Classic car value rises across the board slowed in 2015, according to new data compiled by insurance company and price guide specialist Hagerty.
Classic car values slow but market remains buoyant
During the last three months of the year, the buoyant classic car market showed a rise of 2.8% - almost a third of what it was in the previous three months, but still almost three times as much as the underlying rate of inflation. These latest trends have been revealed in the final Hagerty Price Guide of 2015.
In general, the UK classic car market flattened-off since the summer. The new Hagerty Classic Index (which tracks 50 popular classic car values) shows that while the market increased in general, it was not growing with as much momemtum as earlier in 2015.
Experts are keen to talkdown the slowdown and insist it's a natural regression in prices.
'What we are seeing is a rather orderly slowdown in the market, despite some large spikes in values, particularly 1980s, '90s and even some 2000s vehicles,' says Dave Kinney, a leading classic car appraiser in the USA.
'I don't think it's down to market saturation as much as some others do, but it's worth a consideration. After a dramatic and large run-up in values, there is less running for the exits than some had suggested. We are in a cooling period that just might last until 2016.'
Many experts are also claiming the tipping point for the market was in 2015 - thanks to huge prices being attained on the open market. One example of this is a car sold at Silverstone Auctions' inaugural Porsche Sale on 25 October. The 1973 Porsche 2.7RS, which belonged to a collector in Denmark, sold at the auction for £410,625. The homologation-special smashed its lower estimate of £375,000 and led to many experts to say this shored up the UK's position as the epicentre of the European market.
Classic Car Weekly's markets editor Richard Barnett reckons the dip in the growth is beneficial, and enthusiasts will benefit.
'Hagerty says what many auctioneers already knew - there's too much heat in the market as a result of the investment buyers. What we're getting is the sensible re-adjustment that was definitely coming over the horizon,' Richard says.
Another, seeimingly new reason attributed to the dip is owners' clubs valuing their cars too highly.
'We recently had a situation where a club valued a car for a client at more than double our condition 1 price,' adds John Mayhead, Hagerty's online editor.
'It was an unexcpetional car with no unusual history or pedigree. We approached the club, showing the prices of all those cars sold at aution this year and a synopsis of our own insured values, none of which bettered our top figures, let alone their valuation.'
Will this affect you?
We say keep calm, and carry on. The classic car market is still rising - although maybe not quite as far as we've been getting used to in recent years. It might be flat news for investors, but it's great for enthusiasts, who enjoy driving their cars and aren't just looking to make a quick profit. The rate of increase is reducing, so the value of almost every classic is still rising at least in line with inflation.
Class of 2015:
MGC - Strong gains
The MGC has been bucking the trend of the more traditional classics such as the MGB, and has been moving upwards rapidly. It increased 10.9% (£15,600 to £17,305) in the last quarter of 2015.
Ferrari 308GTB - up, up and up
Ferraris are still in big demand, and will be for the foreseeable future. The 308 GTB achieved an average gain of 6.5% in the last quarter. The Testarossa, and the 250GT SWB, all gained too.
Jaguar E-type - Calming down
The Series 1 3.8 Roadster has rocketed in value since its 50th anniversary in 2011. However, the latest update shows values are beginning to calm - with gains of 2.5% in the last quarter.
Porsche 911 SC - Mixed emotions
A 911 (996) GT3 RS sold at auction for £142,875, where 18 months before prices were closer to £36,000. However 911SC prices gained just 5.5%, and 928GTS prices decreased by 1%.