With interest rates at banks low, investors are looking for stable alternatives to build their money. Now a new report says that bankers in Germany are suggesting an alternative we can really get behind: classic German cars.
Jens Berner, a vintage car expert for Suedwestbank AG, told Bloomberg that "for customers with more than one million euros in liquid assets, a classic car can be an attractive addition to their portfolio in terms of yield and value stability." Berner added that after the 2008 financial crisis, more people were looking for alternative investments. That's sent the price of things like art, wine, and classic cars up.
To let customers know how classics compared with other investments, the bank started a classic car investment index. It's made up of vehicles at least 30 years old from manufacturers in southern Germany, where the bank is based. From 2005 to 2018, the index quadrupled. That's much better than the doubling (204% gain) that Germany's main stock index saw in the same time.
Highlights in the index included classic air-cooled Porsche 911s. Anyone shopping for one of those cars has seen the massive price increase in the last few years. The index highlighted them as particularly attractive investments, up nearly 700 percent (683%) in the last 13 years.
But be careful. If a car starts to gain in value, counterfeits start to show up. Like base models becoming 911 Turbos, or turning a single car into two with spare parts. If you're looking at big dollar cars, an expert could be well worth your time, Berner advises.
The best part of a classic as an investment is that you get to admire it and drive it. Something you can't really do with a stock certificate.
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