Top 10 muscle-car stars
These classics have risen in value faster than any other classic muscle cars. But there are still buys at the bottom.
June 16, 2006; Posted: 3:38 p.m. EDT (1938 GMT)

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Sometimes it's a turkey that lays the golden egg.

A list of the fastest-rising muscle cars in terms of auction values includes many cars that are rare and valuable today because, when they were new, nobody wanted them. The list was compiled by the collector car editors at Kelley Blue Book.

Photos:10 classic muscle cars that have increased most in value since 2000.

Of the top 10, four are convertibles with big race-tuned engines. (That number doesn't include one stray two-seat convertible that, technically speaking, you might not want to count as a muscle car.) That combination was unpopular with buyers at the time for a couple of reasons.

First, it was incredibly expensive. Second, it made little sense: What was the point of buying a high-output engine only to add weight with a convertible top?

Today, most collectors aren't interested in racing these cars. They are bought to be seen (and heard) in. Bigger engines are more desirable than smaller ones and convertibles are more desirable than hardtops. The combination can send prices right through the canvas roof.

Two others cars on the list are "homoligation specials," created specifically to qualify a model for the stock-car racing circuit. Nascar rules at the time said that manufacturers had to make a certain number of cars available for sale to the public. The rules didn't say that anyone had to actually buy them, though.

With features like a tacked-on pointy nose and a rear wing that looked like a bus stop bench for giraffes, the Plymouth Superbird evoked more guffaws than awe, even among performance buyers. Dealers accepted the cars into their showrooms because they had to. One that recently sold at auction had never previously been owned by anyone but the dealership. But the Superbird's audacious appearance warms the Hemi-loving hearts of today's muscle car collectors.

These cars are just the tip of a rising market. Not all classic muscle cars command prices like these -- well into the six or even seven figures. And, if you want to invest in one that might, experts recommend that you take great care.

As with any other kind of car collecting - perhaps even more, since muscle cars are relatively easy to recreate from parts - documentation means everything.

If you're thinking of buying a specific type of muscle car, suggests Matt Stone, executive editor of Motor Trend Classic magazine, join an owners club and get to know some knowledgeable current owners. And buy the guide books.

Another thing new collectors can do, suggests Stone, is look for less popular models which, sometimes, are mechanically identical to much more expensive cars.

For example, one of the cars on KBB's list is the 1970 Oldsmobile 442. Today, they are worth almost $90,000.

A 1970 Buick 455 GS Stage 1 can be had for a fraction of the price, said Stone. Under the more conservative sheet metal, which isn't even all that different, it's the same car.

Even with less expensive cars, said Stone, beware of fakery.

"Caveat emptor all the way," said Stone.

Photos:10 classic muscle cars that have increased most in value since 2000: http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/aut...n.exclude.html