The options a new-car buyer ticks can have a dramatic effect on a car’s value long after those choices are made. Engines, transmissions, colors, radios, hardtops, sunroofs, and spoilers are just some of the things that can differentiate two similar cars from one another. They might be the same year, make, and model, but the right combination of options can make one of them a high-dollar collectible and the other barely shrug-worthy.
We account for things like options, paint shades, and special editions when we assemble the values in the Hagerty Price Guide. Some are small, like a couple grand for a factory hardtop on a convertible or a few percent for a particular set of wheels. Others make a massive difference. We outline some of the biggest below.
-50% for Tiptronic transmission
Developed by Porsche, ZF and Bosch, the Tiptronic was an advanced (for the time) manumatic gearbox. It debuted as an option on the new 964-generation 911 in 1989. According to Car and Driver, “Tiptronic was hardly perfect—it automatically upshifted before redline when using the shift gate, it couldn’t blip the throttle on downshifts, and it debuted in the U.S. with a $2950 price tag … The shift lever’s push forward for upshifts, pull backwards for downshifts design was another hiccup.” Still, it worked reasonably well, and it greatly broadened the appeal of Porsche’s products. The Tiptronic proved a popular choice on 911s, 968s, Boxsters, and Caymans throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Porsche’s own highly regarded dual-clutch PDK gearbox debuted in 2009.
Given the sporty pretensions of most P-cars, it’s no surprise that Tiptronic-equipped ones generally sell at a discount compared to a stick. In our Price Guide, many models like the 964 or 968 note a -10% or -15% discount for the Tiptronic. It’s -15% for most versions of the 996 (the 1997-2004 911), too, but for the faster and more valuable 996 Turbo, it’s a whopping -50%.
$100,000 difference for “Small Tank” vs. “Big Tank”
The original Z06 in 1963 was a delightfully racy option package that bundled a 327cid/360hp fuel-injected engine, Positraction differential, heavy-duty suspension, and heavy-duty brakes for the hefty sum of nearly $2000. And this was at a time when a base Corvette cost $4252. With endurance racing in mind, a 36-gallon fiberglass fuel tank was developed for the Z06, but some delays meant that of the 199 original Z06s built, just 75 got the “big tank.” The rest got the standard 20-gallon one.
Different options, and the combination of those options, can make a world of difference to the Corvette faithful and what they’ll pay for a car. Few single pieces of equipment, however, make such a big difference as the size of the gas tank in a 1963 Z06. In our price guide, the “small tank” cars are worth $477,000 in #2 (excellent) condition, while the “big tank” cars are worth $575K.
+40% for ZZZAP Edition (1977) or Black Pearl Edition (1978)
The second half of the ’70s was a golden age for stripes, decals, graphics, and goofy color combos. Sure, a lot of these special editions were marketing gimmicks, but they were fun. And while our own Big Three were the masters of Malaise Era marketing, the Japanese were doing it, too. In 1977, for example, Datsun introduced the “ZZZAP Edition” on its 280Z, also known as the “Zap Z.”
Years before Gran Turismo games, arcade players could try their hand at “Datsun 280 ZZZAP by Midway Manufacturing.” The game itself was kind of a flash in the pan, but Datsun still capitalized on it with a “special decor package” that used ZZZAP nomenclature with Bright Sunburst Yellow paint, black stripes led by yellow/orange/red chevrons, racing mirrors, and rear window louvers. A Zap Z even served as the pace car at the 1977 Long Beach Grand Prix, and about 1000 were built, according to some sources. Read a full history of the car and the video game here.
Another dressed-up Datsun followed in 1978, with the 280Z “Black Pearl” edition. Like the yellow Z before it, the Black Pearl came with racing mirrors and rear window louvers, but it also received black pearlescent paint as well as thin red and silver stripes. Sources vary on Black Pearl production as well, but it was fewer than 1500 cars. On the rare occasion they come to market, both ZZZAP and Black Pearl cars command a 40% premium over standard 280Zs.
+$60,000 for Factory Air Conditioning
Ferrari introduced the 330 GTC in 1966, offering a two-seater coupe with more space and power than the famed 275 GTB, but in a smaller package than the 330 GT 2+2. A 330 GTS Spyder followed later that same year to give both closed and open options.
Speaking of options, factory-fitted air conditioning is a big deal to Ferrari collectors. Not that 1960s Italian A/C always works well, or at all, but 330s fitted with it can command $60K over ones without it (or ones fitted with aftermarket systems).
-40% for Right-Hand Drive (RHD)
A volume seller for Rolls-Royce with over 7000 built, in both coachbuilt and factory-bodied “standard steel” form, the Silver Cloud lasted for 10 years and three basic series of Silver Cloud I, II, and III. Silver Clouds have a charm, luxury, and presence that few classics in their price point can rival, including the Silver Shadow that followed it.
Anyone shopping for a Silver Cloud should know that repair and restoration costs are astronomical, and to factor in the cost to own, not just the cost to buy. They should also know that, while not an option per se, the location of the steering wheel makes a big difference. Left-hand drive examples are highly prized, while right-hand drive ones come at a temptingly steep 40% discount, according to our Price Guide.
Happy Anniversary: 2002 Lotus Esprit 25th Anniversary
$45,000 difference in standard 2002 Esprit vs. 25th Anniversary
By 2002, the Esprit had been around for a quarter century. It had gone through several major revisions in that time, but it was nevertheless nearing its end in the Lotus lineup and wasn’t selling in large numbers. So, to gin up a little excitement, the house of Hethel smashed the “special edition” button and came up with the Esprit 25th Anniversary. Lotus sent 100 examples to the U.S. and sold another 58 elsewhere.
Information is scarce on the anniversary Esprits, and the package doesn’t appear to have added anything other than badging and serial number plaques, but enough of them have sold at auction in recent years to confirm that they do indeed carry a big premium in the Lotus market. In our Price Guide, a standard 2002 Esprit in #2 condition is worth $90,700, while a 25th Anniversary is deep into six figures at $135K.
+300% for Manual Transmission
The Murciélago was Lamborghini’s first new car after Audi took over the Sant’Agata company, but much of the Murciélago’s development and design happened before the Germans waltzed in. That’s why some view it as the last “real” or last “old school” Lambo. It was available in multiple special editions, and with an “e-gear” automated manual or a good-old-fashioned six-speed stick shift.
Neither Ferrari nor Lamborghini sell sticks anymore (the last manual Lambo was a Gallardo in 2014), but collectors clamor for late-model manuals from both companies. Cars like the Gallardo, as well as the Ferrari F430, 612 Scaglietti, and 575M command premiums of 100% or more in our price guide. But Murciélagos, specifically the later ones, are in a different league with a premium of 300%.
Die-hard car enthusiasts with #savethemanuals stickers aren’t buying the bulk of new Lamborghinis, and that was as true 15 years ago as it is today. By the time the Murciélago bowed out in 2010, just 5% of buyers ordered theirs with a stick. Ironically, that rarity is what makes manual Murcis so highly prized as collector cars.
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