The car collecting game can be fickle for anyone playing for big profit, but some cars are simply destined to become collector items down the road. The American car industry has seen some of the most drastic improvements in decades matching the rest of the word stride for stride and taking the lead when it comes to affordable power packed into solid cars. Some say there's not been a new classic in years, but we say that's nonsense.

Rarity often comes into play when you talk about collectibles, but it's not always the case. Sometimes a brand just smacks it out of the park with a timeless design, level of performance, or does something so crazy it becomes a cultural and historic landmark. On rare occasions, all come together in a single package on four wheels.

Pontiac G8 GXP (2009 only)

Built in Australia by Holden and shipped to the US to be sold as a Pontiac, the G8 GXP was a muscle car with four doors. However, the lineage is not dead as the Zeta platform it was built on lived on through the Chevrolet SS and led to the development and rebirth of the Camaro in 2010. The G8 was the most powerful production car Pontiac ever built, and that mixed with its genealogy should ensure its place as a significant collectible.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 (2012-)

Given the Mustang's form over the decades, with enough time almost any Stang variant will one day become a collectible. However, attach the name Shelby and just watch interest heighten. If that's not enough, the current Shelby GT350's naturally aspirated flat-plane-crank V8 developing over 500 horsepower and the amount of mechanical grip it generates to shred a road or track will always hold peoples attention.

Cadillac CTS-V Wagon (2011-2015)

The Cadillac CTS-V is capable of embarrassing its German counterparts as a luxury sports sedan, but the wagon is a rare beast with the same 556 horsepower supercharged V8 and pin-sharp driving dynamics of its sedan brother. Our word to the wise is to remember wagons were in before, then minivans came along, and now it's all about SUVs. We suspect that as the wheel keeps spinning, wagons will be desirable again and supercharged V8s will be few and far between.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor (2010-)

Ford's Raptor is a modern marvel destined to age well. The biggest card it holds is that there's just nothing in production like it, arguably making it one of the most important trucks of the century so far. Sure, there are some great off-road trucks available for traversing tricky ground, but the F-150 SVT Raptor will leave them in a cloud of dirt as it's built to fly cross-country at the highest velocity possible. For guaranteed long term big money collectibility, or for just thrashing around off-road with a manic grin, there's also the Shelby Baja 700 version.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (2018)

You can argue the Trackhawk is the most pointless of Jeep Grand Cherokees to date if you actually consider it for the track. But, as a crazy fast family hauler it becomes undeniable that a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 707-hp supercharged Hellcat V8 engine under the hood is about as fun as family fun can get. The Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk is unforgettable, and we suspect that fact will ensure people will always be willing to pay good money for a decent one.

C6 Corvette 427 Convertible (2013)

This is one sneaking under the radar at the moment, but when the C6 generation Z06 was being built the engineers understood that the aluminum chassis rails weren't stiff enough to use. So, rather than build a convertible Z06, Chevy dropped the Z06 engine in a normal C6 convertible chassis and then gave it some other goodies including the Z06's brakes and carbon-fiber hood, creating a drop-top with amazing performance capabilities. Just the sort of thing commentators on big TV car auctions love to talk about.

Dodge Viper (2012-2017)

Laid to rest in 2017, the last generation of the Viper was as unrefined but even more ballistically impressive as any that came before. The likelihood of another all American production built normally aspirated V10 traditional rear-wheel drive sports car decreases every year. We predict both fourth and fifth generation Vipers will only get more collectible, and the special editions will, of course, be more valuable but most valuable of all will be the track-bred ACR versions.

Pontiac Solstice Coupe (2009-2010)

The Coupe version of the Pontiac Solstice arrived in 2009, just in time to see Pontiac retired as a brand by GM in order to avoid bankruptcy. The Solstice Coupe was instantly loved when it landed in 2009, but it came with a 177-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and wasn't the most comfortable car to drive. However, the GXP version did get a slightly smaller engine that actually made more power. Both models are rare, so you probably couldn't go wrong, but the GPX is almost guaranteed to entice future collectors.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (2019)

The current ZR1 is a very angry machine on the road and deserving of being crowned the greatest Corvette yet. It's also possible that, in its current front-engined and non-electric motor assisted form, it could be last of its kind. With the 6.2-liter V8 powering the rear wheels with relentless and never-ending torque, it's eye bulging braking ability, and the kind of grip you normally only see on race cars, the ZR1 is a driving enthusiasts unicorn that will never grow old. We think that if you have the money then the manual transmission is the way to go. And make sure you get the optional rear wing.

Dodge Challenger SRT Demon (2018-)

The Hellcat will surely go the distance as well, but the Dodge Demon will be the golden boy of future auction blocks. As true of a road legal drag racer it's possible to produce, the Demon's 705 lb-ft of torque and 840 horsepower will never get old. It's so hardcore you have to option a passenger seat. The bottom line though is that it's a production car capable of a 10-second quarter mile and has that aggressive timeless look that will ensure it will always be desirable.

H1 & H2 Hummer (1992-2009)

When it comes to overpowering excess, the Hummer nailed it. The civilian version of the military off-road vehicle was not subtle and will be long remembered by both the people that despised it as much as those that loved it. Both iconic versions of the Humvee ceased production in 2006, and any of the five engine types and three automatic transmission types should age well on the collectors market, although we have a feeling the 5.7-liter gasoline V8 with the 4-speed will be most sought after.

Camaro Z/28 (2014)

The Camaro ZL1 has more horses and will likely be a collector's piece in its own right, but our money is on the hardcore Camaro Z/28 being the bigger draw in the long run. Like the original Z/28 homologation car, the current version is laser-point track focused. The aero package helps glue the tires to the asphalt, there's less weight and the Z/28 uses the older Z06's naturally aspirated LS7 to keep things old-school but powerful. It's more expensive and rarer than the ZR1 and that should ensure its place on future televised auction blocks.

Pontiac GTO (2004–2006)

After reading a review of the Holden Monaro in Road and Track that praised the car as one of the best GM cars you can't buy in America GM president Bob Lutz persuaded execs to import a Holden Commodore-based vehicle. Ultimately, the rebadged Monaro arrived in 2004 and left in 2006, taking with it the monstrous LS1 and LS2 V8 muscle wrapped it in a slick coupe body. It didn't sell for long, but we don't think the people in the know will forget just how good the modern-era GTO was.