Record-high liquidity defined the $500K–$1 M tier in H1 2025, with dollar volume and sold listings both hitting five-year highs—surpassing the 2023 peak. Prices remained firm but not frothy; the average ticked up a modest 1 %, pointing to realistic seller expectations and value-minded buyers. Supply finally met demand as listings grew 22 % year over year while the sell-through rate held near 80 %, proving that the additional inventory found ready homes. Notably, nearly one-third of all sales (83 of 227) happened online—twice last year’s share—signaling growing buyer confidence in spending three-quarters of a million dollars without actually seeing the cars.
Key Stats – $500K-1M Tier (H1 2025 vs H1 2024)
Live events still move roughly two thirds of the total listings sold, but online doubled its throughput and provided every net new sale in this bracket. This means online managed to grow 98% in terms of sold listings and 94% in terms of dollar volume.
Beneath the million-dollar fireworks, the $500K-to-$1M tier is quietly hitting all-time highs. Cars are changing hands in record numbers, prices are holding firm, and online platforms have become a true second engine of growth. With Monterey still ahead, the bracket looks set to finish 2025 at its strongest level in at least half a decade.
Top Markets
Using our CLASSIC.COM Market Benchmark*, we’ve analyzed over 5,000 individual markets** to pinpoint the top Growing and Slowing Markets so far in 2025 in the across five distinct value tiers: Over 1M, Between $500K-1M, Between $100K-500K, and Between $50K-100K. To qualify for this list, a market must have more than one sold listing between January-June 2025.
Note: CMB is an indicator of how recent market activity has impacted typical market values. It does not guarantee individual vehicle appreciation.
We analyzed 51 individual markets that sit squarely in the $500 K–$1 M value band.
We found that rising prices in the $500 K–$1 M tier share two clear traits: scarcity and everyday usability. The fastest-growing markets over the last six months cluster around 1960s Italian/British GTs (e.g., Dino 206 GT (+19%), Ferrari 365 GTC (+18%)) and low-production 2000s–2010s super-exotics such as the SLR McLaren Edition (+45%), Aventador SVJ Roadster (+36%), or the 458 Speciale Aperta (+28%). These cars combine limited supply with the ability to be driven and enjoyed, and even a single strong result can re-price the whole micro-market—half of the top performers changed hands only once or twice in H1 2025.
The weakest segments illuminate the other side of the same coin. Blue-chip 1950s classics, track-only specials (Ferrari F430 GTC, Ford GT Mk II) and high-maintenance halo cars lost ground as buyers balked at running costs or abundant supply. Liquidity also caps appreciation: the modern Ford GT range—among the most frequently traded names—showed flat-to-negative returns, proving that a steady flow of consignments can suppress momentum.
At an aggregate level the CMB for this tier is just 0.3 % above its Q1 2024 mark, with positive contributions from the 1980s (+1.9 %) and 2000s (+1.2 %) offset by lingering weakness in the 1950s and 1960s indices.
For the balance of 2025, expect “drivable scarcity” to keep outperforming. Late-analog supercars (1995-2005) and limited-edition 2010s exotica will benefit as they cross the 25-year import and collectible-insurance thresholds, while any car saddled with high upkeep or limited road use needs exceptional provenance to draw strong bids. Supply discipline is critical: when only a handful of examples set the market, the next one through the lanes can reset prices in either direction overnight.
Top 10 Growing Markets
Top 10 Slowing Markets
*The CLASSIC.COM Market Benchmark (CMB) is a benchmark value for vehicles in a given Market based on data accumulated by CLASSIC.COM and calculated by a proprietary algorithm that takes into account volume and recency of each data point. CMB can be used to assess the performance of a market over a given time period. However, it does not represent the value of a specific vehicle.
** A Market on CLASSIC.COM is a grouping of comparable vehicles that have, at a minimum, the same Make, Model, and Model Generation. When relevant for purposes of valuation, a Market may be further segmented by Model Variant, Trim, Transmission Type, Body Style, and other factors.