The Car You Kicked Yourself for Not Buying Before Prices Soared

Scoring a bargain on a cool car these days feels nearly impossible, unless you're willing to gamble on a decade-old European luxury model. The internet has changed the game, enthusiasts gather online, hype up their favorite rides, and send values climbing. That's the frustration behind Jalopnik's latest question of the day: what car do you wish you'd bought while it was still affordable?

The site's writer shares a personal regret: a Buick Roadmaster estate wagon. They've wanted one since high school, even trying to buy a neighbor's 1991 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser back then. But college and the high cost of living in Southern California got in the way. By the time they had room in their life for an 18-foot faux-wood-sided wagon, the enthusiast community had caught on.

Clean Roadmaster wagons, especially the LT1-powered versions, now sell for five-figure prices, too steep for a writer's salary in LA.

The piece invites readers to share their own missed opportunities in the comments, whether they were too young to afford a classic sports car during its price lull or watched a viral video spike the cost of a cult favorite just as they were saving up. The core question remains: what car do you wish you had locked in before it got expensive?