Auto Shop Talk: Vehicles That Hold Their Value

This is where the team at your favorite auto shop gets all misty-eyed. How to choose a vehicle that will not lose its value? There are so many brands out there, that we totally get it if you are bamboozled right from the gate. That is why we are here. Like most assets, a vehicle is a dead loss from the get-go. There is a little-term used by the grey men called depreciation. The moment you purchase a new car you begin losing money. The trick is to find models that don’t lose value as quickly as the mainstream.

So, to start out, we are going to give you three things that you can use to decide whether any vehicle will be a good investment.

Simplicity

The classic example of this is the Ford F series. These were solidly built basic trucks (up until the late ’80s) and consequently, they are worth quite a bit on the used market. When you’re looking for a vehicle that won’t lose value look for the simplest one in terms of gizmos. The less it has, the less there is to go wrong and the less time it will spend in the shop. Have you ever heard of a car called the Renault Fuego? I thought not. It was so advanced for its time that hardly anyone could repair it. Consequently, it no longer exists.

Availability

This is a double-edged sword. Limited production run cars can either be very successful (like the Nissan Figaro) or absolutely disastrous so picking a good one can be difficult. Then you are stuck with the long-term parts availability. These two reasons are why we’d suggest that if you are a first-time buyer, you choose something that is more widely available. The more prolific the vehicle is, the better the chance of it being a viable daily driver.

Practicality

The last thing you need to do is a little bit of soul searching. Ask yourself why you have decided to get a new vehicle? Is it for a daily driver? Is it an investment? (Banks are currently not the best place to have your money.) Is it the second family car? Be honest and practical. We all have our Lamborghini Countach dreams, but sometimes the reality is a Toyota Celica.

Now that you’ve got the criteria to pick your dream ride, let’s take a look at three of our favorites:

Porsche 912 (Short Wheel Base, Pre 1969)

This little beauty carries the 911 spirit without the price tag. While two cylinders short of Porsche’s air-cooled legend, it is nothing less than a thoroughbred from a marque that has the lowest depreciation in the sports car arena.

Ferrari 458 Speciale

As much as we love turbocharging (Audi has some twin turbo firecrackers) nothing beats the unadulterated howl of a high revving v8. If money is no object, the 458 speciale delivers 605PS and tops out at around 9000 rpm. As we deviate into the hybrid and electric car era, beauties like these can only go up in value.

BMW E30 M3

Considered to be one of the last driver’s cars of the last century, the E30 has already achieved cult status. While the M3 may be a little overpriced, saloon and vert versions of the E30 are still available for reasonable money. Better yet this makes an incredibly practical daily driver, ample luggage space, comfort, and style coupled to affordable maintenance costs, and unending scope for modifications.

The Best Auto Shop in Pompano Beach

There is no time like the present for doing something, and while COVID may have had negative effects on the new car market, the classic car market has remained largely untouched. Be forewarned, however, we have seen a spike in modern second-hand vehicles, so if you are looking for something Japanese, like a Toyota Tacoma for example, now might not be ideal.

The best ideas are often those bounced off others, so if there is a particular marque or model you have in mind, why not pop into your favorite auto shop and have a chat with our friendly ASE team.