Robert Redford: Unrecognized Automotive Trendsetter?

The actor Robert Redford passed away earlier this week at the age of 89. Although he wasn’t known for being as much of a car enthusiast as some of his contemporaries, such as Paul Newman or Steve McQueen, he certainly got behind the wheel, or handlebars, or yoke, of some exciting machinery on the screen. Many of those vehicles have subsequently become significantly more valuable. Was he an unrecognized trendsetter in the collectible vehicle market?

Looking at the vehicles his characters drove, rode, and piloted, and comparing values at the time of filming to values now could help establish his trendsetter status. Using past auction results, list prices, and current Hagerty Price Guide condition-appropriate values will show us how values have changed over time. Going in order of Redford’s movie debuts:

1969 Porsche 911T Coupe Sportomatic in Downhill Racer (1969)

Value then: $6000. Value now: $53,550. Value multiple: 8.9x, or 4.0% annualized return

A 1969 Porsche 911 in Bahama Yellow with a ski rack is certainly a collectible car today. However, the Sportomatic transmission diminishes the appeal somewhat—typically, they’re worth 15% less than a standard manual transmission for a 911 of this era.

1968 Yamaha DT1 Enduro 250 in Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970)

Value then: $700. Value now: $3700. Value multiple: 5.3x, or 3.1% annualized return

The Yamaha DT1 Enduro was a groundbreaking motorcycle in the U.S. as a dual-sport two-stroke single, all of which made it popular when new. Its subsequent appreciation has lagged some of the other vehicles on this list, however. Perhaps it is still a buying opportunity?

1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Springfield Brewster “Ascot” Tourer S304KP in The Great Gatsby (1974)

Value then: $20,000. Value now (this car): $900,000. Value multiple: 45x, or 7.7% annualized return

Of course, the Gatsby Rolls-Royce is unique, old sport. However, the collector market for Rolls-Royce Phantom Is in this era did exist, and that is where the “value then” amount is from. This car’s screen time, subsequent restoration, and sale in 2022 by Worldwide Auctioneers are responsible for the 45x gain here. The market for prewar open cars has cooled a bit since 2022, and the $967,500 reported sale price has been adjusted accordingly.

1970 Ford Bronco Wagon in Three Days of the Condor (1975)

Value then: $3000. Value now: $55,600. Value multiple: 18.5x, or 6.0% annualized return

This Bronco was well used by the time it appeared in the movie (what do you expect for a vehicle kept in NYC and used for trips to Vermont?), and it’s likely “value then” figure reflects it. That said, Broncos have become a lot more valuable since, and the 18.5x appreciation is appropriate.

1929 De Havilland DH60GM Gipsy Moth in Out of Africa (1985)

Value then: $7600. Value now (this airplane): $527,500. Value multiple: 69.4x, or 11.2% annualized return

The market for De Havilland Gipsy Moths is small (steering away from bad jokes, here). However, using prior auction results and a suitable time series suggests a value of $7600 in 1985. This airplane was sold as a charity lot in 2024 by RM Sotheby’s for a 69.4x multiple, which elevates it above the other vehicles here.

1955 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible in Havana (1990)

Value then: $14,500. Value now: $63,100. Value multiple: 4.4x, or 4.3% annualized return

When Havana came out, the market for collector cars was red hot, which pulled down the subsequent appreciation of the ’55 Eldorado to only 4.4x.

1967 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Convertible in Sneakers (1992)

Value then: $4300. Value now: $30,200. Value multiple: 7.0x, or 6.1% annualized return

A Karmann Ghia convertible might seem like an unlikely choice for a character played by Robert Redford, but one was also driven by Brad Pitt’s character in the 2019 movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The appeal of these cars can sneak up on you, and here it was good for a 7x gain.

1968 Porsche 912 Coupe in The Spy Game (2001)

Value then: $6000. Value now: $44,000. Value multiple: 7.3x, or 8.7% annualized return

Although the 912 is not known for being able to cover long distances fast (such as London to CIA Headquarters in Virginia in just minutes—based on the scenery in the driving sequence), the four-cylinder cousin to the 911 has appreciated a lot since 2001. The 7.3x multiple and annualized return of 8.7% is the second fastest here.

Overall, the average annualized return of the vehicles Redford used in the above films is 6.4%, which lags the Dow Jones Industrial Average return of 7.2% since 1969. Perhaps he wasn’t a collectible vehicle trendsetter after all—or maybe he just kept the best cars to himself, like this 1964 Porsche 904 GTS he once owned. What is your favorite Robert Redford movie vehicle?

Special thanks to the Internet Movie Cars Database