Million-dollar muscle on display at Rosemont car show
The 1971 Hemi Cuda convertible set a hammer-breaking record for the highest auction price for an American muscle car, demonstrating just how popular the segment has grown in collector car circuits.
The high-end muscle car market is up 47 percent in the past two years, exceeding even 2007 peaks, according to
"From an investment standpoint, (muscle cars) are something you can share with other people, put your hands on it, and there's a lot of nostalgia," said
The show will have 27 Hemi Cuda convertibles on display. Only 42 were made from 1970 to 1971 and only two of the rarer 1971 models with the four-speed manual transmission were sold in the U.S.
The record-breaking Barracuda is an outlier as much as a standard bearer for the red hot muscle car collector circuit, which
"There's never been more than five Cudas at a time in one place," Ashton said. "The lowest value on these cars starts at
As appreciation of American muscle cars grows, supply remains fixed, driving prices up. Baby boomers are gassing the growth.
"Muscle cars were such a big part of so many boomers' youths that they remain popular among those same buyers," said
The show's mostly stock Cudas, Chevrolet Corvettes and Dodge Challengers will be among the nearly 600 muscle cars spread over 400,000 square feet, making for an automotive era on display without the pressure -- or temptation -- of the auction block. By comparison, the 2015 Chicago Auto Show at
Tickets are
In addition to a display of old Schwinn Stingray bicycles, the show will have Revell model kits, Hot Wheels racing areas, a scavenger hunt and live music Saturday and Sunday.
"The show draws passionate memories," Ashton said, "reliving those days when things were easier, when you could pop the hood and get your hands dirty."
Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals
Saturday,
Sunday,
Tickets:
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