What cars from the last 20 years will be collectibles?

[G.Irish]

There are very few cars produced in the past 20 years which I would bet become actual collectors items that go for +100k (inflation adjusted) dollars 50 years from now. Really, I don't see the Miata, Taurus, Civic, S2000, etc becoming collectors items for the same reason the TR6, Chevy Nova, etc still aren't - they just really aren't that desirable except by 20-30 somethings who look at them as a bargain over a Corvette, M5, AMG Mercedes, etc. I think good condition examples will bring decent money, but not matching numbers muscle car money.

Maybe you'd be right in the cases of the Civic and Taurus but with the Miata and S2000 PLENTY of older people with money bought those cars. The S2000 alone sold for $10k over MSRP in the year it was introduced. You can't tell me a bunch of 20-year olds were the ones paying that kind of money for that car.

Honestly I don't think the AMG Mercedes will get that much attention at all. How many car enthusiasts lust after AMG cars? Maybe the big SLK's but that's about it. I think maybe the E60 M5 will be sought after because of the V10 but I don't see that so much with the E39, E34, or E28.

At this moment in time, with no budget constraint, would you rather drive a Z06 Vette or a Miata?

That is really irrelevant. You could have said in 1966, "Which would you rather drive, a Mustang or a Ferrari 275?" One costs way more than the other. If you asked me today whether I'd rather drive a 1966 Ferrari, or a 1966 Mustang it's a no-brainer. The question you have to be asking is, 'Would I rather be driving a Miata or Mustang?' since they cost about the same new. Well, just looking around here a lot more people are choosing the Miata.

My picks for 30 years out:
-Specialty Corvette models (ZR1, Grand Sport, Z06)
-Ford GT
-Cobra Mustangs (especially R models) / last year of 5.0 Mustang
-Supra TT w/ 6-speed
-BMW M cars with racing histories, all late 80s M3s
-Dodge / Chrysler SRT8s - especially if the company dies

I think all of those cars will be sought after in some fashion. However, I think really only the supercharged Cobra and the Cobra R's will be collector items. And ith the M3's I think the only E36 that people will want is the Lightweight. I don't know about the E46. Special edition Vettes are a given.

As far as the SRT8 vehicles, I can only see maybe the 300C and the Challenger maybe. The other ones don't seem to be very popular.