When you hear the term “collectible cars,” what does that mean? If you’re a long-term investor, you might define it differently from someone who wants to make one right choice.

Plus, your budget matters. In 2018, for example, a 1963 Ferrari went for a cool $70 million. Why so much? Fewer than 40 of these beauties were built. This car won the Tour de France race in 1964 and placed fourth in Le Mans. Because this particular race car was never involved in a crash, its silver and yellow paint remains unmarred.

Now, there aren’t many people who intend to spend that much. To help you find your ideal investments, here are vehicles that experts recommend as hot collectibles.

1996-2002 Dodge Viper GTS

According to Forbes.com, this car is one of the hottest collectible cars in 2020, a model to buy and hold onto. They call the Dodge Viper GTS “One of the most outrageous domestic sports cars ever built,” thanks to its V10 and “heavy-handed muscular styling.” A 1997 model is currently going, on average, for $47,800-$55,900—and, if Forbes’ prediction is accurate, this number will more likely go up than down.

When the 1997 version debuted, Motor Trends said the following: that it provides “pure, unvarnished, wet-your-pants performance.” They also noted that, if you peek under the hood, “‘civility’ will be the last thing on your mind.”

1999-2005 Ferrari 360 Spider

Forbes also includes the Ferrari 360 Spider in their list of hot collectible cars. Interestingly enough, as this car edges towards becoming vintage, it’s been labeled as a collectible, rather than an exotic, including by at least one insurance company. (FYI: here’s our post on affordable exotic cars, if that’s more your thing.)

The reality is that Ferraris aren’t cheap but, if you’re looking to make a significant investment, a 2002 model can be bought in the range of $82,200-$89,600.

And here’s one more quote from Motor Trend, this time when the 2000 Ferrari 360 Spider model came out. “Sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste—those are the senses we have at our disposal, at least so far. Trust me, driving Ferrari’s new 180-mph hair dryer will overload the first four.”

1972–75 BMW 3.0CSL

Meanwhile, in 2019, Hagerty dubbed the BMW 3.0CSL as the car to celebrate—and invest in. This is the vehicle that catapulted BMW into the motorsport world, with design elements then copied by other designers over the years. Rarity adds to its value, with 1,265 3.0 CSLs manufactured. Plus, because—officially, at least—none of these stunners were imported into the United States, it can quite challenging for someone in America to get their hands on one.

By 1973, this vehicle earned the nickname of Batmobile—remember that show?—because of its incredible speed. In that year, the Batmobile won the European Touring Car Championship, also winning the title in 1975. (This is also the car that won in 1976-1979, years going past those that are being recommended as the hottest collectible cars.)

You’ll need some bucks in your pocket, with the 1973 model having prices between $218,500-$264,700.

1997-2004 Porsche Boxster

This is also a recommendation by Hagerty, as they note how a contemporary journalist called this car “so much fun that it’s gotta be a sin.” Demand was so high for these vehicles that Porsche put their plans on hold for the S model because assembly lines were already maxing out.

Here’s the good news for investors who aren’t planning to pay six figures for a car. A 2003 model can be typically be found from anywhere between $13,800 and $17,200—giving you all the thrill of a serious investment at a more affordable price.

Protecting Collectible Cars

So, whether you’ve been able to snag one of these treasures or have other collectibles to cherish, they’ll need treated with kid gloves.

Some people love to drive their collectibles, feeling as though that’s a big part of the enjoyment. Others? Well, they’d be horrified by the thought of taking a precious classic on the road. If you drive yours, it makes sense to be super aware of the environment to prevent even a fender bender. It’s best to avoid wet roads that can cause rust (cars in the past weren’t coated by protective electrolysis), as well as salted winter roads that are practically an invitation to corrosion.

Find a mechanic you trust and have the maintenance done on time. If you can find one who knows how to regularly clean collectible cars with extreme care, so much the better. Also, store them appropriately.

Here’s something else that can help you to maintain your vehicle’s value: low mileage.

Rail Ryder System

Whenever you need to transport your collectible car, it just makes sense to use custom enclosed car trailers that allow you to protect your investment on the road while keeping the mileage down. And, when it’s time to load your vehicle onto your collectible/exotic car trailer, it’s crucial to avoid scratching and denting your beautiful investment.

This is where the Rail Ryder system comes in. This trailer track system allows you to load your car onto the trailer without needing to drive it in (which means you won’t need to climb out of the car’s window, ever again!). Here are helpful videos about the trailer rail system. Questions about the custom enclosed trailer for sale? Contact us online or request a quote!

How to Improve Service and Increase Business

As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to expand your customer base and boost your bottom line. That’s only natural. To help, we’ll share general tips and then talk about how the use of enclosed trailers can open up even more possibilities.

First, whether you are a paint protection film (PPF) installer or an auto detailer—or a company that provides both services—it can help to look at your target markets. If, for example, you offer services to individual car owners, how can you add commercial ones? Or vice versa? What new geographies can you add to your mix?

Here’s another strategy. Find businesses in your area that offer services that would fit in well with yours without competing against you. How can you work together to refer customers to one another? Provide package deals that would benefit the customer, as well as both companies?

Also, talk to your employees. What special skills do each of them have that could open up possibilities for new services? What classes are available at nearby trade schools and other venues that could provide training for other employees in those areas? When you talk to trade schools or other businesses, what services do they say people ask for that they don’t provide?

No matter what ways you choose to boost your business, be sure to check in with your vendors to make sure they can provide you with the extra supplies you’d need to serve more customers. Make sure there isn’t significant competition for what you plan to offer—and, if there is and you still want to move forward, be able to clearly share with customers why what you offer is different and/or better.

Carefully consider how you will schedule customers so that you don’t have to rush or make them wait too long to get their vehicles back. Adding services isn’t helpful if customers aren’t treated well, so respect their time.

High-End Enclosed Trailers

Now, more than ever, people appreciate the ability to stay at home, making personalized services more in demand than ever before. With a quality custom enclosed car trailer, you can conveniently pick up a customer’s vehicle and transport it to your shop for a PPF application or auto detailing services.

Benefits of offering this pick-up service are significant, including the following:

• Customers can stay home, and you literally do the heavy lifting. More and more people are working remotely nowadays, so the convenience you provide can be a huge plus.
• When the enclosed trailer you have is of quality, you will also give them peace of mind; they’ll know their baby on four wheels is in excellent hands. It’s important to note that Rail Ryder has a patented one-person trolley loading and unloading system, one that allows you to tie a customer’s car down quickly and easily. This is done outside of the trailer. Then, using our patented trailer rail loading system, you can load vehicles with any track width and any wheelbase.
• This system means that your employees can load the car without worrying about scratching or denting the vehicle. No climbing out of a window or lying down on a trailer, ever again! There’s no more need to steer the customer’s vehicle to attempt to get it on or off a trailer, which saves you time and reduces the stress.
• As you transport the car to your shop, you won’t be exposing it to the elements on the trip—whether that means rain, hail, snow, or hot sun.
• This system also provides protection from road debris, such as rocks, that could chip the paint of the customer’s vehicle if it were transported without being enclosed.
• Our offerings also come with a Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant four-point securement system.
• As a bonus, your customers will appreciate that no mileage is being put on their vehicle.

Take a look at how sweet the loading process really is!

As you brainstorm ways to grow your business by offering in-demand services, think about how you can use an enclosed car trailer. Are there, for example, other businesses that would pay for your delivery services when your trailer is not being used for your own customers? Because no helper is needed to load or unload a customer’s vehicle, how can the employee that formerly assisted be used to grow or otherwise improve your business?

Contact Rail Ryder Today

We work with multiple manufacturers and can chat with them to configure and build your custom enclosed trailer. Then, the patented trailer rail system is installed with the complete unit shipped directly to your business. You can read about unique Rail Ryder features—and find pricing information or request a quote. Questions? Just call us at (814) 873-1623 and we’ll answer those questions and help you get exactly what you need.

It is no secret that gearheads do not lead the Millennial generation. You will see the occasional twentysomething aggressively driving through a subdivision in a souped-up 2006 Ford Mustang, but this is an instance rather than a representation. If you run into a Millennial in an automotive museum, the odds are that they are with family moseying around jewels from Lancia, Aston Martin, and Porsche with eyes glued to the screen of an iPhone X.

Baby Boomers and Gen. X’s tend to hang their heads in shame in the face of such disinterest, especially when discussing the future of automotive culture. However, this is understandable. The driver’s license was arguably the keystone of the teenage social construct from the 1950s through the 1990s. It was like a rite of passage when an adolescent reached 16 years of age, as obtaining a driver’s license signaled a new-found sense of freedom from the grip of parents. Yet, this lack of dedication towards car culture may also be understandable.

What Do Millennials Drive?

Today your average millennial drives an inexpensive small to mid-size foreign-made car. The Honda Accord leads the list followed by the Nissan Altima, Honda Civic, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata. The majority of the cars they drive are in the $20,000 to $25,000 range. Why do they drive cheaper cars? Debt. Millennials make more money than ever for people in their age group at any given generation. The problem is on average they carry $36,000 of debt.

Millennials and Driving

Sure, a Millennial may not want to spend the weekend fixing the transmission of a ’66 Pontiac GTO. However, that does not mean Millennials are reluctant to driving. Millennials drive, on average, around 2,200 more miles than Baby Boomers per year. Granted, few of these miles are cruising down Woodward Avenue in a souped-up ’56 Bel Air, but cars are still vital to Millennials.

Millennial Car Culture

Is this generation of car owners “into” cars? Of course they are, just in a different way compared to the kids of the Boomer generation. As with previous generations, Millennials are buying and upgrading the cars they admired in their youth. Just as the Boomer generation was souping up their Dad’s ’57 Chevy, the Millennial is tuning their Nissan 300ZX to take it to track day. The older generation cannot expect the younger generation to like the same cars they did or vice versa. Every generation has different tastes in what they own and drive.

Putting it All Together

Millennials get a bad rap from older generations for lack of appreciation towards classic cars and the subsequent motoring culture. Young adults aren’t spending free time attending classic car auctions and exhibitions. Nor are they spending hours in the garage fixing up the “old girl.” However, this residence outside the vintage car lifestyle appears as a byproduct of rapidly evolving times rather than deliberate ignorance.

Every generation of car owner appreciates a different style or type of car. Generational differences are as common in life as they are in automobile appreciation. The Millennials are not killing car culture, they are just evolving it to meld with their influences and lifestyles.

Classic Car Trailers

If you own a vintage car, it’s vital to invest in a classic car trailer. Preferably one with an enclosed trailer tie-down system. Rail Ryder is the leader in enclosed classic car trailers. Protect your investment and maintain your car’s appearance, its value and defend it from the elements and road debris with Rail Ryder.

When you’re hauling a vehicle, whether it’s an exotic car, classic car, or race car, you’re going to want it delivered in one piece. What’s the safest, most effective way to transport your car? Custom enclosed car trailers are a great option for keeping your vehicle protected from the start of your journey to the finish.

Custom Built to Order Enclosed Trailers vs Stock Enclosed Trailers

If you’ve never used a custom enclosed trailer before, you might think you don’t need one. After all, you’ve been unloading your car without one just fine, and custom enclosed trailers might seem expensive. However, there are a bunch of upsides to owning an enclosed trailer compared to a stock enclosed trailer. Just because you haven’t damaged your car during transport before doesn’t mean that you won’t risk damaging it in the future. Read on and see how owning a custom enclosed trailer is right for you.

Custom Built vs Stock Trailers

Compared to stock trailers there are several advantages to owning a custom car hauler, including improved security and ease of loading. Custom trailers are built with your vehicle’s exact specifications in mind. That means low profile cars will get the lowest loading angle possible, guaranteed. You can also get a custom enclosed trailer for sale that’s built around your activities. Whether you’re going to the track or showing off your car indoors, you can get a custom trailer that fits your needs.

Another huge advantage of custom car trailers are their streamlined loading and unloading process. Stock trailers require a lot of different tools for loading: wooden blocks, different ramps, maybe some extra people to help you too. Custom built car haulers streamline this process into one easy system that saves you time and energy.

Custom built car trailers also prevent your car from moving around during transit. You can’t guarantee your car will stay in place using a stock trailer system, but custom enclosed car trailers include four fixed position lashing winches and 2-inch straps to hold your car in place during travel. The lashing winches are mounted directly onto the trailer, not just the floor, so your car stays in place using the best possible strength.

Custom enclosed trailers may seem more expensive than stock options, but a faulty loading system can damage your car and cost you more money in the long run. You should get a loading system that matches the value of your vehicle.

Looking to Upgrade?

Upgrading an existing enclosed car trailer is easy. You can retrofit a custom hauling system in your current trailer. If you’re not sure what options are available, we’d be happy to walk you through your buying experience.

It’s never been easier to buy a custom enclosed car hauler. Check what’s available on our web site right now or contact us for more information and prices.