Hagerty recently released another quarterly update on the state of the collector car market. In it, the results are stated as “mixed” which has been my observation in a number of my market reports over the last 6 months. While the market overall is significantly less hot than it was over 3 years ago, the picture changes when you dive deeper. I’ve noted this for specific models of car, and Hagerty makes this observation as it relates to their indexes. The top performing index is for Rad-era cars, which influenced my top cars to watch at Broad Arrow’s Vegas auction, the subject of today’s Market Monday post.

Broad Arrow has consigned 68 lots for its inaugural partnership sale at the Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance, with 30 of those cars being offered at no reserve, which should help the overall sell-through-rate quite a bit. Three lots have been withdrawn with no reason provided. Lots range from 1960s Italian beauties to modern supercars. 

Rad-era cars, at least as defined by the event that christened the term, are cars that were built in the 1980s and 1990s up to the year 2000. Obviously, the production years of some models may extend beyond those decades, but it’s a good guide. Broad Arrow’s catalog for Las Vegas includes many desirable vehicles from all eras, but I’ve chosen the 5 Rad-era cars below as cars to watch. Read on to find out why.

Production for the 930 Turbo kicked off in 1978 and spanned an entire decade, but the squirreliest 911 is most likely remembered as a poster car for the 1980s. Values have been strong for some time on these cars but fluctuate frequently with market changes. For example, prices soared in the mid-2010s and bucked the market trend during Covid to dip significantly.

Values seem to be back on the rise, so this sub-17,000 mile 930 should do well. A 15,000 mile 930 Turbo sold this month for $241,000 on Bring a Trailer, so this car’s estimate seems somewhat conservative. It may come down to how much its “cocaine white” paint color appeals to buyers.

The NSX is a poster car for a newer generation and an index vehicle for tracking values of Rad-era Japanese cars. Model year, condition, mileage and specification are very important factors in valuing an NSX. This car’s manual transmission is definitely a plus as is its very low odometer reading of 7,751 miles traveled.

The estimate of $135,000-160,000 seems appropriate given a 2,000 mile car was sold by SBX Cars back in August for $156,000. I’m thinking Broad Arrow is betting a bit on the recent timing belt service and the red color to drive bidding on this one.

A 19,000-mile E36 M3 cabriolet sold at RM Sotheby’s Best of M sale for $187,000, making this 28,000 mile M3 coupe seem like a bargain with an estimate of $70,000-90,000. As I said in my recap, the M3 cab’s Dakar Yellow paint probably had a lot to do with its desirability, so this car’s black on black combo may not be as attractive to buyers.

It’s worth noting that the average price for an E36 M3 coupe with a manual transmission is $27,000, so the estimate here is based entirely on the low mileage and overall condition. I think the guide is a bit high, as the market for these cars has dipped in the last year but it’s offered at no reserve, so it will sell no matter what. It’s a beautiful car, though, so let’s see how it does.

While I’d probably fit better in the roadster version of the Viper, I’ve always thought the GTS coupe was a prettier car. The Viper is one of the most affordable supercars with an average price of $77,000, but this one is estimated at $115,000-130,000. What’s driving this high price estimate? The car’s 953 original miles and 1-owner status have no doubt contributed to the guided range. You can find sub-15,000 miles Vipers for much less, so a car like this is aimed squarely at collectors.

Prices are pretty strong for this generation of Viper, with a small lift in prices after the post-pandemic market decline. Quite a few of these low-miles Vipers fail to find new homes, perhaps because so many Rad-era enthusiasts like to drive their cars, so it will be interesting to see how this one fares.

Will 360s stay available under $100,000 for long? The trendline for these cars has been up since the mid-2010s, technically, with some dips here and there. Since 2024, prices are up nearly double-digits for the best cars, though I believe the rarer manual transmission cars are the ones driving up values.

The average price of a 360 Modena with the F1 automated manual is $75,000 so the estimate for this car is a bit high at $100,000-125,000. This car seems priced closer to cars built with the gated manual transmission, in my opinion. This car is listed with a reserve, so we’ll see if this car sells or not in a few days.

The list above doesn’t represent every Rad-era car in the catalog for Broad Arrow’s 2025 Vegas auction. They’re all worth watching, but I’ve selected the cars above because I haven’t necessarily seen consistent results for these vehicles. This is somewhat true for all Rad-era cars, many of which sit on the transition between used cars and appreciating classics. To sum it up, I’m looking to see in this auction and future sales whether Rad-era cars are on their way to becoming a new base for the market or stay a niche interest.

Have a great week, everyone.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisals, and auction services for buyers and sellers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring an overseas car, give us a call or drop a line!