Cool, relatively cheap, collectible cars from Pebble Beach

Not all the cars at the premier collector car gathering sell for huge amounts.

Every year, swarms of America's wealthiest car collectors gather around Monterey, Calif. for the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and all the car auctions that go with it. It's no surprise that some of the highest-priced collectible cars in the world are sold there.
But not all the cars for sale there are worth millions. Some of the coolest cars you'll find are the ones worth $50,000 or less. That's still not exactly cheap for a typical used car, but these are very special cars.

1959 BMW Isetta 300

For instance, the BMW Isetta is one of the world's favorite affordable collectibles. Originally developed in Italy in answer to outrageous post-war gas prices, the Isetta was built by BMW under license. While the Isetta flopped in Italy, where the Fiat 500 was more popular, it was a hit in war-ravaged Germany where its 50-plug-mpg fuel economy was especially appreciated.
The Isetta is likely to remain a collectible in the long run, too, according to experts at Hagerty Insurance, a company that specializes in insuring classic cars. Cute micro-cars like this are all the rage, as the recent successful auction of Bruce Weiner's huge collection of teeny cars showed.

1963 Studebaker Avanti



This was the car that, it had been hoped, would save Studebaker. It didn't, but the Avanti, a product of the legendary Raymond Leowy's design studio, became an automotive design icon. In fact, this model continued in independent production long after Studebaker's demise in the mid-1960s.
This recently restored car has a dealer-installed Paxton supercharger that boosted engine output to 335 horsepower. In general, a 1963 Avanti in good condition can sell for anywhere from $27,000 to $35,000, according Hagerty Insurance.

1965 Volkswagen Bus

This Bus was treated to a very recent professional restoration including all new chrome. It has a nice aqua-colored interior and even a pair of matching green plastic drinking cups. According to the collector car insurance company Hagery Insurance, a bus like this can sell for $20,000 to almost $40,000.
This particular bus is a 15-window model, which makes it not quite as desirable -- or expensive -- as similarly restored 21- and 23-window buses, according to Hagerty Insurance.

1990 VW Vanagon GL Westfalia Syncro

This is an update, and then some, on the old Microbus.
This much later all-wheel-drive version of the Vanagon was sold in very limited numbers for only a few years. The list of added features designed to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts included a pop up roof, refrigerator, sink, and stove.
Auctioneers at Mecum estimate that it will sell for between $30,000 and $40,000. Syncros can go just about anywhere, as long as you can keep them running. According to experts at Hagerty Insurance, they can be tricky and expensive to keep in operation.

1984 Audi Quattro



These days, the name Quattro is used for the all-wheel-drive system that's available in a number of Audi models. Originally, though, it was the name of one all-wheel-drive model, a car that's now commonly referred to as the Ur-Quattro, or "First Quattro."
This particular car was used by Audi executives during the Los Angeles Olympic Games. It remains in largely original condition.
Hard-used, beat-up Quattro's can be found easily and cheaply in the classifieds, according to Hagerty Insurance. Well-kept, low-mileage cars are harder to come by and have been doing well in the auction market.

1974 Stutz Blackhawk VI



You might think this car is garish and ugly. If you do, you can be thankful we're not showing you the interior. (Brown and gold. Lots of gold.)
This car was part of an attempted revival of the Stutz brand in the 1970s and '80s. The Blackhawk was designed by the famed Virgil Exner, best known for his work with Chrysler. As with many of Exner's other famous cars, the prototype for this one was built by Ghia in Italy. Even the production car bodies were handbuilt while the engines and transmissions came from American cars such as, in this case, a Pontiac Grand Prix.
So-called "neo-classics," like this car, have a cult following but it isn't yet large enough to pull the cars' values up along with the rest of the collector car market, according to Hagerty Insurance.
Blackhawks were high-priced items in their day -- a list of Blackhawk owners reads like a show listing for the Vegas Strip in the '70s -- and, today, one in good shape can be worth $24,000 to $40,000, according to Hagerty Insurance.