The level out point?

[Alien DNA]

I paid 6500 for my hq coupe in 1990...ten years later it got a 454, tubbed and 9" and sold for just under 40K....for what i spent and what it sold for , i pretty much broke even. Lucky? Maybe..

In a heartbeat i would buy her back....if only it wasnt shipped to America :(

[Robbo]

It is all relative vombil. What I paid in 79, I might break even if I sold today. If I still owned it.

[wbute]

Actually cars are a shocking investment. A Sandman Van at best will make $50000. To buy the equivalent new today would cost you about $50000( if they made them). A good investment increases in value.

[HK1837]

I agree, cars can be a shocking investment, but investments don't always have to increase in value to be a good investment. A good investment may pay you a good income and/or possibly give a tax deduction, just depending upon what the investment is for. Telstra shares is an example, not a lot of Capital growth but a good return in terms of dividends. During and after the GFC, bank shares were an awesome investment. Even after the bottom of the prices the dividend returns were over 10% plus franking credits in some cases, and these were blue chips like Westpac. Just depends what you are investing for. Same as salary sacrificing a vehicle, rarely a good capital return unless you pick (and sometimes compromise on) the right vehicle, but in term of tax breaks and affordability can be a great investment. Plus if you setup the residual/baloon right and then sell the car at a premium over that residual then the difference is tax free.

Just for interest sake, I looked at Westpac as I have some of them. $1.80 per share dividend, fully franked for last financial year. I bought them at just over $15 during the GFC but they were hovering around that for a year or so afterwards. That is about a 12%pa return plus I get the franking credits to offset against income tax. The shares are currently about $31-$32 so they have doubled since I bought them like 4-5 years ago but that isn't that good of a capital return if capital is what you are after.

[Alien DNA]

Is it true the only car that never depreciates in value is the Shelby Cobra GT 500?

[Valencia]

I would say no ivan some early european cars go up in value every year

[HK1837]

I remember when I bought my VY SS ute, white with leather trim. I sold it privately at about 12 months old with 15,000kM on it for more than it cost me. At the time I could buy at National Fleet though which helps!

[wbute]

Yeah same with the old tax exemption laws.

[benvanman]

i bought a rusty 253 hq wagon back when i was 16 for $800 bucks and drove the wheels of it for a coupla years then stripped every good part off it then towed it to scrap metal and got a $100 bucks for it , guess you can say i got my moneys worth lol

[buck]

on dream car garage on 7 mate i think they said the only cars that have gone up from new and never loose value are the Ferrari 250 gto and Ac cobra and shelby cobra, recession proof they said.