So, let’s get this straight. A 21-year-old Geo Metro, not exactly the height of compact motoring, just sold for over $18,000? With the price of new and used cars through the roof, this shows that the world has gone absolutely mad. How else can you rationalize a marginal subcompact selling for that price?

How in the world can a 2000 Geo Metro sell for over $18,000?

There are some mitigating factors that make it a bit more reasonable. But only just barely. This Metro has only has about 400 miles on its ticker. It is essentially a new Geo Metro. But that raises still more questions. 

Knowing how Metros have fared over the years, mainly from their iffy quality and poor performance, why would anybody want one? Sure, it is probably the most perfect one in the world. But still, it is a crappy Metro.

Is this Geo Metro going to be a daily or a collector car?

So what is the new owner looking to get with his Metro purchase from Bring a Trailer? Is this a daily or going into someone’s weird collection? Sure, what might be considered a throw-away car might be rare in 2021. But anybody building a collection around well-preserved crap cars might not see a lot of appreciation; both monetarily and from enthusiasts. 

Is there a certain charm to the crap can? May I be so humble as to say no? So that right there tamps down its collectibility. 

Aren’t there much more desirable cars for $18,000 than a Geo Metro?

So maybe this is just a daily driver? But for 18-big there are a gang of great buys, even in this seller’s market. We just saw a 6-series BMW coupe for sale for $7,000. It had 130,000 miles on the ticker, but the paint and interior looked great. And the mechanicals can’t be that bad. 

Plus, we’d much rather look at a classic BMW coupe than a Geo Metro. Though we may be in the minority. It’s hard to tell in this frenzied atmosphere of 2021. 

Should we all get ahead of the rush and seek out low-mileage Geo Metros before they take off? Do we need to reconsider our perceptions of marginal vehicles from the past? After all, some of the microcars of the 1950s are highly collectible. And they’re much more compromised than a Geo Metro. At least a Metro can be driven on public streets.  

An old 912 Porsche at twice the price seems a better buy

In the end, we would rather spend twice the price on an old 912 Porsche than what this Metro cost. They’re desirable, great-looking, and easy on gas and mechanical prowess. 

Or what about an older 2002 BMW or 3-series? Again, great-looking and fairly easy to repair and enjoy. We love the collector car community, in all of its forms. Whatever floats your boat is good with us. But over $18,000 for a 2000 marginal sub-compact from the early 2000s? It’s hard to figure that out.