The global classic-car market is expected to maintain its momentum into 2026, driven by a generational shift among collectors.

According to Hagerty, auctions and online sales of collectible vehicles rose 10% in 2025 to reach $4.8 billion.

The company’s CEO, McKeel Hagerty, said current transaction activity suggests demand will remain strong into next year.

Private Sales Signal Sustained Demand

“We’ve seen a lot of momentum on the private side,” Hagerty told CNBC.

“We’re seeing a lot of private transactions take place of very significant cars, of all kinds, of all ages. We’re looking forward to 2026.”

Hagerty noted that private-market activity is increasingly shaping overall market performance.

This trend has been supported by growing comfort with digital platforms among newer buyers.

Generational Shift Reshapes the Market

As baby boomers gradually downsize collections, younger buyers are stepping in to redefine demand.

Members of Generation X, millennials, and Gen Z are now playing a larger role in the market.

These buyers are more inclined to purchase vehicles online, contributing to a 12% increase in online classic-car sales to $2.5 billion this year.

Younger collectors are also gravitating toward newer vehicles rather than mid-20th-century classics.

Supercars Replace Vintage Icons

High-performance supercars from the 1990s onward are increasingly replacing 1950s and 1960s sports cars as top collectibles.

Models such as the Ferrari F40 and F50, Bugatti Veyron and Chiron, and the McLaren F1 are among the most coveted assets.

Demand has also surged for limited-production vehicles from manufacturers like Pagani and Koenigsegg.

At the same time, manufacturers continue to increase production volumes.

“You think Ferrari, Porsche, all of them just seem to be setting record sales numbers every year,” Hagerty said.

“That’s the future of what people will be buying, and they’ll be collecting and they’ll hang on to them. So we like that as the tail wind.”

Wealth Transfer Adds a New Dynamic

Another major factor expected to reshape the market is the ongoing transfer of wealth across generations.

An estimated $100 trillion is projected to be inherited by families by 2048, spanning real estate, collectibles, and other assets.

“Some of that will be cars,” Hagerty said.

“Those families will have to decide if they want to keep it, do they want to put it in a garage? Do they want to sell them? I think it’s really just beginning.”

Identifying Value in a Strong Market

Hagerty recently released its annual Bull Market List, highlighting vehicles considered good value with growth potential.

The list includes the Porsche Carrera GT, typically valued above $1.5 million.

It also features the Alfa Romeo GTV from the late 1960s and early 1970s, as well as the 1999–2005 Mazda MX-5 Miata.

Hagerty said strong equity markets and falling interest rates continue to fuel collector confidence.

“They’re feeling pretty good about their personal balance sheets,” he said.

“They log into their accounts and see their portfolio is doing OK. People, I think, are feeling that strength to be able to go out there and make those purchases.”