“Swift Swings” takes a quick look at an economic trend.

The number: Drivers in Southern California pay the fourth-highest price in the country for the oldest used cars.

The source: In my trusty spreadsheet, I analyzed an analysis of used car purchases from iSeeCars, tracking average prices and sales patterns for used cars ten years old or older in 50 major metropolitan areas—including five in California.

Top line

In Southern California, it cost $13,984 to buy the average 10-year-old car this year, up 53 percent since 2014 – the 33rd-largest increase among the 50 markets tracked.

Elsewhere in California …

No. 7 Fresno: $13,325 this year, up 41% since 2014 (No. 48).

No. 8 Bay Area: $13,283 after a 46% gain (No. 44).

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No. 10 San Diego: $13,098 after a 44% gain (No. 45).

No. 30 Sacramento: $12,085 after a 33% gain (No. 49).

Details

Classic cars make up an ever-increasing proportion of used cars as they represent the cheapest option for drivers.

And these vehicles are no longer junk, because the vehicles of this era are better made and last longer.

Since 2014, Sacramento has seen the second-largest increase in the share of 10-year-old vehicles in used car sales in the country, rising from 14% a decade ago to 26% in 2024. Incidentally, Sacramento also now has the second-largest market share of old cars among the 50.

Elsewhere in California …

Jump No. 13 in San Diego: 20% of used car sales this year (#22 share) compared to 12% in 2014.

No. 20 Bay Area: 19% this year (share no. 29) compared to 12% in 2014.

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No. 31 Southern California: 16% this year (share no. 41) compared to 11% in 2014.

No. 39 Fresno: 14% this year (share no. 48) compared to 10% in 2014.

Conclusion

Nationally, these older vehicles accounted for 23% of all used car sales this year, up from 17% in 2014.

Unfortunately, bargain-hunters’ enthusiasm is driving up prices. A typical car older than 10 years sold for $12,194 nationwide this year – a 61% increase in 10 years.

Think of the two extremes of this market.

In Miami, drivers paid $14,616 for 10-year-old cars (No. 2 price), after the price rose 95 percent since 2014—the largest increase in the country. So only 13 percent of the Miami market included these oldest cars, the lowest share among the 50 markets.

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In contrast, older cars in Norfolk, Virginia, sold for just $10,487 this year, up just 31%. Both are national lows.

Is it surprising that 29% of used cars sold in Norfolk were over 10 years old, double the number in 2014? Both are national highs.

Original sound

“Consumers seeking relief from high auto prices are turning to older cars,” said Karl Brauer, senior analyst at iSeeCars. “But even looking ahead a decade or more does not protect buyers from the massive used car price increases we have seen in recent years.”

Jonathan Lansner is a business columnist for the Southern California News Group. Reach him at [email protected].