Q: Greg, you receive lots of mail from people looking for prices on their older cars. Do you have any information as to what might be a good buy today that isn't real popular yet, especially cars from the Fifties? Can you tell us what's hot and what's not, and the types of collectible cars that will be most in demand as years go by? Thanks. Edgar H., email from Missouri.
A: Edgar, I contacted noted author Charles Phoenix a while back at his Los Angeles home, and his books "Southern California in the 50s: Sun, Fun and Fantasy," "Cruising the Pomona Valley: 1930 thru 1970," and "God Bless Americana; A Retro Vacation Tour of the USA" have much to do with pop culture and car themes. Over the years, Phoenix has collected and sold over 250 different automobiles, and today, he picks station wagons as hot properties from the Fifties and early Sixties. They've gone up quite a bit in price the last few years, especially top of the line wagons loaded with every option. He likes the Ford Country Squire, Mercury's Colony Park and models like that. He also feels that low mileage, excellent condition totally UNRESTORED cars are the best buys. He goes on to say that collecting is filled with personal choice, and that there are many other good buys out there in this huge market. As for cars, he likes the '57 Chrysler 300, which has escalated in value over the years and feels the '57 Plymouth Fury is one of the best examples of good overall design from that decade. The reason he likes the wagons, which he calls "sleepers" is because they are still fairly priced and will surely go up in price. What does Charles Phoenix drive everyday? He only has one car, and it's a 1960 Mercury Monterey
Convertible. Hope this helps.