“Where horsepower meets conversation”
By Paul Kramer · December 12, 2025
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Get In Now — Before Speculators Ruin It 👀
The 2026 Hagerty Bull Market List just dropped — 11 cars that (according to their data-sorcery) are primed to pop in value this year.
It’s like the automotive version of “this stock’s about to skyrocket” — except it smells like gasoline instead of derivatives.
Each time Hagerty publishes one of their Bull Market lists, I feel like it’s a scene from the movie Trading Places when Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd are trying to corner the orange juice concentrate market and ruin the Duke brothers.
Here’s the lowdown.
🎯 Who Made the List (and Why You Should Care)
Hagerty's picks this year span the absurdly affordable to the absurdly aspirational — something for nearly every budget.
The sleeper everyone loves: Mazda MX‑5 Miata (1999–2005) — about $16.6k and perfect for someone who wants fun now, maybe profit later.
The “I’m middle-aged, I’ve got kids, but I still remember what makes me feel alive” pick: Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (2006–2013) — 505 hp, manual-era muscle under $60k
The unicorn: Porsche Carrera GT (2004–2007) — 1,270 built, V-10 symphony, and still one of car-culture’s biggest flexes. Although it feels (price wise) these cars have “jumped the shark,” in reality, they are still half price of a 918 Spyder, which makes zero sense to me!
The hot-hatch wildcard: Volkswagen Golf GTI VR6 (1995–1998) — around $20 K. Mad torque from a 2.8L VR6, cheap entry, and Hagerty says 78% of the buyers are under 50.
And then there are the wildcards: vintage muscle, rare imports, sleeper vans — the kind of cars you either love or regret.
🚀 Why Hagerty Thinks They’ll Pop
Hagerty’s team didn’t just pull names out of a hat. They used serious data:
Auction results
Insurance-valuation trends
Import/export flows (fewer cars coming in = scarcity rising)
Buyer interest, demographic shifts toward younger enthusiasts
Bottom line: These aren’t just “cool cars.” They’re “cool cars that might make you money if you don’t crash them first.” Or, if you buy a good one and keep it for 5+ years, you might get your money out and have fun along the way.
⚖️ Your Reality Check (Because We’re Still Realistic)
This is not a get-rich-quick list. Condition matters. Timing matters. Let’s just say — treat it like GTA car trading, not a guaranteed crypto moon-shot.
Some of these cars are already on the verge. Miatas are moving hot. Z06s have had hype. You’re boxing the “last of the rabid buyers” if you wait too long.
Don’t buy blind. Buy because you want to drive, you want to love it, and you accept that you might never recoup every penny.
🎯 If I Were You… Here’s What I’d Do
Eye the Miata — cheap, fun, likely to grow. Want a cheap (ish) way back into driving love? That’s it.
Consider the Corvette Z06 — value-for-money bonkers V-8 performance that still turns heads, even in a Corvette-crowded age.
Dream big with the Carrera GT — only if you’ve got deep pockets, deep patience, and empty garage space.
Buy the Golf GTI VR6 — inexpensive, torquey, sleeper-level mayhem that still flies under most “enthusiast radar.”
Because at the end of the day: even if the numbers don’t make you rich, the joy might.
— Paul Kramer
Paul Kramer is the voice behind AutoKennel, decoding car culture one European sports car at a time. For his takes on all things fast, rare, or slightly unhinged, visit AutoKennel.com or follow @autokennel.
You can reach Paul via voice, text, or WhatsApp at 714-335-4911.
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🧬 Alpina VIN History: How to Tell a “True Alpina” from a Tuned BMW
By Tim Harris · December 12, 2025
Everyone knows Alpina makes BMWs smoother, faster, classier, and rarer.
But fewer people know that historically many Alpinas weren’t BMWs at all.
Legally, they were Alpinas.
Yes — literally different manufacturers.
Just like RUF vs Porsche.
And the way you prove that?
VINs.
Let’s decode the Alpina VIN story from the 1970s through today.
✔️ Alpina Was (and still is) a Registered Manufacturer
In the eyes of German authorities, Alpina wasn’t a “tuner” —
they were a car builder.
Meaning:
They issued their own VINs
They had their own manufacturer code
Alpinas were documented as Alpina-manufactured vehicles, not modified BMWs
If you want to instantly tell whether someone knows their Alpina history, this is the test.
🚘 VIN Structure by Era
Era 1: Independent Identifier Era (The Cult Years)
Approx. 1970s through early 1990s
(E21 / E30 / E28 / E34 era)
VIN was Alpina-issued
Starts with Alpina’s manufacturer code:
“WAP…”
(W = Germany, AP = Alpina)
These cars are:
Legal Alpinas on paper and in registration
Higher collector value
Historically pure
The “RUF 911” equivalent
Era 2: Dual Identity Era (Modern Alpinas)
1990s onward (E39+, especially into B7/B5/B3 era)
These cars:
Have a BMW VIN
AND a secondary Alpina production number plate
So the structure is:
BMW VIN for regulatory compliance
Alpina identifier for production + collector provenance
These are:
Still true Alpinas
Recognized as Alpina-built vehicles
Documented in Alpina’s official registry
But the VIN is not purely Alpina-issued anymore.
This is where amateur enthusiasts get confused — and where experts just smile.
📌 Why Alpina Switched
The shift was driven by:
Changing European crash and emissions compliance
Global export paperwork
BMW-Alpina homologation alignment
Basically:
Alpina could continue being Alpina
But VIN compliance had to be harmonized with BMW’s modern system
So they didn’t “lose identity,” they just “evolved paperwork.”
🧠 The Best Analogy for Your Smart Friends
Early Alpina = RUF Porsche
Late Alpina = Singer Porsche, but officially sanctioned
Which is why:
Early cars are cult artifacts
Later cars are luxury collectibles
Both fantastic, just different flavors.
🧪 How Collectors Grade VIN Importance
Era | VIN Type | Collector Energy |
|---|---|---|
70s–90s | Alpina VIN | 🔥 Ultra cult collectible |
90s–2022 | BMW VIN + Alpina ID | 🔥 Underrated connoisseur |
Post-2022 | BMW VIN (BMW owns Alpina) | 🤔 To be determined |
🏁 The Takeaway
Not all Alpinas are “tuned BMWs.”
Many Alpinas were legally Alpinas, full stop.
The VIN proves it.
Just like the VIN proves a RUF isn’t a Porsche.
— Tim Harris
🏁 The Full Throttle Talk Team
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