During the holidays, I enjoyed browsing new car price lists and realizing how much car prices have risen. So I explored what could be purchased in the past at auctions with three budget thresholds (€25,000, €50,000, and €100,000): comparing new cars and classics.
Let’s start from the farthest period: 2005. That year, with €25,000, you could have taken home a Volkswagen Golf V GTI (€26,000) or a Land Rover Defender, with the short version (90) starting at €23,000 and the long version (110) at €27,000. And among classic cars? At Amelia Island (March 2005), a Jaguar E-Type S1 3.8 Roadster sold for around €24,500. For similar amounts, you could have bought an Austin-Healey 3000 (€24,276), a 1968 Aston Martin DBS (€25,578), or even a 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.7 (€26,807).
What would happen if you double the budget? At an Alfa Romeo dealership you could take home an Alfa Romeo 156 GTA Sportwagon (€45,500) or a Lotus Exige (€48,000), while the Audi S4 sedan would require stretching up to €57,500. In the vintage market, the choices were vast for any enthusiast. Options ranged from a 1989 Ferrari 328 GTS (€48,440) to a 1968 Aston Martin DB6 (€49,437), including a 1950 Healey Silverstone Roadster (€51,997) or a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Dover Limousine (€53,166, proof that not everything appreciates). Breaking the piggy bank, you could get a 1979 Ferrari 512 BB (€54,484) or even a 1971 Dino 246 GT (€53,701)—although it must have been “ugly” since the average price was €70,000.
If we had a budget of €100,000, the fun would begin. In the new car market, we would have been treated like royalty: the BMW M5 cost €97,500, the Maserati GranSport was priced at €107,000, and Porsche would have handed over one of the first 997 Carrera S Cabriolets. Alternatively, attending an auction with that budget, you could buy a Jaguar XJ220 with 2,757 km (€102,753) or a 1958 Porsche 356 A Speedster for €108,500. Or, you could have chosen a Ferrari 330 GTC (€111,000) or a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona (23,000 miles for €120,657). At Pebble Beach, a 1967 Lamborghini Miura S sold for €90,416. That same year, the most expensive car sold was the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider, painted yellow and featured in The Thomas Crown Affair, sold for $3,960,000.
The next five years were marked by dramatic changes. From the Lehman Brothers collapse to the 2009 financial crisis, the automotive market saw major impacts. By late 2009, not a single classic car sold for more than €1 million. Even new car prices saw only modest increases. For instance, the Volkswagen Golf GTI transitioned from the V to the VI generation with a price increase of under €2,000. In 2010, you could buy the most powerful model of the revived Abarth brand, the Grande Punto SS with 180 HP, for €23,500. Alternatively, the entry-level BMW 1 Series (116i) started at €24,000, while the Renault Clio RS offered sporty appeal within the same budget.
When it came to classic cars, the market remained resilient during the financial crisis. However, with €25,000, your options in 2010 were less impressive than in 2005. For example, the only Jaguar E-Types available in this range were the coupe versions, primarily the Series 2 or the 2+2 models. Or you could buy a Jaguar Mk2 sedan. In 2005, €25,000 could buy you an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider. By 2010, that budget could only get you a Giulietta Sprint. Other possibilities included a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Roadster (€25,900), a Ferrari Mondial T Cabriolet from 1994 (€25,047), or a 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo (€26,044).
If your budget was €50,000, the new car options in 2010 included the Porsche Boxster (€49,000), the BMW Z4 35i (€48,500), or the Nissan 370Z Black Edition (€47,500). For €100,000, a brand-new Nissan GT-R (€84,000) left plenty of room for modifications, while a Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupé cost €105,000. For luxury, the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG reached €110,000. In the classic market, €100,000 provided a wider selection but wasn’t far removed from the €50,000 range of 2005. Options included a Maserati Bora from 1973 (€50,487), a Ferrari 550 Maranello from 2000 (€51,078), or a Jaguar E-Type S1 3.8 Roadster (€51,678).
By 2015, car prices had risen significantly. The Golf GTI started at €33,000, but with special editions and accessories, it could climb to €45,000. At the €25,000 threshold, new options included the Mini Cooper S (€25,850), the Abarth 500 Cabrio (€22,000), or the Opel Astra GTC (€25,500). Among classics, €25,000 in 2015 could buy a 1955 MG TF1500 Roadster (€25,137), a 1958 Volkswagen Beetle Saloon (€24,968), or a 1999 Porsche 996 Carrera 4 (€22,800).
For €50,000, buyers could consider the Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG (€49,200) or the Audi TT Roadster (€50,000). In the vintage market, a 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS (€50,183) or a 1999 Ferrari F355 F1 Spider (€49,816) were great options. At €100,000, luxury choices included a BMW M4 Cabriolet (€88,000) or a Nissan GT-R (€98,000). In the classic market, noteworthy options included a 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal (€98,450) or a 1993 Porsche 964 Turbo (€99,994).
By 2015, visiting a dealership had become a surreal experience. On one hand, prices had risen significantly—the Golf GTI now started at €33,000, with special editions and accessories pushing the price up to €45,000. At that point, €25,000 barely made it into the entry-level segment. Excluding typical economy cars, the choices were limited to the Mini Cooper S (€25,850), the Abarth 500 Cabrio (145 hp, €22,000), or the Abarth 500 hatchback (165 hp, €23,100). If style mattered more than performance, the Opel Astra GTC started at €25,500, and the DS3 Cabrio offered 130 hp for €24,000.
Among enthusiasts, €25,000 could still fetch something special. A 1955 MG TF1500 Roadster (€25,137) or a 1958 Volkswagen Beetle Saloon with just 11,000 miles (€24,968) were within reach. If these prices seem familiar, it’s because they marked the peak for 1950s car values. Meanwhile, youngtimers began to make waves: an Alpina-BMW Z4 S Lux from 2004 received a bid of €25,171, a 1999 Porsche 996 Carrera 4 Coupe failed to surpass €22,800, and a 1999 Maserati 3200 GT barely reached half that amount, at €13,118—roughly one-sixth the price of a Maserati Merak 2000!
If you had €50,000, my advice was to visit a Mercedes-Benz dealership: €49,200 was enough to secure a Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG, the most powerful hot hatch of its time. For those who preferred open-air driving, the Audi TT Roadster was an alternative, with the 230 hp version priced at exactly €50,000. Unfortunately, Porsche had slipped beyond the budget, with the base Cayman starting at €56,000.
For collectors, the dilemma was different: a 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS (€50,183) or a 1999 Ferrari F355 F1 Spider (€49,816)? Economically, time has answered the question. Passionately, I might have chosen a 1966 Sunbeam Tiger Roadster (€50,489) or the Abarth Monomille GT Coupe from the Maranello Rosso Museum, which fetched €51,478 in June.
And with a maximum budget of €100,000? The BMW M4 Cabriolet cost €88,000, and the Nissan GT-R—priced at €84,000 in 2010 — now approached €98,000. Personally, I would have chosen my favorite car of the decade: the Jaguar F-Type. The coupe started at €70,000 and climbed to €140,000, so a mid-range version was just right.
Alternatively, if you found yourself at an auction in Goodwood or Pebble Beach, that budget could have bought a 1986 Ferrari 208 GTS Turbo (€102,852), a 1973 Alfa Romeo Montreal (€98,450), or a 1958 Porsche 356 A 1600 Coupe (€100,800). Looking back, the best deal was probably the 1993 Porsche 964 3.3 Turbo, which sold for €99,994—already above its estimated €75,000–90,000 range. Today, it would be worth double or even triple.
CLASSIC CAR MATCHER