The 1960s was a decade filled with change. American automobile makers started struggling to keep car production going while staying within the ever-increasing strictness of rules and regulations being put into place by all the local and federal lawmakers. Production cars from all three of the big Detroit carmakers averaged twenty-four recalls per model.
This allowed foreign carmakers the chance that they needed to bring in their vehicles, which were smaller and much more economical. More importantly, though, they met most of the new manufacturing changes. Car brands such as Honda and Subaru moved in at the end of the decade, and they have been a force to be reckoned with ever since.
These are types of classic cars that you can still find under $10,000 today—foreign and domestic cars that were transformed to match the new regulations, which made them unappealing to most people, then and now. Let’s take a look at 10 such vehicles that you can get cheap.
10 1969 Opel GT
The Opel GT is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive sports car built in two different generations. The design was created by GM stylists, which is why it looks like a miniature Corvette. This classic car is not as high-performance as they were, but they are affordable, and you look great behind the wheel.
You would think that because of how this car looks that it would be worth a ton of money. However, it hits this list with a car in drivable condition valued at $7,800, which may be a little off considering that one of these sold at auction for a mere $325. If you look around and watch, you can get this car for under our $10,000 limit.
9 1963 Ford Fairlane
The Ford Fairlane was a front-engine, rear-wheel compact car that was shortened by over 11 inches but was still bigger than the more popular Ford Falcon. It started off in 1963 as a car with a small six-cylinder, but by the end of the year, it acquired the much improved 289 that propelled the car up to a muscle car status.
This car is one of the choices of muscle car builders, so they are not as cheap as you would think. The 1963 Ford Fairlane is valued at $7,600, but it has gone at auction for as little as $1,700. This is not to say that the Fairlane is easy to find at a price under the one set at the beginning, but there is proof that it is possible.
8 1968 Plymouth Valiant
The 1968 Plymouth Valiant is a rear-wheel drive, front-engine mounted compact car that never got the recognition that it deserved. The reason for that was the siblings that were available during the ‘60s—most of them known for their muscle car characteristics. The Valiant came off the production line with a small slant-6 but became available with 318 later in its life.
This car is not one of the top sellers in its day, but there are numerous cars available on the market. The ’68 Valiant is valued at $6,900 for a decent running car, with auction sales going as low as $4,675. That was only a couple of years ago, so you should have no problems finding one for under ten grand.
7 1969 Jaguar XJ-6
You probably would not expect to see a Jaguar of any kind on a list of affordable classic cars, but here it is. The car came with an inline six-cylinder that was a version of the XK motor that was getting so much attention. As you would expect the XJ-6 came with all the luxuries that were available during the ‘60s, including leather seats and air conditioning.
What you would not expect is the low value of the luxury sedan. This car is only valued at around $6,00 for one in running condition. Of course, if you check around at some auctions you can see that the car has gone for as little as $5,000. Most have gone for substantially more, but they can be found cheaper than you would ever suspect.
6 1962 Pontiac Tempest
The Pontiac Tempest was an innovative car made from a combination of GM parts and pieces, including the engine (half of it anyway). The inline-four was taken from one side of the 389 and was marketed as the “Trophy 4.” The engine was mounted in the front and was driven by the rear wheels, but it had a unique design between the two components. The transaxle, which is what converts the engine power to the ground torque, is mounted in the rear of the car. This made the car well-balanced on the road.
Considering how unique the style and the engineering is, you would think that this would be a hard car to get your hands on, but it is only valued at $5,800 if it is in running shape. The auctions tell a different tale, though, with these going for as low as $7,600, but the average sale price is much higher. You may still be able to find one of these beauties for under ten grand, though, if you put a little time and effort into locating one.
5 1965 Buick Skylark
Buick was known for its luxurious interiors, as well as the power that could be had from their engine designs that were always on the forefront of the automotive industry. GM, for a brief time in history, allowed all the carmakers under their umbrella to design and build their own versions of the basic engine layouts, which Buick did very well. At the beginning of 1965, they gave the car a basic cast-iron-block V6 or the small 300 V8, but later in the year, the muscle car version was brought to life with a 401 Nailhead motor that was slid under the hoods of cars that had a reinforced chassis.
The 1965 Buick Skylark may be hard to find at a low price, but the early part of the year has a value of only $5,700. The auctions show that the average sale price is a little higher, but they have sold for as little as $2,625. This simply means that you will have to do some searching to find one for sale in the 4-digit range that we have been talking about here.
4 1962 Oldsmobile F-85
The 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 line of cars was the biggest selling line for the GM car manufacturer in the ‘60s. The base car was marketed as an entry-level luxury compact car that came with the famous aluminum Rocket V8. The higher the trim levels you go, the bigger the power went. The top of the line of the F-85 series for ’62 was the Jetfire coupe, which is the first production car that was offered with a turbocharger.
Oldsmobile never did rise to the top of the GM sales platforms, and as such many of their classic cars can be purchased for under $10,000. Surprisingly, this car is only valued at $5,400 for a running car, with the auctions showing close to the same because they have sold for as little as $4,800. These numbers are for the coupe, but the convertible shows a little higher value by a couple of thousands.
3 1961 Buick Special
In 1961 the Buick Special returned after being off the market for a couple of years. It came back as a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive mid-sized car that came off the manufacturing lines with a small aluminum block V8 under the hood, but the following year would become the first production car to use a V6 in their trim lines. The ’62 also was awarded the Motor Trend Car of the Year award, and since the only change from the ’61 was the engine, it is safe to say that the Buick Special was a special type of car.
Once again, it would be thought that a car that was so innovative and popular back in the day would be worth a small fortune. That is not the case. The value of the car is set at $5,000 for a running model, but the auctions have no recent sales to show the actual going rates of them. However, a couple of postings can be found for under $10,000, so they are out there somewhere.
2 1967 MG MGB
The MG MGB was a sports car ahead of its time and was the go-to British sports car for many years. The basic model was designed on a unibody frame, had two front seats for the occupants, and had enough room in the back to haul luggage for a trip across the country. Even though the 1967 MGB was sporty and designed for performance, it was more commonly known as a roadster.
Most foreign sports cars that have come to North America have high resale values, and since the GT version of this car could outrace most American cars at the time, it would be thought that it would be hard to get your hands on one. That's not the case, though. The value of this car is only set at $4,600 for a car that is in running condition, and the auctions show that it has sold for as little as $183. It is not probable that you can find one that cheap, but if you look around you should be able to find one in the low end of the spectrum.
1 1964 Pontiac Star Chief
The Pontiac Star Chief is a large, heavy car that had the option of coming with a 7.0L super duty V8 with two carbs on top. Not many people ordered it this way, but if you can find one grab it up. The Star Chief itself was a unique car that could be shown apart from the others by the chrome molding with 3 silver stars placed on the roof or the rear fender. The Bonneville taillights also allowed people to tell the difference between the Star Chief and the other lines offered.
This car is not too popular with collectors or muscle car buyers, so it has a low value of $4,400. This is another car that does not show much action on auctions sites, but it can be found in rough shape for around $7,399 on other online pages. If this is the car of your dreams, it may be a hard find. But if you are diligent, one will pop up when you least expect it.
Final Thoughts
The decade of the ‘60s was not the best time for car manufacturers, particularly close to the end of it. Regulations came into play that caused a decrease in muscle cars and the increase in cars that did not drink fuel but only sipped it. The market saturation of smaller foreign cars came at the end of the decade as well, changing the entire market and raising the competition to new heights.
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Finding any classic car under ten grand can be a trying task, but it is within reason to believe that you can find a ‘60s car that looks good, drives good, and feels good within that budget. It may need some help, but what is a classic car if you have not gotten your hands dirty working on it. You can honestly say that you did that when you show it off during the summer car show.