I would like to offer some observations about the state of our collector Chevelle industry and the certification of those Chevelles. I consider myself only an amateur collector and by no means enjoy any kind of professional career in the collector car industry. However, I do own a nice Chevelle that I’d like to see continue to appreciate in value, despite the current state of the economy.
I attended the Maryland Chevelle Club’s 22nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Chevelle Show in North East Maryland this past weekend and I had the privilege of hearing Chuck Hanson speak at an informal forum during the show Sunday afternoon. Chuck began by asking what the members believed the state of the Chevelle market is. Suffice it to say that no one was enthused. Some complained that Chevelles were generally second cousins to Corvettes and Camaros.
Some pointed out that very high quality cars still bring big bucks and that dealer special edition cars or particularly rare and desirable option packages are still garnering top dollar. Comparatively, normal though desirable, Chevelles are dropping in value to a point that is concerning; even very good solid cars, both originals and quality restored cars are not appreciating as the “cousins” are doing.
What to do and who to blame?? Low quality reproduction parts manufacturers? Unscrupulous creators of clones sold as real cars? High volume availability of the marque? Misunderstanding by the youth market??
How about all of the above, along with plain old less desirability through lack of differentiation?? The LS-6’s, COPO 427’s, Yenko Editions and other such exotic models that are unreachable, have carried the Chevelle market almost exclusively. These cars are desirable because they are rare, low volume, high performance machines proven by fleeting historic accomplishments. These cars were based on the very same machines your parents could buy at the local dealership for daily family needs. And that’s just it! These cars are so easily cloned that good quality examples are parlayed as real; even poor quality clones are pawned-off on unknowledgeable buyers for what they think are a “steal”. Who’s stealing from whom?
Have you heard that there are more LS-6’s registered today than the factory ever produced? Well, my contention is that this very same cloning is taking place with somewhat lesser cars on a much wider scale and with much more abandon on many more innocent buyers than we could know. More and more “real” Big Block SS Chevelles are showing up all the time.
Without any research whatsoever to support my theory, I suspect these altered cars are flooding the market with “desirable” vehicles, many more than are actually surviving cars constructed by the factory. With no industry oversight authority dedicated to certifying honest Chevelles, every car could become something special. The rules of supply and demand dictate that this floods the market and reduces overall prices. If real cars are documented as real, and less desirable examples are made to show their real colors, there will become a differentiation that will bolster the value of optioned cars and pull the value of lesser cars higher.
Now this is the key: If every 283-three-speed car becomes a 396, 4-Speed car, the 283 car that the regular guy with a regular budget can afford no longer exists while the newly created clone 396 car is ultimately sold at a lower price than a real big block car would demand. Some schmuck believes he just purchased a real 396 4-speed car for a steal-of-a-deal! Will anyone notice or even care that suddenly there are no more 6-cylinder Chevelles??
Certification and official documentation of Chevelles by recognized industry experts similar to other industry marques will help. While this doesn’t necessarily speak to the regular guy with a regular budget, it does prevent the marque from becoming so diluted with fakes that the entire market collapses through lack of trust and ultimately desireability. Besides, the high cost of entry preserves the exclusiveness of the marque and thus preserves overall value.
The regular budget guy will eventually trade up if his desire is genuine. And of course, there will always be a market for documented 6-cylinder cars converted to 396 cars; these will be sold at a fair market price for the regular guy to enjoy on his regular budget.
Let’s get this certification program going – and going fast!
I attended the Maryland Chevelle Club’s 22nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Chevelle Show in North East Maryland this past weekend and I had the privilege of hearing Chuck Hanson speak at an informal forum during the show Sunday afternoon. Chuck began by asking what the members believed the state of the Chevelle market is. Suffice it to say that no one was enthused. Some complained that Chevelles were generally second cousins to Corvettes and Camaros.
Some pointed out that very high quality cars still bring big bucks and that dealer special edition cars or particularly rare and desirable option packages are still garnering top dollar. Comparatively, normal though desirable, Chevelles are dropping in value to a point that is concerning; even very good solid cars, both originals and quality restored cars are not appreciating as the “cousins” are doing.
What to do and who to blame?? Low quality reproduction parts manufacturers? Unscrupulous creators of clones sold as real cars? High volume availability of the marque? Misunderstanding by the youth market??
How about all of the above, along with plain old less desirability through lack of differentiation?? The LS-6’s, COPO 427’s, Yenko Editions and other such exotic models that are unreachable, have carried the Chevelle market almost exclusively. These cars are desirable because they are rare, low volume, high performance machines proven by fleeting historic accomplishments. These cars were based on the very same machines your parents could buy at the local dealership for daily family needs. And that’s just it! These cars are so easily cloned that good quality examples are parlayed as real; even poor quality clones are pawned-off on unknowledgeable buyers for what they think are a “steal”. Who’s stealing from whom?
Have you heard that there are more LS-6’s registered today than the factory ever produced? Well, my contention is that this very same cloning is taking place with somewhat lesser cars on a much wider scale and with much more abandon on many more innocent buyers than we could know. More and more “real” Big Block SS Chevelles are showing up all the time.
Without any research whatsoever to support my theory, I suspect these altered cars are flooding the market with “desirable” vehicles, many more than are actually surviving cars constructed by the factory. With no industry oversight authority dedicated to certifying honest Chevelles, every car could become something special. The rules of supply and demand dictate that this floods the market and reduces overall prices. If real cars are documented as real, and less desirable examples are made to show their real colors, there will become a differentiation that will bolster the value of optioned cars and pull the value of lesser cars higher.
Now this is the key: If every 283-three-speed car becomes a 396, 4-Speed car, the 283 car that the regular guy with a regular budget can afford no longer exists while the newly created clone 396 car is ultimately sold at a lower price than a real big block car would demand. Some schmuck believes he just purchased a real 396 4-speed car for a steal-of-a-deal! Will anyone notice or even care that suddenly there are no more 6-cylinder Chevelles??
Certification and official documentation of Chevelles by recognized industry experts similar to other industry marques will help. While this doesn’t necessarily speak to the regular guy with a regular budget, it does prevent the marque from becoming so diluted with fakes that the entire market collapses through lack of trust and ultimately desireability. Besides, the high cost of entry preserves the exclusiveness of the marque and thus preserves overall value.
The regular budget guy will eventually trade up if his desire is genuine. And of course, there will always be a market for documented 6-cylinder cars converted to 396 cars; these will be sold at a fair market price for the regular guy to enjoy on his regular budget.
Let’s get this certification program going – and going fast!