David Mercer
Expertise
Market Values Auctions Investment Trends Valuations Collector Car Data
📍 Scottsdale, Arizona

David Mercer

Classic car market analyst with two decades of experience tracking collector car valuations, auction results, and investment trends.

David Mercer has spent the better part of twenty years following the collector car market closely — attending the major auction events in Scottsdale, Kissimmee, Monterey, and Indianapolis, tracking hammer prices, and building a detailed picture of how values move across different segments of the hobby. He approaches the market the way a financial analyst approaches any asset class: with data, historical context, and a healthy skepticism toward short-term hype.

His focus is on what the numbers actually mean for private buyers and sellers, not just for the headline cars that dominate auction coverage. He writes about valuation trends, the gap between auction results and private-sale reality, and the segments of the classic car market that are quietly appreciating while everyone is watching something else. Based in Scottsdale, he is well-positioned to follow the January auction week that effectively sets the tone for the collector car market each year.

Magazine Articles by David Mercer

1930s Duesenberg Model J coachbuilt classic displayed on a concours auction lawn
History & Heritage

Luxury Car Nameplates That Vanished Entirely

David Mercer · · 6 min
1941 Packard 180 formal sedan parked under a grand hotel porte-cochere
Market & Values

Why Some Luxury Classics Are Undervalued Compared to Muscle Cars

David Mercer · · 5 min
1958 Ford Thunderbird Square Bird hardtop coupe outside a mid-century modern home
Car Features

How the Square Bird Invented the Personal Luxury Car

David Mercer · · 6 min
1969 Chevrolet Corvette C3 in Fathom Green at a classic car show, gleaming in concours condition under show lights
History & Heritage

C3 Corvette Rising Collectible

David Mercer · · 10 min
1953 Packard Caribbean under restoration in a specialist workshop with shelves of vintage trim and chrome parts
Market & Values

Sourcing Rare Parts for Orphaned Luxury Marques: Packard and Imperial

David Mercer · · 7 min
Depression-era dealership — unsold sedans on the floor
Car Features

How Automakers Survived the Great Depression

David Mercer · · 6 min
1972 Cadillac Eldorado coupe displayed on a manicured concours show field at a classic car auction
Ownership & Lifestyle

Driver-Quality vs Concours-Quality Classic Luxury

David Mercer · · 6 min
Classic 1960s Cadillac under a breathable cover in a climate-controlled preservation garage
Market & Values

Storage and Preservation of a Luxury Classic

David Mercer · · 6 min
1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 spotlighted on a collector-car auction stage
Market & Values

The Rarest American Muscle Cars Ever Built

David Mercer · · 6 min
A rare special-edition classic American pickup in bold two-tone paint and gleaming chrome on a rotating display under spotlights at a premier collector-car auction
Car Features

The Rarest Classic American Trucks Ever Made

David Mercer · · 7 min
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow raised on a lift as a marque specialist inspects the underside
Ownership & Lifestyle

Marque Specialists vs General Classic Mechanics

David Mercer · · 6 min
Restored 1957 Ford Thunderbird two-seat convertible at a concours car show, three-quarter front view
Car Features

Collecting the Two-Seat Thunderbird Today

David Mercer · · 7 min
1942 factory floor converted to wartime aircraft and tank production
Car Features

How Factories Switched From Cars to War

David Mercer · · 6 min
1973 Cadillac Fleetwood full-size luxury sedan on an estate driveway, the last of the big pre-downsizing American land yachts
History & Heritage

The 1973 Oil Crisis and the Downsizing of American Luxury

David Mercer · · 5 min
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille cruising a wide open American interstate highway
Car Features

Why Detroit Chased Size: The 1960s-70s Obsession with Bigger Cars

David Mercer · · 6 min
1953 Chevrolet Bel Air classic coupe, three-quarter front view
Car Features

Collecting the Early Bel Air

David Mercer · · 7 min
A dusty as-discovered barn-find classic car staged under spotlights in an auction preview tent, with bidders studying it
History & Heritage

Barn Finds at Auction

David Mercer · · 7 min
Pre-war coachbuilt car in auction showroom gallery
Car Features

The Factors That Determine True Vintage Car Value

David Mercer · · 6 min
1933 Cadillac V16 coachbuilt convertible on a concours judging lawn
History & Heritage

Cadillac or Lincoln: Which Marque Do Collectors Value Higher Today

David Mercer · · 6 min
Pre-war coachbuilt car chassis plate with provenance documents and period photos
Market & Values

Documentation and Build-Sheet Culture in Luxury Classics

David Mercer · · 6 min
1970 Chevelle SS454 LS6 convertible — auction stage bidding
Market & Values

The Most Expensive Chevelle Ever Sold at Auction

David Mercer · · 7 min
Dark green 1970 Oldsmobile 442 hardtop parked outside a period brick auto dealership
History & Heritage

How the Muscle Car Reshaped the American Auto Industry

David Mercer · · 6 min
Does a Restomod Hurt a Classic Camaro's Value?
Restoration & Tech

Does a Restomod Hurt a Classic Camaro's Value?

David Mercer · · 6 min
What a Camaro restomod costs to build
Restoration & Tech

What a Camaro restomod costs to build

David Mercer · · 8 min

Comparisons by David Mercer

Q&A by David Mercer