Yikes, Japanese cars are getting expensive!
We keep profiling how the value of classic Japanese cars are on the rise. Obviously not all are shooting up in value, so don’t think necessarily your 1988 Toyota Corolla is now a gold mine, but then again you never know. This time around it’s a 1973 Mazda RX-4 for sale in Australia which is causing quite the stir.
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With a listed price of $149,950 AUD it’s no wonder people can’t believe their eyes. True, in USD that’s more like $101,000 which is still an insane amount. Have RX-4s suddenly become that desirable? After all, the dealer asking for this amount, Oldtimer Australia, might not get that much for the classic Mazda.
Keep in mind, when this car was new it probably sold for somewhere around $4,000 AUD, so if it goes for anywhere near that much cash that’s huge. The dealer really pumps up the heritage of Mazda and all the important moments leading up to the creation of the RX-4, because emotion usually sells cars.
Then the listing hits hard that this RX-4 is a “time capsule” – a term we find is grossly overused these days. Originally sold in Japan, this thing does look particularly clean. Considering it only has 6,397 km on the clock, that explains why. So the dealer might be right in proclaiming this ride belongs in a museum because it has been exceptionally preserved over the decades.
For most of its life, this Mazda RX-4 resided in Japan. The current owner acquired it in 2013 and imported it to Australia. We wonder if it will stay Down Under or if some Mazda aficionado in another country will snatch it up, considering themselves lucky for paying into the six digits to own such an example. To everyone else that seems like insanity, yet here we are.
Check out the dealer’s listing for yourself here.