There’s something reassuring about Hagerty’s annual Bull Market List. It arrives each year like a crisp new road atlas, reminding us where we’ve been, where we’re heading — and crucially, what we should be driving when we get there.
The 2025 edition is perhaps the most eclectic yet. From the aristocratic waft of a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II to the cheeky snarl of a Peugeot 106 Rallye, Hagerty’s pick of ten potential future classics reads like the dream garage of someone who never quite grew up.
Topping the list for nostalgic grin-factor alone is the Peugeot 106, a car many of us first drove with varying degrees of skill and mechanical sympathy at the hands of a kindly driving instructor.
Today, good examples of the Rallye or GTi models are rising stars. Easy to fix, fun to drive, and as French as Gauloises and shoulder shrugs, the 106 is getting the recognition it always deserved. Prices remain sensible — just — but blink and you’ll miss them.
At the other end of the scale is the Ferrari F355, which Hagerty labels its ‘Gold Index Pick’. And rightly so. It might be the last truly analogue Ferrari, with a five-valve-per-cylinder V8 that howls like Pavarotti on a rollercoaster. It’s still appreciating, especially the manual Berlinetta. If you’ve got the means and the mechanical backup, it’s a proper driver’s car.
One of the most charming entries is the Austin-Healey 3000, Hagerty’s ‘Best of British’ pick. A stalwart of classic tours and paddocks alike, the big Healey offers brawny, honest motoring with just enough room for a weekend bag and a toolkit. What’s curious is how values have stayed almost stubbornly flat over the past decade. Adjusted for inflation, they’re practically cheap.
Equally appealing, though for entirely different reasons, is the Toyota RAV4. No, not a typo. The original ‘Recreational Active Vehicle with 4WD’ has made the cut as the Festival of the Unexceptional choice. And frankly, it deserves the spotlight. Bulletproof, weirdly charismatic and now rare in unmolested form, early RAV4s are creeping onto the radar of those in the know.
Another rarity is the Subaru Impreza P1, a prime example of Prodrive’s road-going rally brilliance. Just 1,000 were built, all in Sonic Blue, with proper handling and punchy performance. The trouble is finding one that hasn’t been sideways through a hedge. If you do, hang onto it.
Those drawn to a more hedonistic kind of motoring might consider the Maserati Ghibli (the 90s one, not the dull modern reboot). Styled by Gandini, powered by turbocharged V6s, and as temperamental as a café espresso machine, it’s a high-maintenance fling.
Of course, no list would be complete without a Porsche, and this year it’s the 912, the thinking man’s 911. Same shape, less weight, fewer cylinders. Hagerty reckons values are stable, but with air-cooled Porsche prices historically refusing to obey gravity, that may not last long.
Then there’s the Alfa Romeo 147 GTA, which wears its hot hatch halo proudly. A sonorous 3.2-litre V6 and Italian good looks make it a compelling choice, especially while prices hover in the sensible zone.
Two more round off the list: the luxurious Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II, still somehow available for less than a modern diesel SUV, and the unjustly overlooked Range Rover P38, which offers a genuine shot at wafty green-lane luxury if you can stomach the repair bills.
Hagerty’s message is clear: buy with your heart, but don’t forget your head. This list isn’t just about future values – it’s a celebration of cars that still stir the soul. And in an era of ever-stricter regulations and silicon-sanitised drivetrains, that’s more important than ever.
