Cars from the 1980s have become serious collectibles. Auction results and price guides now put real numbers on how far that market has climbed, from muscle coupes to a boxy Jeep wagon and European performance cars. Here are ten cars from the decade that command big money today.
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1. Buick GNX: The Six-Figure Regal
The Buick GNX averages about $180,000 today, according to Jalopnik’s 1980s value roundup. One low-mileage example, an 843-mile car, sold for $255,000 on Bring a Trailer in August 2025, the sale behind the headline figure. Bring a Trailer is the online auction site that handled it.
That top price belongs to a nearly unused car, so the average is the steadier guide to what a typical GNX brings. Even at that level, the model sits well above many of the other cars in this gallery, where averages run from the tens of thousands upward.
2. DeLorean DMC-12: Time-Machine Money
Values for the DeLorean DMC-12 have climbed 74 percent since 2019 and now sit near $75,000, based on figures in Jalopnik’s report.
The jump covers a stretch of only a few years, and the roughly $75,000 figure is an overall value level rather than a single auction result. A climb of that size shows collector demand for the DMC-12 has strengthened considerably, and the figure of 74 percent is a large move for a single model. The roughly $75,000 level now sits in the middle of the range covered in this gallery.
3. Porsche 911 Turbo (930): Turbo Royalty
A Porsche 911 Turbo, known by its 930 designation, runs just over $150,000 for the coupe, while the Targa version tops $220,000, per Jalopnik’s price figures.
The gap between the two body styles amounts to roughly $70,000, which shows how much the open-roof Targa adds to an already costly car. Both figures are far above most of the other models in this gallery, which places the 930 near the top of the price range. Condition and mileage would shift any individual sale well above or below those figures.
4. Datsun 280ZX: Z-Car Surge
Datsun 280ZX values have risen 130 percent since 2019, the largest percentage gain among the Jalopnik cars, and Turbo models reach $41,500, according to Jalopnik’s value analysis.
A gain of 130 percent means values more than doubled in that period. Even so, the $41,500 Turbo figure is well below the prices attached to the Porsche and Buick elsewhere in this gallery, so the Datsun remains one of the more approachable entries. Buyers are still paying far less than for the Porsche or the Buick.
5. Ford Mustang 5.0 (Fox body): Fox Body Favorite
Good Ford Mustang 5.0 Fox body cars trade at $20,000 to $30,000, based on a July 2026 compilation in WC Shipping’s classic car guide. A 454-mile 1993 GT sold for $54,000 in December 2025.
The guide describes its values as directional blends of auction and price-guide data rather than fixed prices. The $54,000 result reflects an almost unused car, and it sits well above the $20,000 to $30,000 range where good cars normally trade, so it works as a ceiling more than an expectation.
6. Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z: IROC Territory
Most Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z sales fall between $18,000 and $36,500, according to WC Shipping’s roundup. A 1990 example with 26,000 miles brought $39,600 at Mecum in October 2025.
That auction price landed just above the top of the usual range, a sign that low mileage can lift a sale past the norm. The spread of nearly $20,000 within the typical range also shows that condition matters a great deal, since the same model can bring very different amounts. Sellers with unusually clean cars can reach past the typical band, but the top result is not the rule.
7. Jeep Grand Wagoneer: Woodgrain Payday
Jeep Grand Wagoneer sales average around $35,000, per WC Shipping’s classic car list. Restored trucks did much better in June 2026, bringing between $76,000 and $87,500.
The split between the average and the restored results shows how much a thorough restoration can be worth with this large SUV. Buyers chasing the best examples are paying more than double the typical figure, while the roughly $35,000 average covers a mix of conditions that pulls the number down. That mix is why the restored sales look so far ahead.
8. Pontiac Turbo Trans Am: Turbo Firebird
The 1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am averages around $56,000, according to WC Shipping’s 1980s guide. A car with only 700 miles sold for $80,999 in December 2025.
The 700-mile sale is a best-case result, roughly $25,000 above the average, since the average reflects the more typical cars that reach the market. Even the typical figure is well above the Mustang and Camaro entries, which makes the turbocharged Firebird one of the pricier American cars here. Its price level contrasts with the Mustang and Camaro figures just before it.
9. BMW M3 (E30): Homologation Hero
Hagerty reported that average values for the BMW M3 E30 in Evo II specification rose from £57,575 to £64,025 in a single year, as laid out in a Hagerty press release issued in April 2021.
The figures are in British pounds and are now several years old, so they mark a moment rather than today’s market. The rise of about £6,450 in one year does show that road cars built to qualify for racing were already drawing steady collector attention.
10. Ferrari 328 GTS: Prancing Horse Jump
Hagerty’s Price Guide recorded a 28 percent jump in values for excellent-condition Ferrari 328 GTS cars in September 2015, as noted in a Hagerty Price Guide report.
That reading is more than a decade old and describes only the excellent-condition grade, so it speaks to momentum rather than current prices. It still shows that the Ferrari was already climbing in value well before the recent run-ups reported for several other cars in this gallery. A 28 percent move in a single reading is a large change for any car.
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