Will a ZHP ever become a valuable classic car?

[dpark]

Was watching one of those Mecum car auctions on cable TV and got to wondering if a ZHP will ever have classic car value.

After browsing through some of the recent threads about folks being in accidents and having to decide between taking the insurance money, fixing with a salvage title or buying it back and parting it out, I was wondering if time will change the value of the ZHP.

The E30 M3s are now commanding prices in the $50-80k range for nice specimens.

Obviously ZHPs aren't M3s, but was curious what other people think? Will the ZHP forever be overshadowed by the M3s and relegated to value in the under $10K range for forever? Or will they become collectible?

Thoughts?

[az3579]

Voted "continue to decline". They're not special editions (not a limited production run), have no special pedigree (like the E30 M3 had) or anything special about them, and they're just based on regular 330's. Not much is different about them than a run-of-the-mill 330i.

[BMWCurves]

I believe an average ZHP will not garner any special treatment or pricing and they will continue to decline and then level out.

On the other hand, I would wager a clean 330i sedan ZHP with a 6MT, low miles (<60k), ZCW and/or ZPP, and a favorable color combination will command a pretty penny in a decade. I don't think it'll skyrocket like E30 M3s have, but I think they'll be worth something. The trouble is, good luck finding one, because ZHPs are such good daily drivers that few will park them away and maintain them at a low mileage; it's just not a sound investment.

I base this belief solely on the stupid amounts of money people are ponying up for old cars nowadays, that in reality aren't that great of cars in the first place. There was a 1964 Mini that just sold for $50k on BaT. Sure, it was 1 of 4,000, but even so, it had the smaller engine and had body rust. Unless there is sentimental value I'm missing there, there is no rational reason to be paying that kind of money for a Mini.

[JPMo]

I don't think it will ever reach M3 status, but I think the ZHP will definitely have a slight bump in value. Its a m sport car with actual performance differences, regardless of how minor, and has some enthusiast appeal.

I also believe that "good" NA cars will increase in value generally speaking as we enter the era of forced induction and electric cars. All I can say is after driving a Hyundai Sonata rental in South Florida for the past 2 weeks, I'm ready to go home and take my ZHP out.

[slater]

i think ZHP Tourings will be highly collectable.

[BMWCurves]

i think ZHP Tourings will be highly collectable.

What makes you say that? Tourings are just soccer mom cars with a BMW badge slapped on them.

[anandoc]

What makes you say that? Tourings are just soccer mom cars with a BMW badge slapped on them.

+1

Tourings are for people living in the boonies who need to haul lumber and maple syrup!

[slater]

What makes you say that? Tourings are just soccer mom cars with a BMW badge slapped on them.

ha, good recall on that one!

i LOL'd.

+1

Tourings are for people living in the boonies who need to haul lumber and maple syrup!

LOL. well, you can fit maple syrup in your sedan, right? Tourings is good fer:

- lumber (oh yeeeeeah)
- plants... heck, trees
- appliances (ovens in particular)
- engines
- transmissions
- at least 8 tires
- many 40lb bags of wood pellets
- engine hoists... plus lots of extra room for other stuff
- any items of furniture from ikea
- awww heck... i guess, families and luggage, too!

[ELCID86]

i think ZHP Tourings will be highly collectable.

---
"ZHP is a garbage option anyway- just some cosmetic upgrades with a different cam and diff to claw back some of the performance lost fitting those hideous and heavy wheels. Any 330 with a 3.46 diff will smoke a ZHP every time. The whole Mafia thing reeks of childish behavior." - anonymous E46 fanatic

[Ron///Man]

As an owner of both E30 M3's and ZHP's, I can tell you that the meteoric E30 M3 values have ripped the soul from them. People are afraid to drive them... some of my fellow racers decided to return them back to street cars leaving very few of us to use them as they were intended - on the race track. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that they are worth a king's ransom, but I think I was happier driving them to within an inch of their life and enjoying every moment of it. I love driving my ZHP. It's a great driver and it brings plenty of smiles to my face, and that's the way I'd like it to stay. I don't know what I'd replace it with if it followed the E30 M3.