Tag Archives: motoring

Collector Car Market’s Big Winners And Losers In 2025

Mecum

Part of what makes this hobby and the markets surrounding it so interesting is how organic and ever-changing they are. Tastes shift, new people start participating in the old car world, and prices adjust to reflect that. That’s why Hagerty updates our price guide four times per year.

Over the past 12 months, words like “cooling,” “softening,” or “more cautious” have dominated conversations about the market as a whole, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t big moves for certain individual vehicles. Below are the ones that moved the most up, and the most down, in 2025.

1948-52 Ford F-Series

1949 Ford F1 pickup
Mecum

Median condition #2 change: -32%

These pickups were showroom rivals to GM’s Advanced Design line. They were also Ford’s first all-new postwar vehicles, as well as the very first F-Series, which has since become the most recognized and best-selling line of pickups out there.

The field of classic trucks, however, is a crowded one. Although these first-gen F-Series effectively doubled in value from 2015 to the early 2020s, they’ve been sliding since the beginning of 2024. The current median #2 value is $31,800 usd/ $43,887 cad, which is lower than it was at the beginning of 2019, before even adjusting for inflation.

1966-83 Fiat 1241983-85 Pininfarina Azzurra

Fiat 124 Sport Spider Pininfarina front three-quarter
Flickr/Gilles Péris y Saborit

Median condition #2 change: +45%

Fiat marketed attractive convertible models in the U.S. and Canada starting in the 1950s. They were typically lower-priced but less lively than the alternatives from Alfa Romeo. This trend continued into the 1960s with the 124 Spider, introduced in 1966. The handsome, Pininfarina-styled convertible started with a 1.5-liter twin-cam engine but displacement changed over the years, even if the basic styling and layout of the car didn’t. After Fiat left the U.S. market (for the first time) in ’83, Pininfarina picked up the mantle and sold the same basic car as the “Pininfarina Azzurra” for another few years. For decades, these svelte Fiats and Pininfarinas were one of the cheapest ways into motoring dolce vita, but prices have definitely gone up, especially this year.

This is less a story of big-dollar gains than it is one of percentages. In excellent condition, most Fiat-badged versions can be had in the low-$20K usd/ $27,600 cad range. The Pininfarina versions are rarer, supposedly better built, and have a more premium badge, but they still sit at $33K usd/ $45,540 cad in excellent condition. Few classic Italian drop-tops can be had for so little.

1951-57 Hudson Hornet

Median condition #2 change: -30%

Hornets are neat cars. They rode on Hudson’s unique “step-down” chassis that gave it a lower, sleeker profile and driving position than other American cars of their day, and despite the early models’ six-cylinder engines, Hornets regularly bested more powerful competition in early ’50s NASCAR racing.

But Hudson also became a defunct brand before many car enthusiasts were even born. Even with some star power as “Doc Hudson” in the Pixar movie Cars, the Hornet doesn’t have the staying power and wider cultural relevance as something like a Tri-Five Chevy, ’57 Thunderbird, or ’59 Cadillac. Hornet prices grew a bit during the early 2020s along with just about every other classic car, but have been falling since last year. The current median #2 value of $32,300 usd/ $44,577 cad is roughly the same as it was three years ago in pure dollar terms. Adjusted for inflation, though, the value is about where it was in 2013.

1985-91 Honda CRX

1991 honda crx si teal
Mecum

Median condition #2 change: +50%

Honda’s famous two-seater hatchback, the CRX, brought cheap and cheerful fun to enthusiasts across North America and became an icon of tuner culture. These little cars are definitely still cheerful, but they’re not so cheap anymore, as the supply of clean, unmodified, low-mileage examples has dwindled in front of higher demand.

Indeed, the CRX has made several of these “winner” lists from the Hagerty Price Guide in recent years, and since the beginning of 2020 the median condition #2 value is up by a whopping 168%. The desire for these pocket rockets is so strong that one of the 1988-91 cars in excellent shape is currently worth $45,500 usd/ $62,100 cad. That much money will almost buy you a brand new Civic Type R, which comes with exactly triple the horsepower as well as a warranty, but doesn’t come with the same old-school charm.

1984-91 Jeep Grand Wagoneer

Median condition #2 change: -28%

On the new car market, the love for pricey, premium luxury 4x4s in North America is as strong as ever. The roots of our affection for luxury SUVs go back a lot further, though, and Jeep’s 1984-91 Grand Wagoneer was the weapon of choice in the affluent suburbs and vacation towns of yuppie-era America.

Nostalgia for those woodgrain-clad boxes helped pull prices up in the late 2010s and values exploded during the early 2020s. In the gotta-have-it, pay-whatever-it-costs craziness of 2022, we even asked if a $154K usd/ $212.5 K cad Grand Wagoneer sale was “peak market insanity.” Yep, turns out it was. Sale prices have definitely come back down to earth since. The median #2 value for Grand Wagoneers at the end of 2025 is $45,900 usd/ $63,350 cad . At first glance that looks a lot higher than the $36,600 usd/ $49,680 cadit was at the beginning of 2020, but when you adjust for inflation the two numbers are within a hundred bucks of each other.

1979-1992 Mercedes-Benz G-Class (W460)

Mercedes-Benz

Median condition #2 change: +68%

Like the Grand Wagoneer in the ’80s, the Mercedes G-Wagens mostly serve as bougie-mobiles that don’t see anything rougher than a gravel driveway, but the earliest versions (aka the W460) were rugged and relatively simple off-roaders, sort of like a German Land Rover. Mercedes-Benz didn’t market the W460 in America, as we identified the three-pointed star with luxury and high-performance, whereas this was a spartan runabout with underpowered four-, five-, and six-cylinder gas or diesel engines. W460s are therefore pretty rare here.

Several huge sales over the past 12 months have been impossible to ignore, however, and it appears the W460 is gaining a big following. Current values vary widely depending on body style, engine, and model year. Certain hardtop wagon models can be had for under $40K usd/ $55.2 cad (exchange rate at time of posting) in excellent condition, while certain convertibles are nearly 90 grand. For the Silo, Andrew Newton.

A Guide To Taking A Road Trip Across Canada

One of the best decisions that you can make is to take a road trip across Canada. For one thing, it is a great way to see just what this great country has to offer in terms of nature and landscapes. At the same time, being on the road ensures that an adventure is just a town away. Of course, road tripping across such a large region is no joke. So, if you want to make sure that you get it right and stay safe, you should follow these tips:

Draw Up a Plan

Hitting the open road provides you with a sense of unbridled freedom. However, considering the sheer size of the area that you will be covering, you can’t really head out without a plan. Keep in mind, there can be a long distance between rest stops, motels, and restaurants.

So, to make sure that you always have a place to sleep and can stock up on some supplies, you will need to do your research. Mark out some areas between long, empty stretches of road. These will come in handy, particularly if you are driving though late at night.

Brush Up on Local Laws

Now, for the most part, the road rules don’t really change too much from one place to another. Nevertheless, there are some discrepancies. So, to avoid getting into any legal trouble, brush up on impaired driving consequences in the regions that you are heading to. You may just learn some interesting details.

If you really want to stay on the right side of the law, though, you may want to look up how to get DUI help as well. After all, on a road trip, the easiest place to make new friends is in a bar. So, it is quite likely that you will be putting away a couple of drinks away each night. It is important to make sure that you don’t get into any trouble after this.

Prepare for All Kinds of Weather Conditions

Even if your road trip is taking place during the summer, you can’t simply assume that it will be smooth sailing all the way through. Remember, rain and thunderstorms are always a possibility, so you should be prepared. Not to mention, the climate can change from one area to the next, so make sure to pack all kinds of clothes so that you will be ready for anything. In case you are going exploring during the winter, take all of the gear, clothing, and equipment you may need.

Make a List of Must-Do Items

Each city, town, or province has something interesting to offer. So, make sure that you don’t just pass through during your road trip. Make up a list of all the activities you want to try and sights you want to see. Then, try to cross off as many as you can. In the end, you will find that all of these experiences really add to your road trip.

So there you have it, the ultimate tips to follow when road tripping in Canada. All that is left for you to do is to have some fun.

A Dollar For Compressed Air – Are You Getting Gouged?

The Silo does a lot of travelling and we take notice of the highs and the lows that go along with working in parts of four counties.  Some standouts are the comparative condition of the roads, the comparative prices of gasoline and diesel and one thing that surprised us: the rising cost of compressed air and the variations in the amount of time you get for the compressed air.

But why do we notice these things?

You see, we live in a wonderfully exotic environment. In just a few months time, air temperatures can vary between -20 degrees C to + 25 degrees C and this temperature jump combined with a (seemingly) growing number of potholes means checking your vehicles tire condition and pressure is a must. If you want to drive safely and economically and comfortably.

And that’s the rub

The vast majority of service stations are no longer Ma and Pa operations that cater to the automobile enthusiast. Sure they have candy and coffee and DVD’s and scratch lottery tickets. But what about putting the word ‘service’ back into service station? None of us on staff are old enough to remember a time when pulling your car into a gas station meant at a minimum a check under the hood. None of us are old enough to contemplate a time when your car was jacked up and inspected like a ship in dry dock. But all of us are aware of the rising cost of not only fuel but compressed air.

As we make our way around the different county lines and roads, our vehicles are taking a toll. On average, the roads are spotty and checking tire pressure has become a bit of an obsession. [If any of you are driving a vehicle with Nitrogen or another gas in your tires, please let us know if you’ve noticed a difference]

We are shocked by the rising costs of air pumps. The average cost of filling your tires is now 1$. The fill rates vary between pump manufacturers and it’s plausible that station owners may adjusting the length of time that 1$ will buy. We will report back our findings.  In the meantime- visit Burcham’s Service on Main St. in Port Dover for FULL service gas [sorry no diesel] and FREE compressed air. Pay attention to the warning sign above the air pump- this is a high pressure nozzle but when used properly, does a great job of filling your tires at no cost.  CP