In today's age, classic cars are increasingly being treated as investment pieces and not just weekend getaway cruisers. One company has made a business out of the idea and aims to democratize classic car investments, and next up on the docket is a 1993 Jaguar XJ220.
Rally Rd. is a smartphone app and website that lets users invest and buy shares in classic cars and watch them appreciate in value. For anyone familiar with the Robinhood stock trading app, it's very similar. Rally Rd. securitizes classic cars through SEC-regulated offerings, marks a price, and then offers "shares" of the car at a set price. Once a car is fully funded, it's closed. After a period of time, a trading period opens for users to buy or sell their shares.
The XJ220 is next on Rally Rd.'s docket and will be offered from August 23 through August 25 to coincide with Mecum's Monterey Car Week auction. The company will sell shares at the event, but anyone can create an account to purchase stock at an initial offering of $99 per share. The XJ220 is valued at $495,000, per the Rally Rd. application.
Logging into the application shows a plethora of information about the specific car offered and about the XJ220 in general. Investors can see production numbers, VIN details, where the particular XJ220 is stored, trace the car's mileage, and obtain a full spec sheet. It's incredibly detailed and professionally put together.
The company has only opened one trading period since its launch, but shareowners have already seen returns. On August 9, trading opened for a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 with shares going for $59.20 apiece, a return of 3 percent from when the car was first offered at $57.50 initially.
Of course, there's always a chance a car may depreciate in value, and much like the stock market, risk and reward are always present.