11 76C$ 25,000$ 45,000
Polarizing Bertone design is broad and low, a real V12 four-seater -- but so's the more conventional Ferrari 412 with added cachet of the Prancing Horse.
1978-1983 Porsche 911SC coupe 13 15 18 15 15 76C$ 13,000$ 17,000
The nearly perfected air-cooled 911, it lacks only the purity and vintage charm of the 1965-73 cars and the chain tensioner upgrades of the 1984-89 series.
1967-1968MercuryCougar XR7 13 17 15 15 15 75C$ 14,000$ 17,000
A stretched and sophisticated Mustang, the original XR7 had one of the nicest interiors of any American car of the era.
1965-1967 TriumphTR4A 13 16 15 15 16 75C$ 16,000$ 21,500
The zenith of the four-cylinder Triumph sports car. Agricultural motor but independent rear suspension, neat Michelotti styling and decent poke.
1978ChevroletCorvette coupe Silver Anniversary 13 16 16 14 15 74C$ 12,700$ 21,000
From the era when Chevy had no idea what to do with the 'Vette. Wankle? Mid-engine? Keep the same stale model for another five years? Silver leather is repulsive.
1959-1964DaimlerSP250 16 13 16 14 15 74C$ 20,000$ 28,000
A great little hemi V8 stuck in a body only Bela Lugosi could love. Great brakes, crude chassis. A car of multiple paradoxes.
1962-1973 VolvoP1800 13 16 15 14 15 73C$ 8,500$ 12,500
Rugged Swede with decent performance for the sporting pipe-smoker.
1961-1968 Amphicar 16 13 13 19 11 72C$ 25,000$ 35,000
It's a car -- no it's a boat. It's not a good example of either, really.
1981-1983 DeLoreanDMC-12 14 14 15 17 12 72C$ 12,000$ 22,000
Ill-conceived, underpowered, and constructed by a largely unskilled workforce with no car-producing heritage and a finish more at home on a high-end range.
1966-1969 Porsche 912 13 17 14 14 14 72C$ 6,500$ 8,500
The charm of an early 911 (especially early SWB cars); unfortunately no economy over the 911 and a huge performance deficit.
1970-1975 CitroenSM 14 17 16 16 8 71C$ 10,000$ 15,000
SM doesn't stand for "sadomasochist;" however, anybody who buys a less-than-perfect SM qualifies as one. Stunning, but a Franco-Italian joint-venture? Scary.
1974-1975 BricklinCoupe 16 14 15 15 9 69D$ 11,500$ 19,500
Appallingly made stab at a category-defining "safety sports car," it was a kit car-esque answer to a question nobody asked.
1978-1980Lotus Esprit SI 16 17 15 16 5 69D$ 6,500$ 10,000
The entry-level Bond ride is a stylish but typically underdeveloped underacheiving '70s Lotus product.
1970-1974SaabSonnett III 14 15 15 13 12 69D$ 3,000$ 6,500
The III was a great improvement style-wise over previous models. Modest performance and still no compelling reason town unless FWD and plastic body appeal to you.
1984ChevroletCorvette 13 16 16 14 9 68D$ 6,700$ 10,750
Chevy skipped the 1983 model year -- they probably should have gone for two in a row. Horrible quality, bone-jarring ride, and arcade instrument panel are the lows.
1968-1973 OpelGT 13 17 14 12 12 68D$ 3,000$ 5,500
2/3 scale Corvette that didn't have 2/3 Corvette performance. Surprising that it lasted as long as it did against the 240Z.
1976Porsche 912E 16 15 13 12 12 68D$ 6,500$ 8,000
A placeholder until the reprehensible 924 was ready. That in and of itself has to tell you something. Only a 911 deisel could have been less exciting than this VW-powered slug.
1974-1977Porsche 9112.7 13 15 15 15 9 67D$ 8,000$ 10,000
A rare flop for Porsche. Hot-running and alloy problems in the engines make these 911s to avoid.
1975-1980 AMCPacer 13 8 10 15 9 55F$ 3,000$ 5,500
Ovoid Kenosha curiosity is a bad '70s cliché on wheels. Little to recommend from a driving standpoint.
1975-1980MGB roadster 13 8 8 10 11 50F$ 5,000$ 8,500
Strangled, ill-handling rubber bumpered "safety Bs" were a sad end in the US for a storied marque.
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Sports Car Market
The Insider's Guide to Collecting, Investing, Values and Trends



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