DeSoto Firelite, Mercedes C63 AMG, Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow: The Dopest Cars I Found for Sale Online
Photo: Craigslist
As is to be expected from any ad asking six figures for a replica of an old car, the listing for this American Speed ‘33 Ford is written entirely in capital letters. The seller seems to think they’re doing us all a favor on the pricing here, claiming the car was appraised in 2014 at $185,000 and can’t be replicated for less than $250,000. By those metrics, $145,000 is a steal.
But, there’s still our most basic law of capitalism to consider here: Supply and demand. This seller has the supply, but demand for these high-budget replicas must be incredibly low. The appeal of these old hot-rods is the early tuner culture, people buying whatever cheap two-door they could get their hands on and fixing it up to win street races. When you spend six figures to have a professional replicate the aesthetics of that time, plus a bunch of modern accoutrement, you’ve strayed from the spirit that made hot rods interesting in the first place. Sure, the aesthetics of classic roadsters and chop-top coupes are neat, but I won’t be busting down any doors to buy one at this price.