1964 Oldsmobile F-85 wagon

Looks pretty good. Asking price is pretty steep, though, at $12,500. You don't see the non-Vista Cruiser wagons that often, especially the F-85's as this is not a Cutlass. There was no flat-top wagon in the Cutlass line for 1964. If you wanted an up-scale A-body wagon that year, you bought a Vista Cruiser.

We can't tell if it's an F-85 or F-85 Deluxe, but, either way, it was the lowest-end Oldsmobile wagon offered that year.

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/cars-sale-10/1964-oldsmobile-f85-wagon-141737/

 

I'm leaning toward this one being a F-85 Deluxe. I don't think the base F-85 would have that chrome molding running just above the door handles. Just looked at a brochure on-line, and it showed a base coupe without that molding.

 

I think you're right. Another indication is the little badge just below the "F-85" badge on the front fender. Those appear only on F-85 Deluxes in the Olds brochures. I haven't been able to find out exactly what you got in a "Deluxe" that you didn't get in the base model, in addition to more chrome. The difference in base price with a V-8 was about $100 ($2760 versus $2868).





Here's a page out of the '64 Olds Prestige Brochure. It's kind of hard to see, but it's there on the F-85 Deluxe wagon but not on the F-85 Club Coupe.

Easier to see here.

 

Paradoxically, that makes the non-Vistas more valuable, simply because they're even more rare

 

Don't fall into this trap. Rarity alone doesn't make a vehicle valuable. I would say that a comparable-condition Vista Cruiser will be more valuable than a same-year F-85 wagon most every time.

There are THREE pillars to vehicle value: rarity, condition, and desirability, with the last one often overlooked in favor of the first two while it's actually the most important. People have to WANT the vehicle. People will often say that a vehicle's being rare makes it valuable, and that's not necessarily true. F-85 wagons are rare today because they're weren't as desirable back in 1964, and Vista Cruisers sold at twice the rate of the F-85s.

Raw production numbers for the '64 wagons are not a useful comparison because the Vista Cruiser was a mid-year introduction, so it was available for only about half of the 1964 model year.

But here are the numbers:

1964 F-85 wagons (base and Deluxe): 14,540
1964 Vista Cruiser (all versions): 14,000

So sales of the Vista Cruiser about equaled those of the F-85 but in half the time.


A more useful comparison is to look at the 1965 model year, when both F-85 wagons and Vista Cruisers were available for the full model year:

1965 F-85 wagons (base and Deluxe): 14,234
1965 Vista Cruiser (all versions): 31,985


The 1965 numbers actually compare well to the '64 numbers in that, in both years, Vista Cruisers sold at about twice the rate of the F-85s.

 

Agree 100% with jaunty75 on desirability being key. If rarity were the determinant our wagons would be more valuable than the first gen Mustangs. I believe what throws people off is the high market value given to things in good condition that are both desirable and rare.

 

Keep in mind, too, that asking price does not equal selling price. He's asking a large amount of money for this car. It doesn't mean he'll get it. If he does sell it, we likely won't know what he sold it for.

As just one reference, and I know people poo-poo price guides all the time, but nonetheless, the Old Cars Price Guide lists the value of a '64 F-85 wagon in #3 condition, which is considered "car show" condition and is better than the wagon here, at just over $5000, which I think is reasonable. This seller is asking for more than double that. Good luck to him.

The same price guide shows the value of a '64 Vista Cruiser in the same condition at about $6500, or about 30% higher.

 

Exactly. And all the four-door sedans out there would be more valuable than the same-year 2-door coupes and convertibles since so few four-doors survive relative to the others. But they're not more valuable because they're not as desirable no matter how good their condition. Ditto for station wagons, as you point out.

 

Back then, Vistas were more valuable for different reasons which were obvious ones. Those who invest for reasons of speculation aren't concerned about their usefulness for transporting a family of vintage headcount or if the vehicle is fully loaded with everything possible or not. If a museum was to choose between 100 Vistas against the last remaining mint F-85, they won't be deciding with the same criteria that the first owner was using to evaluate his decision for buying it or the one buying the Vista had for turning down the F-85.
The uselessness of a Porsche or Ferrari has never reflected on its price.
Of course, that particular wagon wouldn't be worth the asking price for you and I. I, if anybody, could vouch for that, because my dad bought an F-85 new. Us kids had to take long trips in it, suffering the discomfort of that base uncomfortable rear seat. A Cutlass Supreme would have been nice. But, my dad was more of a minimalist.
Rather, the seller's still more likely to get a lucrative price from somebody looking for one of those rare ones as an investment. In that case, it would be in his own interest in replacing those Goobery wheels with originals.
All of your points make sense. Nevertheless, we have seen vehicles change hands here for rediculous prices. I think, that's exactly his strategy

 

Took my driving test in a white F85 wagon. just like this one back in 73. The base model with no molding though. My dad bought it new in 64 and I drove it into the mid 70's.