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THE LIVING CITY

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September 2021

Classic cars: riding high

Classic cars are the best bet for investors, with values rocketing by 334% in the last ten years. Once thought of as strictly for enthusiasts, they are now excellent assets to hold.

By Maurice Gouiran

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Le trésor d’Alain Chieppa. Oui, une F1 est un investissement « raisonnable ».

Values have been soaring because the supply cannot keep pace with demand. The supply is obviously limited, while demand has rocketed for several reasons. Globalisation has brought wealthy players from the emerging countries into the market. Classic cars can bring a tax advantage: in France, they are exempted from wealth tax. And they inspire huge enthusiasm from their fans, what with nostalgia for the old days when the motor car was king, the pleasure of driving such a gem, and the fun of taking part in big events with hundreds of legendary automobiles. Although people generally think of classic cars in terms of vintage models (more than 30 years old), they also include recent or very recent limited-series models. Auctions at Pebble Beach in the USA, Goodwood in the UK and Retromobile in Paris trace the growth of this flourishing market. Alain Chieppa of EC Exclusive in Eguilles specialises in vintage, mainly Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris. He finds that Ferraris are the cars that arouse the most enthusiasm. Sometimes investors join forces to buy a rarity like the mythic Benetton Formula 1 driven by Michael Schumacher. And the frenzy shows no sign of flagging. As hybrid and electric vehicles become increasingly common, famous combustion cars should find more fans than ever.

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