Why would anyone pay $6,000 for a Motorcycle?

[vintage53]

MV Augusta 750 America!   

 



   

1976   MSRP   6K

 

[Rough Edge racing]

 Inflaton supposedly makes that $27000 today....not taking into account it's foreign made. In the 70's Sunnyside Cycles in Alexander NY, a small shop, had one sitting in a corner for several years..

[Lannis]

As I remember, a 'Cuda in 1970 was about $3500 fully optioned, except that that silly "Hemi 426" option was another $900.

$900!   Who were they kidding?   That was a lot of money,  you'd NEVER make that back when you sold it!

Well, only a quarter of a million dollars or so, I suppose ....

Lannis ("Plastics!")

[PeteS]

Inflaton supposedly makes that $27000 today....not taking into account it's foreign made. In the 70's Sunnyside Cycles in Alexander NY, a small shop, had one sitting in a corner for several years..

I can vouch for that. Saw a couple sitting near my LeMans. When he broke ranks with Berliner and gave up Guzzi and MV he had a fire sale on the remaining bikes. I think you could have gotten an MV for about $4K. Still a chunk of change back then.

Pete

[Perazzimx14]

As I remember, a 'Cuda in 1970 was about $3500 fully optioned, except that that silly "Hemi 426" option was another $900.

$900!   Who were they kidding?   That was a lot of money,  you'd NEVER make that back when you sold it!

Well, only a quarter of a million dollars or so, I suppose ....

Lannis ("Plastics!")

But would it really be money in the bank. If you invested $4,400 50 years ago wonder what it'd be worth? 

[guzzisteve]

It was 3 times the amount of my 850T in 76.

[Aaron D.]

I considered one of those in the late 70s but when I went to the AMA autumn race at Loudon (only time they ran it) there were several in the lot so I bought a Laverda triple instead.

[Lannis]

But would it really be money in the bank. If you invested $4,400 50 years ago wonder what it'd be worth?

Depends on if you treated the car like a driving investment, especially if it were a convertible.

$4400 in 1970, say $450,000 today in good original condition.   

$4400 invested in the stock market in 1970 would be .... well, it depends.   If it were strictly an index-type fund, that would be like buying a Ford and holding it in new condition and selling it today.

The equivalent of buying a Hemi Cuda would be like putting all your money in the WalMart IPO, in which case you'd have millions instead of hundreds of thousands.

Still a decent investment though.  Oh, if we only knew what a $6000 1967 AC Cobra would be worth today...

Lannis

[Rough Edge racing]

But would it really be money in the bank. If you invested $4,400 50 years ago wonder what it'd be worth?

more money but no memories to share or to think about when your're old and feeble

[JJ]

Here's a more up-to-date question...

"Would you pay $18,000 for this 1974 Moto Guzzi 750S?!?' 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-750S-V7-Sport-1974-beautiful-original-unrestored-example-unique/233780065817?hash=item366e60b619:g:SVkAAOSwiuRfrqv1

[Perazzimx14]

more money but no memories to share or to think about when your're old and feeble

If it like every other person I've know who had a car for a long duration most of the time its buried in the back of the garage, hidden under a cover with 2 inches of dust on it and shrouded with boxes of other treasures. Oh the memories.

[twowheeladdict]

Here's a more up-to-date question...

"Would you pay $18,000 for this 1974 Moto Guzzi 750S?!?' 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Moto-Guzzi-750S-V7-Sport-1974-beautiful-original-unrestored-example-unique/233780065817?hash=item366e60b619:g:SVkAAOSwiuRfrqv1

If I had more money than I could spend in my lifetime, hell yes! 

[JJ]

If I had more money than I could spend in my lifetime, hell yes!

AKA...."Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous...."

[Rough Edge racing]

If it like every other person I've know who had a car for a long duration most of the time its buried in the back of the garage, hidden under a cover with 2 inches of dust on it and shrouded with boxes of other treasures. Oh the memories.

Oh, I forgot about that......but there is the dream of driving it again..

[larrys]

Saw a couple of those in 1975 at Gus Kuhn's shop in London. Was there to buy parts for my Commando. I think that they were $5000+ in US dollars. New Nortons were a little more than a third of that.
Larry

[Rough Edge racing]

oh, I was a guy too cheap to spend bucks on new(er)  bikes or cars/trucks so I alwas rode or dove junk..put money int investments...Now I been retirered for years but still too cheap to spend money on newer stuff....

[JJ]

oh, I was a guy too cheap to spend bucks on new(er)  bikes or cars/trucks so I alwas rode or dove junk..put money int investments...Now I been retirered for years but still too cheap to spend money on newer stuff....

Yes, I hear ya, Rough Edge!    Since retiring two years ago, I have turned into somewhat of a "cheapskate", mainly because I am on a fixed income now....But remember...

1. You can't take it with you...
2. Never regret spending money on the things that make you happy...