Editor’s Note: This column first appeared in Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, January 2026
Hagerty Media’s annual Bull Market issue, which dropped recently with our 2026 picks, is always my favorite. Like many of you, I receive my copy right after the new year begins. By then, up in the Northern Michigan woods where I live, the novelty of snow and blow has worn off, and the next driving season seems like an eternity away.
We see the Bull Market List as an antidote of sorts to the offseason, helping you discover cars, trucks, and SUVs that are a blast to own and drive and have the potential to hold or even gain value over time.
Car love is about passion, so why do we emphasize a car’s financial potential? Because someday, if you decide to sell or pass a car along, we want you to feel good about your choice, not regret it. Of course, the future is never guaranteed—markets and life have a way of surprising us. Still, our picks are shaped by the clearest signals we can find: data from the millions of vehicles Hagerty protects, trends we see in quotes and ownership over the past year, and even the viewership/readership patterns that we observe across our YouTube channel and Hagerty Media website.
This year’s list has some real dream-worthy bargains, like the 2006–13 Corvette Z06. Larry Webster, who heads up our media team, describes its powertrain as “one of the most ferocious non-turbo V-8s anyone’s ever built.” Larry should know, since he reviewed the Z06 in his previous life as a technical editor at Car and Driver. And as Larry remindsus, “clean Z06s start at only about 40 grand!”
There’s also a second-generation (1999–2005) Mazda Miata, chosen for this year’s list by Hagerty Drivers Club members who responded to an emailed poll last summer. “There’s a reason for the saying, ‘The answer is always Miata’ when it comes to classic car fun,” Larry says. “And that’s because they’reone of the greats. For about 10 grand, youcan get an incredible sports car. There’s not a better smile-per-dollar car.” (Again, Larry knows what he’s talking about—he owns three Miatas.)
We shot this year’s photos at Atlanta Motorsports Park—just a stone’s throw from the hometown of NASCAR legend Bill “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” Elliott. Everyone who was there fell in love with a 1969 Dodge Charger, nicknamed the Sherri Bomb. Its owner, Sherri (of course) Erwin, has had the car for 50 years, driving it daily for 35. She has kept it refreshed with five different coats of paint, but what shines most is the pride and joy she takes in it.
That same pride lights up every owner who joins us at our photo shoots. Without exception, they can’t wait to share where they found their car, what they’ve done to it, and why it matters so much to them. I’ve always said: Everyone has a car story. It might be about a car they’ve owned or a car they’ve dreamed of or an adventure they’ve been on. Some stories make you laugh, some tug at your heart, and some are woven with family memories—but every single one is genuinely fascinating. These stories are the best part of the hobby. Because while we love the cars, it’s the people attached to them that matter most.
Until next time, keep on driving.
P.S. Another great way to cure the wintertime car blues is to join us at our annual celebration of the world’s finest cars and the titans—and racing machines—of motorsports, The Amelia Concours (March 5–8) in lovely Amelia Island, Florida. This year’s Honoree is none other than Dario Franchitti, three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and winner of 31 IndyCar races, among many racing achievements. For more information, visit ameliaconcours.com.
