BULLITT Resale Value

[shogun32]

Also which of the series years would be worth more?

you're delusional. cars are not investments. They are durable consumer goods with a heavy depreciation rate and a VERY uncertain future. Every so often the picadillos of public sentiment anoint a particular car with elevated interest but by in large most are losers.

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[AndyBullitt]

you're delusional. cars are not investments. They are durable consumer goods with a heavy depreciation rate and a VERY uncertain future.

In general I would yes a car is not an investment, but my Type R Honda bought in 2005 for £8k is now worth £10k. Had plenty of enjoyment from this superb motor, minimal maintenance/running costs and turned down many offers to take it off my hands. Classics are a little special?

 

[shogun32]

Classics are a little special?

I don't know if I'd call that car a Classic, but 'cult following with enthusiasts all too willing to overpay'' which artificially interferes in orderly depreciation. Your 8K car due to currency debasement is worth 12K today assuming no depreciation. So a 10k valuation would mean it's been depreciating 1%/yr instead of the usual and customary 7.

Now maybe in UK you got so few Bullitts it has collector value, but in USA nope.

 

[danno1]

you're delusional. cars are not investments. They are durable consumer goods with a heavy depreciation rate and a VERY uncertain future.

I beg to differ. My friend's car the BMW 3 series, "Clown Shoe" car is highly valuable

 

[Strokerswild]

All S550’s are going to drop in value 5-10 years out after initial production - it’s normal depreciation.


Bullitts and standard S550 GT350’s are by no means “rare”. This isn’t meant as a jab at anyone who owns such a model - it’s just facts. Ford produced too many units of the Bullitts (2 years) and standard GT350s (6 years) that even though limited editions, they were “cookie cut” and not anything out of the ordinary.

Take a look at the big picture regarding the Shelby’s and Bullitts.

We all know “Shelby” is synonymous with collectors from all eras and all ages. Bullitts are a niche Mustang, it always has been - it appeals to Bullittheads and Steve McQueen fans (myself being one).

Let’s just talk S550 GT350’s - excluding the R’s and the HEP for this specific reply.

Being around the Mustang platform since the early 80’s, I’ve watched the values on certain models not just from the 80’s forward, but when the Classics weren’t so “classic” and were, of the time, just another Mustang as is the S550.


Resale value is determined by a vast number of things. Aside from the actual car, there’s too many other external factors to discuss so we’ll keep it to just the car.

What will determine future value of a standard S550 Shelby GT350:

1) The lower of production units per year. As some of you know, certain years had less units built than others. Values on smaller annual production runs will always trump those of larger production runs.

2) The lower (or lowest) surviving Build # that a buyer seeks or becomes available. The same will hold true for the “last” build # in a production year or series. Some Shelby buyers will hold out to possibly getting a lead on a lower Build # as opposed to one that was in the middle or a higher build # within any given year or series. Some just don’t care about this aspect and just want a Shelby.

3) If the vehicle is totally numbers matched (ie: no engine replacement). An all numbers matching Shelby will always fetch a higher premium than one that is not. There’s plenty of threads on this subject so we’re not going to hash it out here.

4) Vehicle documentation + Shelby specific Owner supplements :
Does it have ALL of it, as it was delivered off the truck from the factory and not discarded by Dealer vehicle Prep? Along with documentation, any repair orders, maintenance, etc. are usually sought after historical docs.

5) Mileage and Mothballism:
Lower mileage is usually preferred by some Buyers (and Collectors) but not a factor for all. Mothballism is taking the car directly from the truck to storage - where dealer prep is declined by the Buyer and the car is stored as is, kept with all protective plastics in place with all labels, stickers, docs etc as it was from the factory.

6) Exterior and interior:
Rarity of color combos for both, total production counts of each combo and total option breakouts As Built (or in some cases, less options As Built). IMO, color choices for exterior/interior are based on emotions - you want it or don’t. Some Buyers/Collectors will also zero in on the rare As Built features where a prior Owner “got it all” or some zero in on a “base” model where the prior Owner didn’t want all of the bling.

7) Completely accident/damage free. Any VIN reporting agency, OASIS or ETIS reports to back up vehicle history reference source.

8) Number of owners. Not a big deal to some, but others buying these vehicles in the future will be looking for minimal ownership (which will coincide with item #5 above).

9) Modified or not. Again this is subjective and personal choice, but does play a role in value.

10) Did original Buyer pay ADM? We all know what it Is, but it can play a role in future state. Some Buyers turned Sellers will try to recoup as much $$ as they can when selling a vehicle like a Shelby - because of course it’s “limited production” and “it’s a Shelby”. Sadly, most who did pay excessive ADM usually won’t see any returned gains to profit OR breaking even IF their Shelby is “just another Shelby”. Go back and review items 1-3 to determine if ADM will ever be recouped.

11) Supply and demand

12) The next best and newest must have Mustang that comes next... everyone has to have it and everyone will dump what they have to get it.

It’s not that a Shelby will be worth more than a Bullitt or visa versus, it’s just that each car appeals to a certain group of Enthusiasts.

I’ll predict which LE S550 will have a high collectibility status in the future - the true 2015 50th Anniversary Edition that was only limited to 1,964 units. It’s not the fastest or most powerful, but has unique parts not found and not available on any other S550 since its introduction. Buy them now and store them. Laugh at me, but come back here in another 10–15 years when they’re fetching upwards of $60k+. Good low mileage examples are already breaking the $40k barrier.

I think the Bullitt’s value will be in the sub $35k-$40k range for low miles examples for quite a while. Anyone who paid ADM though, it may be a while before you see any return.

Good post.

I agree on the 50th LE cars being potentially a good one to have down the road. How far out is anybody's guess. The dealer I ordered my '15 from had a white one on the showroom floor. Naturally, they had an $10K ADM on it and they refused my offer of MSRP. It was a nice car and I kind of wanted it but I won't pay an ADM, ever.

Rarity is always a fun topic. When I ordered my '15, I wanted the Performance Package and the Redline interior (which dictated a Premium) with Magnetic paint, and nothing else. As sparse as the combination would allow, no other frills. Just for shits and grins, and because I'm somewhat of a production numbers geek, I ordered up a Marti Report for my car when I heard they were available. Imagine my surprise to learn that the car is 1-of-1. The comedy is that the one item that made it 1-of-1 wasn't something I ordered, but rather an automatic addition at the factory due to my location and DSO - that item being a block heater. Otherwise, it's 1-of-27, which is still a pretty damn rare car. But right now, the rarity aspect of it doesn't amount to jack squat in terms of value, yet it might someday. I have a friend that works for a local collector car dealership that moves a lot of interesting iron, and he thinks it would be one to hang onto between rarity, the fact it has yet to click 10K miles, and is pristine. Maybe it'll be worth something, after I'm dead most likely. As of today it's just a neat factor and the knowledge I likely won't see another car like mine running around.

To that end, the stinker about rarity and late models is that the higher up the Mustang hierarchy you go, the fewer options there are to make these cars truly rare. Compare the order guides to a GT500 versus a Premium GT for example, you don't get to choose much at the top. Want something other than a black interior? Too bad, pal.

Regardless, if you're buying late model cars as investments, you're doing it wrong.....

 

[Hammerdown]

Does anyone think the incoming Mach 1s will drop the price of used bullitts? I could see some bullitt owners going Mach 1 route to get the tremec. Otherwise the Mach 1 is the same car with a different paint scheme and a few other goodies at near the same price point.

As somebody who is a few months away from being able to start shopping for a bullitt, I'm hoping for some used Mach 1s to hit the market and drive the price of a bullitt down a little bit...lol

 

[danno1]

Does anyone think the incoming Mach 1s will drop the price of used bullitts? I could see some bullitt owners going Mach 1 route to get the tremec. Otherwise the Mach 1 is the same car with a different paint scheme and a few other goodies at near the same price point.

As somebody who is a few months away from being able to start shopping for a bullitt, I'm hoping for some used Mach 1s to hit the market and drive the price of a bullitt down a little bit...lol

I think they are depending on year. Looks like some Bullitts are in low 40 range now

 

[blitzburgh]

I think they are depending on year. Looks like some Bullitts are in low 40 range now

Prob didn't help Bullitt owners that dealers put ADM stickers on them and they sat on lots. There are new ones on lots in Socal and they are now the MSRP price for the most part.

 

[Mustang_Lou]

Some folks say manual cars will fetch higher prices in the future, but I honestly think it'll be the opposite. How many young punks know how to drive a manual? Ha ha. My daughters don't, and neither any of their friends combined, and they're now 30 and 27. So Bullitts being all manuals, I don't personally think they'll be worth any more than a regular GT... and probably even less than autos. We'll see . By the way, there are less S550 Bullitts than GT350s; go figure.

I disagree. The manual versions of cars that are no longer manual (like the Audi R8) are much more desirable than the automatic ones. There'll be a desire for these tactile machines in the future when EV's rule the landscape IMHO.

Also, I rarely look at a fun car as a $dollar investment - to me it's an investment in my happiness and don't let something in your life happen to you to make you realize there's no point in dying rich.

 

[shogun32]

As somebody who is a few months away from being able to start shopping for a bullitt, I'm hoping for some used Mach 1s to hit the market and drive the price of a bullitt down a little bit...lol

you're going about this wrong. Don't pay more for a Bullitt than you would a similarly equipped Premium GT. There is no redeeming value to the Bullitt.

 

[danno1]

you're going about this wrong. Don't pay more for a Bullitt than you would a similarly equipped Premium GT. There is no redeeming value to the Bullitt.

True. The other point a seller would say is it a LTD Edition.

 

[Elp_jc]

The other point a seller would say is it a LTD Edition.

That'd be an INVALID point, since Bullitts were NOT a LTD Edition . On the contrary; Ford made way more than it should IMO, especially in 2019 (8K+). And yes, I own one of those. Ha ha.

 

[danno1]

That'd be an INVALID point, since Bullitts were NOT a LTD Edition . On the contrary; Ford made way more than it should IMO, especially in 2019 (8K+). And yes, I own one of those. Ha ha.

That seems what was a selling point. At least that was what alot of articles stated.

 

[shogun32]

That seems what was a selling point. At least that was what alot of articles stated.

it's called marketing. nee LIES. Anything to get people to buy.

 

[Elp_jc]

I was contemplating selling my Bullitt, since I need a comfortable travel car more than this sporty car, since my wife is not comfortable with the suspension, even in normal mode (it should have been a bit more compliant in normal. Or a comfort mode added), and it'll just sit in the garage most of the time. But I didn't want to give it away. Went to test drive the new 2021 G80 Prestige, and the sales manager pulls an app from his phone and shows me a $32K trade-in amount for my immaculate 2019 Bullitt with 4K+ miles. I told him he was crazy, and showed him an offer for $40,363 from Vroom. Told him if he matched it, we could do something. He never called. And now I just received a new offer (for 2 days) from Vroom for $40,863. I really need the $2,500 tax advantage if I was to trade it. With that new figure, it'd still be 2 grand. But I don't think it'll ever get better than that, no? Vroom is the best by far I've seen on my car, so torn if I should pull the trigger, or just keep it, even if I don't use it much.

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