Knight Frank explores shifting dynamics across luxury assets, focusing on how classic cars are losing momentum while art and wine take the lead. A sharp reversal shows cars declining even as top-tier collectibles still command premiums, raising questions about whether speculative capital or true collectors drive long-term returns.
Classic Car Special: Luxury Investment Index Q1 2018
Knight Frank
Andrew Shirley
Research
6 Pages
Key Takeaways
Art Market Leadership: Art prices rose 21% year-over-year, overtaking wine and fueled by blockbuster sales like a $450m Da Vinci, signaling renewed momentum across both blue-chip and contemporary segments.
Classic Cars Cooling: The HAGI Top Index fell 1% over 12 months, marking the first decline since inception as speculative investors exited after prior double-digit annual gains.
Diverging Wine Performance: Fine wine gained 9% overall, but Burgundy surged 20–70% while Bordeaux lagged, highlighting increasing dispersion within collectible asset categories.
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