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Any collector in the world will agree that provenance or history increases or decreases the value of the collectible, but apparently, only half is true with collectible cars. If you know the market value of a 3^rd generation 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, the price increases dramatically when it is identified as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, or KITT, for short, in the TV series Knight Rider. However, if you did not acquire the original KITT, the market value is maintained, with no appreciable decrease because the car has no provenance.

That the price increases when the provenance includes a famous celebrity or incident is understandable, but not knowing who the previous owners were or where the car came from should matter. All cars have a story behind them, and if only for the potential increase in price, like if you managed to faithfully restore the first generation 1967 Camaro Coupe that the 1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine wrecked in the movie, that should count for something. But if you restored another 1967 Camaro Coupe from nowhere, eyebrows should be raised and prices lowered.

Unlike other collectibles, cars have a rock bottom value if restored in mint condition, regardless of its pedigree. Still, if enough interest and desirability is transferred from an original 3^rd generation 1982 Pontiac Trans Am called KITT to other Trans Ams of the same make and model, prices still increase regardless of blind spots in the car’s provenance and history of ownership.