Auto-Imprisonment, The Side Effect of Hype

The concept of a classic car has existed ever since the first desirable and uncommon cars became around 25 years old. It is no surprise there is big money in buying, selling, preserving, and restoring cars that are slowly becoming more stationary art pieces rather than ways of getting around. However, in the last few years a rather sad phenomenon has reared its ugly head in the car world. Originally, maybe 10 or 20 years ago, the concept of a classic car was something that looked very nice, or was very unique, but wasn’t necessarily the most fun machine to operate. Cars like the BMW 328, Ferrari 250 GTO, Dodge Charger R/T, and others look incredible, sound amazing and are worth as much as a house. Or in the case of the 250 GTO, multiple mansions. But if you somehow find yourself behind the wheel of a classic car from the 70s or earlier, you will realize that it is a much more demanding and difficult task than it is with modern cars. The act of driving itself is not necessarily that much fun, unless the difficulty is entertaining for you. Not to mention the constant reminder that you are driving something that, if it breaks, you immediately just lost an unthinkable amount of money to most.

However, given how time works, the same “classic” classification is being applied to cars that are relatively modern technologically and are actually fun to drive, with no hassle.

This is especially true with the recent rise of 90s era car prices. People who grew up with those cars can now afford them, combined with a surge of used car prices post-pandemic and an increased coverage by automotive media given the hype, has resulted in cars that used to be beaters to become coveted classics. Just look at the price of an EG Civic hatchback if you’d like to see an example of this price surge. And that is not the case just with the standard models, obviously. The high trim level performance models have become highly sought after.

As a personal anecdote about this price hike, there is a Honda NSX for sale near me that has been listed ever since 2018, back then the listing price was $50,000. The exact same listing has gone up to $180,000 since. I doubt that car is going to be sold anytime soon. Another example is that of R34 Skylines. Regardless of their trim level, they have exploded in price ever since the 25-year rule allowed them into the U.S, with the GTRs of course spearheading this rise. And what I consider to be the king of this trend, the AE86. Originally a niche sporty variant of the Corolla, due to the anime alongside the general praise it has always received, has become a $20,000-$40,000 car. An 80s car that was affordable, fun, reliable, and that offered a practical and enjoyable driving experience is now worth more than a brand new car in 2025.

I am aware of the focus I am placing on JDM and Japanese cars with this, but they happen to be the cars I tend to look at the most when browsing car classifieds. The same has happened with things like BMW E30s and E36s, with them going from beater drift missiles to collectible survivors. I am simply not as confident with including other regions due to my lack of experience with their value.

All these price hikes end up forbidding a vast majority of people from driving these cars. Cars that were built to be driven, and are actually fun to drive, combining the lightness, thanks to less strict automotive safety and requirements, with more advanced engine technology to provide reliable and powerful engines, without the intrusive levels of technology getting in the way of the driving experience or maintenance.

The effect of a car being so good and fun to drive, that it ends up becoming highly sought after resulting in its value skyrocketing, is what I am referring to when I mention the cars being “auto-imprisoning”. They’re so great that the hype around them alone raises their value. And since they “aren’t making them like this anymore”, people will either pay exorbitant amounts to get their hands on the remaining examples, or “invest” by buying a low mileage example for the express purpose of maintaining its value by locking it away and only unlocking it to be sold to the next “investor” for the cycle to repeat.

I am aware this is not a new thing. It has been happening ever since people realized how cool and sought after cars can be. Just look at all those Saudi and Gulf nation garages, cars with the value of the GDPs of small nation-states. They are simply collecting dust for the sake of being a luxury status symbol.

But there is something about seeing models that used to be affordable sporty, or even regular, but still enjoyable to drive cars, to have become this sought after thing for collectors. I could dismiss this as just part of growing old and thinking, “this used to cost X and now it costs Y, can you believe it?”.

I have always felt a tinge of sadness and annoyance over people hiding away their cars for the sake of collecting value. This time it just so happens that the cars I care the most about are the victims of this imprisonment.

Add to this an uninspiring new car market, where cars are turning into appliances. Bloated crossovers, endless SUVs, and a push toward pure EVs dominate the market, packed with features you don’t want but still have to pay for. It seems like the era of fun, affordable cars that would not intervene with your driving experience is coming to a close, seeing how even things like manual transmissions are starting to be seen as a premium option rather than the default.

It will be a sad day when you can no longer purchase a cheap car that can still offer you analogue thrills, with no overbearing electronics and “conveniences” getting in the way of you enjoying the act of driving. The only saving grace in this department is Mazda’s MX-5, so at least we still have that for now, even if it is hard to call the newest iterations "affordable".