While there are still some bargains to be had with Golden Age muscle cars, all the primo stuff like GM big-blocks and anything Hemi-powered are completely out of reach for the average collector. The alternative for a budget-conscious enthusiast who wants something cool that won’t break the bank has always been ’80s and ’90s muscle, but even they are getting up there in price. The rise in value for rides like the Fox Body Mustang or IROC-Z has been fairly dramatic in recent years and can be explained as simply as the same Gen-Xers who drove these cars back in the day now want a piece of their youth back.
See, many Gen-Xers grew up idolizing the classic muscle cars they saw in TV shows, movies, and on the streets. Most kids brought up in the 1970s wanted either a Dodge Charger like the General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard or Burt Reynold’s “Screaming Chicken” Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit to be their first car. When Gen-X hit the driving age in the 1980s, however, there was a whole new set of cool cars coming out of Detroit that fit the decade better than the classic dinosaurs. ’80s Retro is blowing up in the media right now, and while that is partly driven by Gen-X creators, it also has them yearning for those sweet rides of their formative years.
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How 1970s Malaise Gave Way To 1980s Awesomeness
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To understand why muscle cars from the 1980s and 1990s are surging in value, we first have to understand how they came to be. Realistically, the Golden Age of American Muscle only lasted from 1964 to 1971, because after that, all the once mighty street machines were detuned into parodies of their former selves. This ushered in the “Malaise era” that was marked by a complete lack of performance and excitement from muscle cars.
Both the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro, as well as the Pontiac Firebird, received very few notable updates during the ’70s. The Ford Mustang was transformed into a weird little Pinto kind of a thing, and all the glorious Mopar muscle was discontinued that decade. The ’70s were a depressing time marked by social unrest, political strife, and economic stagnation, so the lack of enthusiasm from the auto industry fit right in.
Next-Gen American Muscle
Silver 1987 Ford Mustang GT on roadMecum Auctions
The 1980s, on the other hand, was a time of optimism and prosperity, which Detroit took note of and altered its performance rides accordingly. Ford struck first with the third-gen Fox Body Mustang, which actually debuted in 1979, but didn’t get truly awesome until mid-decade.
The Camaro and Firebird shared platform finally got an upgrade to their third generation in 1982, with incredibly sleek, aggressive body styles that brought them into the modern age. There were other interesting things going on in terms of American muscle, like the seriously underrated Dodge Daytona Turbo Z, as well as the high-performance Regal-based Buick Grand National. All of these cars had the updated styling to fit in with the MTV generation, and they also signaled that horsepower was cool again.
Gen-Z Pushes The ’80 Muscle Car Market
Mecum
Back in the ’80s, being actually cool was of the utmost importance, and the easiest way to shine was with a hot ride, which usually meant either a Mustang 5.0 or IROC-Z. Gen Z embraced these cars and made them every bit as part of the decade as The Miracle on Ice or Live Aid. Then, life happened, and these rowdy teens grew up, had families, and for the most part settled in on practical vehicles like minivans or SUVs.
Now that the kids are out of the house and many Gen-Xers are nearing retirement age, they’re getting nostalgic for the greatest time of their lives and want to relive it in some way. They are discovering there is no legitimate reason why they shouldn’t have the same Mustang GT vert as Vanilla Ice, and that’s what’s ultimately driving ’80s muscle car prices up.
1980s Muscle Car Movers And Shakers
1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra 3/4 front viewMecum
Third-Gen Mustang
Ford made a ton of the third-gen Fox Body Mustangs between 1979 and 1993, so there’s a supply and demand dynamic that makes them fairly affordable, but there were some special cars in there that are really taking off. In 1986, the Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V8 hit 200 horsepower, which marked the official end of the Dead Horsepower Era, and made for a great pickup for anyone wanting to relive the ’80s.
The third-gen Mustang GT has risen in value over the past five years by 65.8 percent, and ’86 GTs are topping $50,000 at auction. The big prize from the Foxy Body era is the 1993 Mustang SVT Cobra, which has a Hagerty Concours condition value of $132,000 and growing. That price has jumped 12.8 percent in just the past six months, so this is a hot car right now.
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z 3/4 front viewMecum
The third-generation Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird are a couple of other popular ’80s rides that were made in abundance and are not particularly collectible. They, however, also have some special variants that are blowing up the auction blocks. The 1989 Pontiac Firebird 20th Anniversary Trans Am with a laughably underrated 250-horsepower turbocharged V-6 is close to a six-figure ride with one selling for $96,500 at auction earlier this year.
A little more common, but no less awesome, a 1987 Chevy Camaro IROC-Z brought the gavel down at the Mecum 2025 Florida Summer Special for $84,700. The IROC-Z, produced from 1986-1992, has risen in value over the past five years by 38.3 percent.
Buick Grand National
1987 Buick GNX 3/4 front viewMecum Auctions
In 1982, Buick wanted to recapture some of the street cred they had with the amazing classic-era Gran Sport, as well as establish themselves as a more youthful brand. What they came up with was the high-performance Regal-based Grand National, which was surprisingly cool for a ride that had previously been favored by retirees and spunky grandpas. A wicked paint scheme, sick rims, and awesome power can go a long way to making a safe car into something dangerous.
According to Classic.com, the ’82-’87 Grand National has an average auction price of $48,287, a high sale at $115,500, and is up $30.2 percent since 2020. That’s chicken feed compared to the ultimate version, which is the 1987 GNX that sent the Grand National out on a high note. With a turbo-six, the GNX was capable of ETs in the low-13s, and now sells in the low-$100ks. With a recent sale of $255,000, the ’87 GNX is now more valuable than a 1970 GS 455 and, more importantly, the top dog ’80s muscle car.
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Customs And Projects
1992 Chevrolet Camaro Custom 3/4 side viewMecum
The ’80s muscle car trend has extended to the custom and resto mod scene as well, with Gen-Xers fueling the demand. It’s definitely cool to get a hold of your high school sweetheart ride or car of your dreams, but totally rad to score one with a 450-horsepower modern V8. The 1980s aren’t necessarily ancient history, but automotive technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since then.
Obviously, power has increased to insane levels, but suspensions, brakes, and safety features are all vastly improved, so getting all of that in a third-gen Camaro is a very attractive thing. Similarly, a Fox Body Five-Oh! that can smoke a 2025 Mustang Dark Horse is something any gearhead who grew up in the ’80s would kill for. Because of the abundance of used ’80s Mustangs and Camaros, they are dirt cheap and just a crate engine away from being the ultimate retro project car.
Nostalgia Drives 1980s Muscle Car Demand
Twisted Metal 1987 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z combat scenePeacock
If it seems like most movies and TV shows have at last some element of ’80s nostalgia, that’s because they do, which is a result of Gen-Xers being the creators and producers. This ’80s Retro Cool is driving the demand for muscle cars from the gnarliest decade, and not just for Gen-X, as the younger generations are getting indoctrinated. Metallica’s 1986 song “Master of Puppets” was featured prominently in the ’80s-themed Netflix sci-fi/horror series Stranger Things, and almost immediately, the track blew up on Spotify.
Along those same lines, Millennials and Gen-Zers see cool ’80s muscle cars in their favorite movies, shows, or video games, like the armored 1988 IROC-Z hero car from the Peacock streaming series Twisted Metal, and they want one. The culture is currently awash in ’80s nostalgia and that’s what is ultimately trending upward the prices of the rides from the most bitchin’ period in American history.
Sources: Classic.com, Hagerty, Mecum
