Here Are 10 Cars That Sold For Way More Than Anticipated in 2020

Classic vehicle insurer Hagerty knows a thing or two about valuations when it comes to old yet very desirable collectibles, so you can imagine their surprise when a whole bunch of cars actually sold for way more than expected last year.

Take for example a 1972 Bentley Corniche, which exceeded its HPG value (Hagerty Price Guide) by a staggering 155%, while a 1989 Mercedes 300 SL sold for 146% over HPG.

But let’s look at ten such cars, all of which smashed through their valuations, starting with the previously-mentioned Bentley.

1972 Bentley Corniche (155% over HPG)

You can’t go wrong with a British classic if you want value, and Bentleys are prized possessions everywhere in the world. This 1972 Corniche was sold by Silverstone Auctions back in July for a total of £158,625 ($215,829).

That’s more than half of its initial HPG valuation of £62,100 ($84,494). Of course, the fact that it’s a rare model compared to its Rolls-Royce equivalent definitely influenced that. Besides, only 43 RHD examples were ever built of the total 570. Can’t beat the “rareness” factor.

1989 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL (146% over HPG)

This beautiful one-owner Signal Red R107 Benz sold through Historics back in September, with just 10,000 miles (16,000 km) on the clock. Its HPG value of £28,500 ($38,777) seemed bang-on, given an estimate of £25,000 – £30,000 ($34,000 – $40,000).

In the end, the car sold for £70,184 ($95,500) and as a collectible, it was probably worth every penny, although it would have been nice if it had been driven even less than what was claimed.

1988 Porsche 928 SE (88% over HPG)

Once regarded as the cheapest possible Porsche, the 928 seems to be on its way up as far as its value as a collectible. This one is a 1988 SE model (Sports Equipment), which means it’s also more rare than your average 928, with just 42 units built for the UK market in RHD.

So how much, you ask? It went for £129,375 ($176,000), demolishing its £68,800 ($93,600) HPG. The car was owned since new by the Egyptian Embassy, and has 10,325 miles (16,616 km) on the clock.

1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Speciale (86% over HPG)

This was never going to be cheap to begin with, hence the £1,720,000 ($2,340,000) HPG and £1.6 to £2 million ($2.18 to $2.72 million) estimate.

It is a 1971 Oro Metallizzato P400 SV Speciale, and it was sold in September by Gooding & Company for £3,207,000 ($4,363,500) – the highest price of any vehicle on this list, although not the highest overall sale in 2020.

2005 Porsche 911 Turbo S (33% over HPG)

You could make a case for the 996-generation 911 Turbo S as being among the least desirable of the lot, but that doesn’t mean that a really nice spec is something to scoff at.

This 2005 example sold for £81,000 ($110,000) through Silverstone Auctions, eclipsing an estimate of £45,000 – £55,000 ($61,000 – $75,000), which was less than its £60,800 ($82,726) HPG value to begin with. The car has just over 18,000 miles (29,000 km) on the clock, a manual gearbox and a full aero kit.

1961 Jaguar Mk II 3.8 (34% over HPG)

Another Silverstone Auctions car, this 1961 Jag was sold back in May, featuring a comprehensive history, heritage certificate and even a previous celebrity owner, which shall remain unnamed.

In the end, it went for £93,500 ($127,218), as opposed to its initial valuation of £69,800 ($95,000).

1987 BMW M3 Competition Pack (29% over HPG)

This E30 BMW M3 was sold as stock and was later converted into the car you see here. Still, its rally amenities pretty much led to its sale price of £92,950 ($126,470), despite an HPG valuation of £72,300 ($98,373).

Oh and it comes directly from the collection of Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay, a fact that might hold some value with certain people.

1960 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Hardtop (22% over HPG)

When it comes to W121-generation SL models, people have been spending loads of money on them for a long time now. They’re certainly regarded as much more valuable than the R107 variant you read about earlier.

This one sold during last year’s Goodwood Speedweek for £155,250 ($211,237), outpacing both its £120,000 ($163,275) estimate as well as Hagerty’s £127,000 ($173,000) valuation.

1973 Dino 246 GTS (21% over HPG)

Built by Ferrari and sold under the Dino brand, the 246 GTS has really shot up in value over the past few decades.

This particular one is a Spider variant and someone paid £337,500 ($460,000) for it back in July. While its HPG value was £278,800 ($380,000), some did expect it to go for as much as £350,000 ($476,000), which it didn’t quite do.

1972 Lamborghini Miura SV (11% over HPG)

Initially estimated to fetch some £2.4 million ($3.26 million), this 1972 Miura SV ended up selling for £1.9 million ($2.6 million) through Silverstone Auction. Still, that does register at 11% over its £1.72 million ($2.34 million) valuation.

This car is one of only 11 RHD models built in Super Veloce specification, and has spent most of its life in Australia.