Cars that Get Dad's Motor Running

NADAguides.com Survey Reveals Performance is Number One Characteristic of a Father's "Dream Ride"

COSTA MESA, Calif., June 10 -- What revs Dad's engine? A great performing vehicle, according to the Dad's Dream Rides Survey from NADAguides.com. Today, the results of that survey were published, with a majority of fathers at 39 percent selecting "performance" as the number one characteristic in choosing a dream ride. Performance was also the obvious driving force behind the winning vehicles in the survey - the 2008 Aston Martin DBS and the 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06 which tied for first place in the new car category and the 1967 Shelby/American Cobra 427 which took top billing in the classic car category.

The company, a vehicle pricing and information website, surveyed fathers from May 1 to June 6, 2008. Dads were asked to pick their ultimate dream rides for both new cars and classic cars, as well as their top characteristics of a dream ride.

  The following are the top five winners in each category:

  Dad's Dream Rides, New Cars
  1. (Tie) 2008 Aston Martin DBS
     (Tie) 2008 Chevy Corvette Z06
  2. 2008 BMW 6 Series Convertible
  3. 2008 Porsche 911 GT3
  4. 2008 Nissan GT-R

  Dad's Dream Rides, Classic Cars
  1. 1967 Shelby/American Cobra 427
  2. 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda
  3. 1957 Chevy Corvette Convertible
  4. 1955 Ford Thunderbird
  5. 1932 Ford Hiboy Roadster Street Rod

Many fathers indicated they chose the Aston Martin as their top choice because of the link between the brand and the classic James Bond 007 movies. On the classic car side, the reasons for choosing a particular vehicle were frequently personal. "Just after college, I bought a used Triumph Spitfire and took a couple months off for a road trip where I followed the East coast down from Maine to Florida," said Mike Verla, a Los Angeles area father who chose the Shelby Cobra as his classic car pick. "At the time, I felt the Shelby was the ultimate expression of the roadster frame of mind. I still do."

Of the dads who participated in the survey, the majority at 39 percent said "performance" was the most important characteristic in choosing their dream rides, followed by "styling" at 17 percent and "brings back memories" at 11 percent. "Gets attention" and "luxury" rounded out the top five most important dream ride characteristics at eight and seven percent respectively.

Fathers responding to the survey proved they had expensive taste. The 2008 Aston Martin DBS has an MSRP of $262,000, while the suggested retail price for the 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is a slightly more affordable $71,275. The 1967 Shelby/American Cobra 427 was the most expensive vehicle on the classic list, with an average retail value of $655,500, according to NADAguides.com classic car data.

There are, however, somewhat more affordable options of the winning vehicles. "For about half the price, you can get a nearly-new 2006 Aston Martin DB9 with an average price of $130,600 for a V-12 engine and a six-speed manual transmission," said Tara Baukus Mello, senior writer and lead market analyst at NADAguides.com. "This vehicle is also holding its value nicely, as its retail price when new was $161,100," she added.

As for the Chevy Corvette Z06, current buyers can expect to pay about $22,500 for a 2001 model to up to about $64,975 for a 2007 model on average.

When it comes to the Shelby/American Cobra, you'll have a hard time finding a bargain. Prices range from $425,500 for a 1963 Shelby/American Cobra 289 to up to $3.8 million for a 1964 or 1965 Daytona Coupe. "You can find some incredible Cobras for less than $655,500, but this is a highly desirable car. You have to be willing to make a major investment no matter what model you buy," said Baukus Mello.