posted 05-03-2007 01:41 PM                  

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It's human nature. You're in front of the TV, you flip past a car auction, and your jaw drops. The prices that some collector cars are bringing at places like Barrett-Jackson are mind blowing. A classic example is the Plymouth Road Runner Superbird. Here is a car so monumentally homely and impractical on the street that dealers were still trying to sell 1970 leftovers well into 1971. But, the droop snoot and tall tail were about function, not fashion. Race versions of the winged Mopars were so fast that NASCAR promptly outlawed them from the circuit. Couple that racing pedigree with the off-the-charts sums being paid for any original, Hemi or 440 engine cars these days, and in Superbird (and its sibling the Dodge Daytona), you've got rolling money machines. Want one? At a big-time auction, be prepared to spend more than you did for your first house, and maybe your second.

These kinds of results make us wonder what cars can be had today that might command some serious cash in the future. Now, anyone who says they know for sure is just full of fertilizer. But, it's fun to speculate, so let's give it a whirl, starting with some ground rules. For this exercise, we'll stick with American makes, and define "modern" as anything post-2000. The list will hit the high end as well as some choices that are more affordable (if less collectible). And, we'll apply traditional benchmark barometers for future value (high performance, fine (or far out) styling, innovations, limited production). In no particular order, then, here are our top 10 picks to turn Detroit iron into gold.

2000-2001 Plymouth Prowler
Prowler's fatal flaw was that its body wrote checks that its engine couldn't cash. Plugging daily driver, V-6 power into a seriously slick looking retro rod was a disconnect that buyers couldn't get past -- especially for $45,000 (2002). As a result, the factory-built car with the one-off, hot rod bod' never sold well. However, today's hard-to-sell translates into tomorrow's hard-to-find. Look for one of the limited production models like the red and black Woodward Editions from 2000 (151 built) or the 2001 Black Tie Editions (163).

Plus: Far out, hot rod styling in a factory-built car with a warranty.
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