Business Finance Media Technology Policy Wealth Insights Interviews

Art Art Fairs Art Market Art Reviews Auctions Galleries Museums Interviews

Lifestyle Nightlife & Dining Style Travel Interviews

Power Lists Nightlife & Dining Art A.I. PR

About About Observer Advertise With Us Reprints

The American Collector Cars That Hold Their Own Against Ferrari and Mercedes

While Italian and German marques dominate the upper reaches of the auction market, a handful of American cars are rare enough to attract attention and storied enough to compete.

The U.S. did not invent the automobile, but it perfected a deep cultural love of cars. Since Henry Ford fired up his assembly lines, before Route 66 was a glimmer in the eye, Americans looked on cars as more than mere transportation. An assemblage of steel and rubber could become desired objects of precious history, cultural identity and self-expression.

Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter

Thank you for signing up!

By clicking submit, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime.

In the 21st Century, anything rare becomes a commodity. That means American cars relegated to limited supplies by history and advancing engineering can emerge as more than highly desired stars of nostalgia, transforming into investment metal on the auction circuit. While going under the gavel isn’t the only way to determine a car’s emotional appeal, secondary market prices remain the most useful method to track the value of something precious.

American cars rarely draw the same kinds of vault-shattering prices the European favorites from Italy and Germany demand. For example, the 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut Coupe” is universally recognized as the most expensive car ever auctioned, selling in 2022 via RM........

© Observer