Classic Car Market Report 2025

Over the last few years the classic and future classic car market has been a difficult one to predict. Even more than usual. Some of the iconic cars that have been considered classics for some time now have often seen their values reach a bit of a peak or their appreciation has certainly slowed. On the other hand, some vehicles that aren’t actually that old have seen their demand, and as a result their values, skyrocket in recent years.

As with the value of most things, it is the demand and the rarity that will always be the deciding factor in how sought after a type or model of car is and how this affects the prices they command. It is also driven by generational factors such the number of people interested in the older and more vintage cars dwindling in numbers causing values to often fall. This in turn is the opposite of what happens with the value of cars from more recent years that many buyers and collectors lusted after when they were younger, and now have the capital to start their own collection.

Last year our Top 5 Modern Classics To Watch in 2024 article showed what many industry experts thought were going to be the ones to look out for throughout the year. But what exactly happened in the market and which cars saw the biggest gains and indeed the biggest losses in value? Read our Classic Car Market Report 2025 to find out more.

What happened in 2024?

Statistics released by classic car industry experts Hagerty make for some interesting reading as to how the market changed throughout 2024. According to changes in their renowned UK Hagerty Price Guide, over the 12-month period, 46% of all the models included in the guide saw their values fall, with a further 46% remaining static. This leaves just 8% of vehicles that saw their values appreciate over the year.

Looking at the breakdown of the vehicles included by their age also makes for interesting reading. The mean values for cars introduced in the 2000’s were the only ones that saw their price rise, with vehicles from the 1960’s seeing the biggest fall. One of the main reasons for the latter is that there are a large number of notable £1m+ vehicles from this era so that even small adjustments in values makes a big difference to the overall averages.

The Winners & Losers

Vehicles at the first decade of the new millennium are considered the last of the analogue cars. Proper driver’s cars that have limited intrusion from driver aids or safety systems and many that still came with a manual gearbox. A time before adjustable traction control, sound deadening regulations for exhaust noise and not even a hint of hybrid assistance.

As is the way with most classic car value assurances, these include sought after variations of the dependable Porsche 911. In particular, the iconic performance iterations of the 996 and 997 generations of the sports car saw their values rise more than most. The biggest winner however was the rare Maserati MC12. The homologation version of the GT1 racing car saw its value rise 53% year on year with the average value gaining £900,000 in just the past 12 months.

With the 1960’s seeing the biggest fall in average values, it was no surprise to see the Aston Martin DB4, DB5 and DB6 all in the top 10 for percentage value falls in 2024. In fact, the iconic British brand saw biggest fall in values compared to others. Again, it was the most valuable models fuelling the downward trend with the DB4 GT Zagato seeing a £1.1m value drop alone. Lower quality examples of the brand’s most iconic models have affected values the most this past year, even the best quality have suffered as a result.

The brand with the biggest rise overall is Italian manufacturer Lamborghini. With a mean value rise of 10% overall thanks to an increase in demand for their most iconic models from the Diablo and Countach to the Miura. The Miura in particular was one of the biggest winners in terms of percentage rise during 2024. Every version of the legendary supercar saw its average value rise throughout the year, the P400 SV was the biggest winner however with a 29% increase in value to reach a mean of just over £3m.

There were further surprises with certain types of cars that have recently seen a huge surge in demand and indeed values. The hot hatchback era of the 1980’s has seen unprecedented value rises in recent years, with the values of some examples soaring past sought after popular classics of yesteryear. Despite the recent rises the hot hatchback market actually fell by 2% overall throughout 2024, even though demand remains strong for the genre. Only 8 models saw their values rise with the Peugeot 205 GTi seeing the biggest value change of them all.

The Auction Market

One of the biggest changes to the marketplace in recent years is the growth of the online automotive auction. Whilst the majority of the most expensive cars to change hands are still carried out at physical auctions, the number of online bidders at these auctions, and the popularity of online auctions themselves, mean that times are definitely changing.

Overall, the average sale value of online auctions across Europe was 25% higher than it was for live auctions. Across 20,000 auction sales throughout 2024, just under 17,000 of which were in the UK, the average sale price for online auctions was over £25,000 compared to the £20,000 average for live events.

On the whole however the total sales across live and online auctions around the world totalled £575M over the year, an £86M decrease on 2023. America led the way for notable live auction sales, with 7 of the top 10 most expensive sales occurring across the pond. Half of the top 20 sales in fact took place at auctions during Monterey Car Week in August, proving that the annual motoring mecca remains the place to be for exclusive car auctions.

Online their dominance was even greater with 8 of the top 10 coming from American sites, the two remaining sales sold by popular UK based auction site, Collecting Cars. Of the US sites, Bring A Trailer remained the place for notable sales whilst despite Collecting Cars taking the most expensive listings in the UK, Car & Classic sold more cars.

What Does This Mean For 2025?

Despite prices falling in the majority of areas and genres across the classic car market, it is seen as a further adjustment following the volatility of post-lockdown car pricing. Whilst values had mainly fallen, they have not been by substantial amounts and therefore could easily recover this year.

With the number of younger buyers entering the classic car buying market falling compared to recent years, it means that the surge in values for newer modern classics is unlikely to be as exponential as it has been on recent years. There are however still plenty of so called sub-£50,000 ‘bargains’ to be had for those looking to start their collection for the first time. With more modern yet increasingly rare and low mileage examples being brought to market all the time.

Also, it is surely only a matter of time before the impending combustion engine ban has an effect on sought after or limited production vehicles. With the number of non-hybridised and non-electric cars already in decline across most manufacturer’s line ups you might already own a future classic example that is the last of its kind.

Just like when the original Land Rover Defender saw prices rocket when the halt in production of new vehicles was announced, there is no reason that it wouldn’t happen for other vehicles fairly soon too. Owning a late example of the last combustion model of its kind could quite easily be an appreciating asset ready to happen.

Look out next week for our guide to the Top 5 Modern Classics To Watch In 2025.

Oracle Car Finance

At Oracle Car Finance we have your new car funding sorted, no matter which kind it is. Our Account Managers are experts at funding classic cars or those bought at auction, and use our panel of specialist lenders to help you to find the perfect package, bespoke to you and your circumstances. Our team are always on hand should you have any questions about arranging car finance and your dedicated Account Manager is ready to take your call today.