RADindex Released: ’80s and ’90s Enthusiast Cars Define New Era While Outpacing S&P 500 Over Last 5 Years

Hagerty, an automotive lifestyle brand and a leading specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market, released RADindex, a compilation of RAD-era (1980s and 1990s) vehicles which best represent the era. The average value of vehicles across the index is $72,876, representing an increase of 70% over the last 5 years. The RADindex graph can be found below with historic pricing data starting in 2013.

“RADwood era enthusiast cars have been on a tear lately,” said John Wiley, manager of Hagerty Valuation Analytics. “Conventional wisdom says it’s a newer, younger generation of buyers coming into money, but that’s just part of the story. Reliability, usability and performance make RAD-era cars appealing across demographics. As they’ve aged and found their niche at events such as RADwood, ’80s and ’90s cars have become celebrated eras in motoring and have now found their place even on the most respected show fields in the world, including Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. These reasons further solidify their place as serious collector items.”

One factor in value is the usability for RADwood era automobiles, both on the road and at events like RADwood. RADwood started in 2017 and focusses on the cars and culture of the ’80s and ’90s. Under Hagerty’s stewardship, RADwood attracts thousands of cars and tens of thousands of guests to events across the country each year. The final event for 2023 takes place November 11 in Los Angeles.

“We see all ages and demographics represented at our events,” said director of RADwood Art Cervantes. “RADwood era automobiles aren’t just for millennials, they’re for all enthusiasts. As they’ve grown an audience, one side effect has been an increase in value, but that’s just the result of more use and more enjoyment. If you look at the RADindex again through that lens, it really shows just how much delight and satisfaction they’ve brought to car culture.”

The RADindex is made up of 18 cars, 1 SUV and 2 motorcycles which define the era in motoring. This includes the: 1981 Delorean DMC-12, 1983 Audi Quattro, 1985 Ferrari Testarossa, 1986 Lotus Esprit S3 Turbo, 1987 Buick Regal GNX, 1987 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3 16v, 1988 BMW M3, 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo, 1990 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1, 1990 Ford Mustang 5.0 GT Convertible, 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata, 1990 Nissan 300ZX Turbo T-Roof, 1991 Acura NSX, 1991 GMC Syclone ½ Ton, 1991 Lancia Delta HF Evoluzione I, 1991 Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V, 1993 Mazda RX-7, 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe, 1984 Kawasaki ZX900-A1 Ninja and the 1990 Honda VFR750R RC30. For the full list, values and value changes over the past 3 and 12 months, click here.