5 cars from the 1960s that are worth a lot of money

The 1960s marked a turning point for Enzo Ferrari’s eponymous brand, as the Italian automaker expanded beyond the production of high-performance motorsports race cars into the production of luxury vehicles.

In most cases, any car from this decade with a looming Mustang logo can spark bidding wars at auction – but one stands out from the crowd.

“Almost anything with a Ferrari badge from the ’60s is worth a lot today, but the Ferrari 250 GTO stands alone at the top,” said Shea. “Ferrari only manufactured 36 GTOs between 1962 and 1964 and in each of these years used the homologated special sports/GT car to win the international manufacturers’ championship. Never a cheap car, the GTO has become the most valued production car over the past few decades, setting and extending the records for the most expensive car ever sold at public auction in 2014, 2018 and 2023. A 1963 GTO changed hands privately in 2018 for a reported $70 million.”

Ferrari spent much of the 1960s encouraging its main rival to develop their own iconic rival cars – some of which are now worth several pretty pennies.

“Carroll Shelby famously built the Cobra to compete with the likes of the GTO on the world stage,” said Shea. “The relatively simple sports car combined a lightweight British chassis with a beefy American V8. With just over 2,000 pounds to lug around, the Cobra was an instant success. A later version with an even larger Ford V8 and more sophisticated suspension proved to be an even faster car. Today there is an entire industry dedicated solely to building replicas, but Cobras start at $750,000 and can cost up to $5 million for a competition model.”

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The Corvette, a timeless classic known worldwide as “America’s Sports Car,” was born in the 1950s, but it – and its engine – came of age in the decade that followed.

“There can be no discussion of legendary engines from the ’60s without considering Chevy’s L88 big-block V8,” said Shea. “With a displacement of 427 cubic inches, the L88 V8 featured race-grade engine components, including free-breathing aluminum cylinder heads, a very aggressive solid-lifter camshaft, and a 12.5:1 compression ratio that required the highest octane fuel available a driver could find. However, with a rated output of 430 hp and an output of around 550 hp, the L88 is likely to find few takers. From 1967 to 1969 only 216 units were produced, of which only 20 were in the first model year. A ’68 or ’69 L88 Vette sells for $300,000 to $600,000, but a ’67 L88 sells for $1.5 to $3 million or more.”

The famous Ford-Ferrari rivalry of the 1960s resulted in some of the most powerful performance cars in history – and some of the most valuable, too.

“When Ford was turned down by Ferrari at the last minute during the Detroit company’s negotiations to acquire the famed Italian sports car maker, Ford moved to hand the fight to Ferrari,” Shea said. “Assembling an all-star team of racing and engineering talent, Ford ultimately developed the GT40, which took the top spot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans four years in a row, ending Ferrari’s dominance. About 100 examples were made, a mix of prototypes, road cars and racing cars. A street car with no racing experience can fetch $3 million or more. For racing cars with proven track success, the number at least doubles. Of the ten most expensive American cars sold at auction, five are Ford GT40s.”

When you think of classic cars that are worth a fortune to collectors, the name Dodge may not come to mind – unless you understand the evolution of auto racing in the post-war era.

“NASCAR rules in the late 1960s required that 500 examples had to be manufactured before a car could be considered race-worthy,” Shea said. “Chrysler Corporation upended the rulebook by producing 503 examples of the Daytona, a Dodge Charger with a wedge-shaped front end, smoothed backlighting and a massive wing at the rear. The slippery racing car was the first Grand National racing car to break the 200 mph barrier. NASCAR then banned such aerodynamic aids and also the Daytona’s huge V8. Today, a Daytona with a stock 440 cubic-inch V8 brings between $175,000 and $400,000 at auction. Find one of only 70 examples made with a 426 cubic inch Hemi V8 and you can expect to pay between $800,000 and $3 million.”