Hey Everyone. Handcrafted Car Values is a topic I have wanted to cover for a long time. I get dozens of emails every month from readers asking “What is my kit car worth?”, or “I purchased it for $xxx. What will it be worth when its done?” Most of the time this cant just be answered from an email with a few pics. There are just to many variables involved.

I am going to touch on a few handcrafted cars (Or Kit Cars) just to give you all a general idea on value. These numbers are not just out of thin air. They are averages based on cars I have tracked over the years. No different than what KBB or NADA does .

Handcrafted Car Values

Bradley GT

Handcrafted Car Values

The Bradley GT is one of the most popular Kit Cars that was ever produced. Bradley Automotive produced 1000s of them while they were in business. Depending on who you ask the number can be anywhere from 6000 to over 10,000. Even close to 40 years after the last one came out of the mold they come up for sale all the time.

We have 30 or so of them listed in our handcrafted car registry . Most of the owners also included purchase prices while registering.

Unfortunately the Bradley GT has always been known as a car that just does not fetch a lot of money. I know it is not what Bradley GT owners like to hear but its just reality. Projects can be had for just a few $100 while complete running/driving cars with a title can be found for $1000 needing a little work, to $3000 for a complete example. When we averaged out our owner data we came up with an average purchase price of $2000 .

There was ONE Bradley that sold at Barret Jackson in 2014 for $9350. I know another Bradley that looked EXACTLY the same down to the color that sold for under $2500.

Keep in mind that if you are interested in purchasing a Bradley GT the doors and rear windows cannot be purchased. There was a company years ago (the same company that still owns the Bradley GT molds) who was selling the windows again but as of writing this I have not been able to get in touch with them. There was also a few complaints from customers that they paid and never got the items.

Bradley GT2

Building a Bradley GT2 for 2500

The Bradley GT2 is a a great looking handcrafted car. Also designed and sold by Bradley Automotive. The company did not last to long after production started. Again depending on who you ask 500-1000 of them were sold . They can still be found in a decent quantity. I usually come across at least one for sale daily. Much like the Bradley GT, the Bradley GT2 are not commanding big money.

I have seen Just the body for sale for as little as $100 and I have seen very nice completed cars sell for $3000 . To give you an idea there is a very nice one on craigslist now with a few custom touches. It has been available for some time. Last listed price was $4500 and they cant seem to get rid of it. My Bradley GT2 Project car was $500 .

It is VERY important that potential buyers of a Bradley GT2 understand that there is no replacement windshield. The windshield was custom to the car and unless you are really lucky to find one used (about $500) then you need to just pass on the car. If you are a seller you need to understand that if you have a Bradley GT2 with a cracked windshield you have a parts car for sale.

I have never understood why Bradley Automotive would have built an entire car around a custom windshield, and I have seen articles that say it was not custom. BUT until I see a production windshield fit with no modification then I have to assume it is custom.

Classic Motor Carriages Gazelle

CMC-Gazelle2

The Gazelle was by far the Flagship in the Classic Motor Carriages Line. It was a replica of a 1929 Benz and back in the 80s they were displayed in airports around the US. They sold more of this model then all models combined. Even today you can find them by the dozens on a daily basis on craigslist and other classified websites. They can be found as projects and complete cars.

From the Factory the Gazelle came in 3 drivetrain options. The VW, The Chevy Citation, and the Ford Pinto. The VW was the more popular of the bunch. As with the first two cars you can find projects for as little as a few $100 . It seems that complete cars are all over the place to be honest but from just data I have gathered I can say that the average price is about $4500 for a running driving example. It seems to stay pretty consistent with all 3 drivetrain options.

I am not going to create a separate section but the same can be said about the Classic Motor Carriages MGTD/Fiberfab Migi

Fiberfab Avenger/Valkyrie

Corvair Powered Fiberfab Avenger Kit Car

The Fiberfab Avenger was a GT40 like design created by Fiberfab. These were sold into the mid/late 1970s. They have a reputation for being of pretty poor quality and were never know for being a very easy “kit car” to build. While the VW version of the Fiberfab Avenger was the most popular, there was also a tube chassis version called the Valkyrie.

As with all of the other cars basket case projects can be had for a few $100 and completed cars have been “listed” for as much as $15,000. Usually the higher priced ones tend to just get relisted on craiglist time and time again or if on ebay the auction usually ends without a buyer and with a reserve not met.

We have tracked 100s of these over the years and what I have found is most  ready to drive Avengers sell for around $4500-$5000 while complete ready to drive Valkyries sell in the $7000-$8000 range.

Fiberfab Aztec 7

white-aztec7-3

The Fiberfab Aztec 7 was a loose copy of The Bertone (Alfa Romeo) Carabo. I have company documents that show they only made about 250 of them before Fiberfab Sold to Classic Motor Carriages in 1982. This however does nothing to increase the value of the car.

The Fiberfab Aztec 7 is a very tough sell . By today’s standards they look like a doorstop. They look good in photos, but in person not so much. Some people love them and some do not. I do not.

They also have a design flaw. Just like the Bradley GT2 the Aztec 7 has an issue with regards to the windshield. In this case it is from a Lamborghini Muira. To give you an idea at the time of the post there is an OEM replacement windshield for the Muira at $1920 plus $150 for shipping on eBay.

So in the case of the Aztec 7 I say stay far away from projects without a windshield and be very cautious if you decide you just have to own one. Just for this alone I would not pay more than $3000 for a running example. One rock to the windshield and you just got $2000 deeper into your car. I can say with almost 100% certainty your insurance company will not pay for that replacement.

I want everyone to take these Handcrafted Car Values as just an estimate. Obviously there are many factors involved when buying or selling a handcrafted car. These Handcrafted Car Values are based off of what I have observed and tracked over the past several years.

Also keep in mind that just because you as a seller decided to spend $XXXX on custom paint, chrome trim, Killer audio system, custom rims, etc it does not mean that you are going to get some ridiculous amount of money for your handcrafted car. Those were your touches and because most buyers will want to add their own, yours means very little.

For buyers do not fall into the trap of “This is a RARE Kit Car”, “Only XX Made”, “You will never find another like this” and so on . 99% of the time it is BS. They are just words and do NOTHING to improve Handcrafted Car Values.

Feel free to email me using the contact form if you have questions about the cars in this post or any other Handcrafted Car Values you may need assistance with.