The classic car market is undergoing a striking shift. Where for years While pre-war elegance and sixties muscle cars defined the picture, a new generation of cars is now taking over: the children of the ninetiesAccording to market analyst and insurance specialist Hagerty, it is precisely the cars from that decade that will begin a substantial increase in value in 2026.
The Bull Market List 2026: heading back to the nineties
Every year, Hagerty publishes its so-called Bull Market List: a selection of eleven cars whose value analysts expect to rise significantly in the coming year. For 2026, the tone is strikingly clear: the list focuses emphatically on the nineties and early 2000s. Hagerty describes this period as “the final chapter of the analog era,” modern speed and technology, combined with manual transmissions and minimal electronic interference.
The list contains names that will immediately evoke recognition from many enthusiasts. The Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 (1995–1998) is listed for an average value of over $82.000. The car was never officially sold in Europe or the US, but garnered cult status through racing games like Gran Turismo and films like Fast & Furious. Now that US import regulations pass the 25-year mark, examples are finally flooding into the country — and demand is rising accordingly.
Also mentioned: the Volkswagen Golf GTI VR6 Mk3 (1995–1998), with a current value of around $20.000. Perhaps surprising for a car that was considered commonplace in the nineties, but Hagerty points out that no less than 78 percent of interested buyers are under fifty years old. The Mk3 GTI with its 2,8-liter six-cylinder appeals to a generation that grew up *with* this car and now has the means to buy it.
Other names on the list include the Mazda MX-5 NB (1999–2005), the Alfa Romeo GTV, BMW M5 E60 with its exceptional V10 engine and the Porsche Carrera GT (2004–2007) for enthusiasts with a fuller wallet.
A structural trend, not a coincidence
The Bull Market List is more than an annual list. It reflects a broader market movement that has been underway for several years. The average year of manufacture of cars fetching more than one million dollars at auctions shifted from 1972 in 2020 to 1984 in 2025. Six of the ten most expensive auction results in 2025 involved cars built after 1990, and Hagerty expects this share to grow further in 2026.
The explanation is demographic in nature. The generation that grew up in the nineties, Generation X and the early millennials, is now reaching the age and income level at which people buy classics. Their memories are not of a pre-war Bentley or a sixties Ferrari, but of a Skyline on a game cartridge, a Supra on a videotape, or a VR6 at the gym. That nostalgia is now translating into demand, and demand is driving up prices.
Lexus LFA may break auction record
One of Hagerty's most striking predictions for 2026 is that a Lexus LFA will set a new auction record. The existing record dates back to 2023, when an LFA with the Nürburgring package went under the hammer for $1.875.000. The expected return of the LFA as a modern model would further fuel interest in the original — and with it, the willingness of collectors to pay handsomely.
First eight-figure online auction in sight
Hagerty also ventures a more spectacular prediction: in 2026, a car will be auctioned exclusively online for the first time for more than ten million dollars. The first seven-figure online sale took place in 2019 (a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing for 1,2 million dollars via Bring a Trailer). Since then, more than two hundred cars have been sold online for over a million dollars, 53 of them in 2025 alone. With auction platforms managing to attract increasingly prestigious lots, the step to eight figures online seems only a matter of time.
What does this mean for the Dutch classic car enthusiast?
The shift towards nineties cars also has consequences for the Dutch market. Many of the cars on Hagerty's list are no strangers here: the Golf GTI VR6 Mk3 is still on the road, the Alfa GTV has a loyal following of admirers in our country, and the MX-5 NB is a familiar sight at classic car shows. Cars that were considered “too young” to be classified as classics ten years ago are now taken seriously as collectibles.
It is a development that rejuvenates the classic car world and perhaps also broadens it. After all, the threshold for a Golf GTI VR6 or an MX-5 NB is significantly lower than that for an air-cooled Porsche or an early Ferrari. For the enthusiast who has always wanted to enter the classic car world but saw prices rise, the nineties might still offer a gateway before that generation, too, becomes definitively out of reach.
Which 90s model (or later) do you recommend as a good investment? Let us know in the comments!
