Most people buy cars so that they can drive them for a number of years and dispose of them at throwaway prices when they are old and beat down. However, there's a small group of gearheads that buy cars as investments that they can hold and sell at much higher prices after a couple of years.
If you look at the most expensive cars sold at auctions, you'll find that most of them used to cost a small fraction of their current prices when new. Take the Shelby Cobra 427, for example. This iconic car cost less than $10,000 in 1964 (around $100,000 today), which is a lot less than the over $1 million collectors pay for it today. We did some research and found 10 inexpensive American cars that are expected to rise in value.
10 2004 Pontiac GTO - $18,000
Most gearheads know and love the Pontiac GTO, which is considered to be one of the greatest muscle cars ever. However, not all GTOs get love from gearheads, as the fifth-generation model is hated by many.
We understand why gearheads dislike the fifth-generation GTO - it was a rebadged Australian coupe that looked nothing like the legendary muscle car. However, the fifth-generation GTO is fast and fun to drive, and since it's likely the last Pontiac GTO we'll ever get, prices can only go up.
9 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat - $38,000
In 2015, Dodge stunned every gearhead when it unveiled arguably the best muscle car it had ever built at the time - the Challenger SRT Hellcat. The SRT Hellcat had an aggressive, muscular design and a masterpiece of an engine under the hood.
Equipped with a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 belting out 707 hp, the SRT Hellcat took just 3.6 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph and had a top speed of 200 mph.
8 Cadillac CTS-V - $20,000
In the early 2000s, Cadillac rolled up its sleeves and developed a four-door sedan to take on some of the best European luxury sedans of the day. The result was the CTS, which impressed many with its superb looks and luxurious interior.
However, the CTS was significantly slower than its European competitors, which is why Cadillac introduced the CTS-V. The CTS-V was an absolute beast, and by the end of its production run in 2016, it was among the few four-door sedans with the ability to hit 200 mph.
7 Chevrolet SS Sedan - $35,000
The 'SS' badge is usually the first sign that a Chevy model is fast and relatively rare, even when it is used on a boring-looking four-door sedan. That's exactly what the 2017 Chevrolet SS sedan was.
This awesome car was based on the Holden Commodore and had a similar boring design, but don't let its looks fool you. Powered by a Corvette-sourced 6.2-liter LS3 V8 blurting out 415 hp, the Chevy SS is one of the coolest American sleeper cars.
6 Pontiac Solstice GXP - $18,000
Pontiac used to be among the best American automakers of the 20th century, but it sadly failed in 2020. GM tried several strategies to save Pontiac in the early 2000s, one of which was the Solstice.
The Solstice was developed as an entry-level two-seater roadster to boost sales for the brand. Despite being an awesome car, the Solstice still couldn't save Pontiac. We expect Solstice prices to start going up as it was among the last Pontiac models, especially the rarer GXP versions.
5 1990 Corvette ZR-1 - $20,000
The C4 Corvette debuted in 1984 with many upgrades over its predecessor. However, some gearheads still demanded more power from the Corvette, which is why Chevy built the ZR-1 in 1989.
The biggest improvement the ZR-1 had over the standard C4 Corvette was in the power department, as it had a Lotus-tuned V8 engine dishing out 375 hp. It had a top speed of 175 mph, allowing it to keep up with the fastest sports cars of the '90s.
4 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - $40,000
The Mustang Boss 302 needs no introduction, as it's among the most popular special edition Mustangs. The first Boss 302 was built in the late '60s to compete against Chrysler's Hemi-powered muscle cars, and it ended up being an icon.
In 2012, Ford decided to build another Mustang Boss 302 to honor the legend. Like the old one, the modern Boss 302 has unique design features and better performance than regular models. It's also rare, as only 4,000 were built. If the old Boss 302 costs more than $100,000 today, imagine how expensive the 2013 Boss 302 could be in a few years.
3 2016 Shelby GT350 - $41,000
In the mid-60s, the renowned Carroll Shelby got his hands on a Mustang and made several modifications, resulting in the awesome Shelby GT350. The Shelby GT350 was a huge hit as it was much faster than the normal Mustang and had unique design features.
The Shelby GT350 was such a hit that it stayed in production for more than five decades till its discontinuation in 2020. If you can get your hands on one, keep it safe as prices will definitely go up.
2 Dodge Viper - $35,000
Dodge dominated the muscle car space for much of the second half of the 20th century. In the '90s, though, Dodge decided to enter the high-performance sports car market, where it would face off against the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Dodge needed a special car to compete with the Europeans, so it built the Viper. The Viper was a huge hit thanks to its stunning design and monstrous V10 engine under the hood. The Viper had a successful production run and was always among the top American sports cars during its 26-year run.
1 Chevrolet Cobalt SS - $15,000
The Chevy Cobalt was never an impressive car by any standards. However, like it has done so many times, Chevy built a high-performance version of the Cobalt and slapped an 'SS' badge on it to turn it into a coveted sleeper car.
The Cobalt SS was initially equipped with a 2.0-liter supercharged four-cylinder making 205 hp. However, there were other models equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 260 hp on tap.