New or Classic? The Perfect Auction Purchase for every Budget

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).

In 2005, with a budget of €25,000, you could have purchased a brand-new Volkswagen Golf V GTI or a Jaguar E-Type S1 3.8 Roadster at international auctions.

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.

With a budget of around €50,000 in 2005, you could garage a brand-new Lotus Exige or buy a Ferrari 328 GTS at international auctions.

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.

In 2005, with a budget of €100,000, you could buy a brand-new BMW M5 or a Jaguar XJ220 at auctions.

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).

In 2010, with €25,000, you could buy a brand-new Renault Clio RS or an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint at auctions.

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).

With €50,000 in 2010, you could buy a Porsche Boxster or a Ferrari 550 Maranello at auctions.

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).

In 2010, €100,000 could buy a new Porsche 997 Carrera S or a Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary at international auctions.

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!

In 2015, with around €25,000, you could buy a new Mini Cooper S or a Maserati 3200 GT at auctions.

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.

With a €50,000 budget in 2015, you could choose between a new Mercedes-Benz A45 AMG or a Ferrari F355 F1 Spider at international auctions.

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.

With €100,000 in 2015, you could buy a new Nissan GT-R or an Alfa Romeo Montreal at international auctions.