5 Cars From the 1980s Worth a Lot of Money

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The auto industry boomed in the 1980s, with a number of distinctive, iconic rides making their debut and helping to define and develop many design innovations that flourish to this day.
That said, as noted by TopSpeed, the steep production costs of these models meant that so many of these cars had minimal production numbers. “This meant high price tags upon release, which have only skyrocketed over the years to become some of the most expensive cars in the world,” TopSpeed stated.
Do you know someone with an aging Buick or Lamborghini sitting in their garage, all cobwebbed and covered in dust?
It might be the right time to convince them to sell their vintage ’80s car for the prices below.
1987 Buick Grand National GNX
- 2024 sale price: $231,000
The fastest American car ever built at the time of its release — with a top speed of 124 mph — is the 1987 Buick Grand National GNX. It features a 3.8-liter V-6 engine driven by 276 horsepower. While many Grand Nationals were produced from 1982 to 1987, only 534 of the special-edition GNX were released in 1987, making it something of a collector’s item.
How collectible is it? One sold for just over a quarter of a million dollars at auction this year.
1980 Lamborghini Countach LP400S
- 2024 sale price: $429,000
One of the most iconic car models of the 1980s, the Lamborghini Countach is also one of the most extraordinarily limited cars with only 235 made between 1978 and 1982. Further, while the MSRP of the 1980 LP400S remains at $429,000, some have sold for up to $1,870,000.
1986 Porsche 959 Sport
- 2024 sale price: $2,300,000
When released in 1986, the Porsche 959 Sport was the fastest production car on Earth, hitting top speeds of 211 mph. With numbers like that — as well as its incredible rarity of only 292 models — this ride goes for $2.3 million.
1987 Ferrari F40
- 2024 sale price: $2,400,000
The Ferrari F40 is frequently ranked as one of the greatest Ferrari models ever made and is certainly one of the most iconic. It’s also the last Ferrari model that Enzo Ferrari himself commissioned. All of which makes it no surprise that the car fetches up to $2.4 million at auction price.
1984 Ferrari 288 GTO
- 2024 sale price: $2,850,000
Two hundred and seventy-two of the 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO were produced and immediately sold in the 80s, making it “one of the rarest and most expensive modern Ferraris,” according to TopSpeed.
How expensive? The average sale price for one is $2,850,000.