Buses & Taxi Cabs

The hardest-working members of the vehicle world, buses and taxi cabs ferry around passengers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the globe. When it comes to buses, their less-than-glamorous jobs and often-spartan design leave them relegated to a very small end of the specialty market. Taxis usually rack us so much mileage that a life after they are retired is highly improbable.

Some taxi cabs see an early retirement with low miles, allowing them a second chance on the resale market and in the auction marketplace. Others, which had a brush with fame or infamy, become sought-after collectibles in their own right.

Minibuses from the counterculture era have seen a resurgence in popularity among nostalgic buyers. Later model versions of these big, roomy utilitarian vehicles have become showier and been outfitted with a range of comforts, making these rolling behemoths a hit with everyone from sports teams to touring musicians.

Quick Facts

• In 2015, a 1961 AMC Metropolitan 1500 Taxi sold at a RM Sotheby's auction for $16,500
• A rare, pristine 1950 General Motors Futurliner bus, one of 12 built, sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction for $4 million
• In 2014, a 1955 Volkswagen Samba Deluxe microbus sold at a German auction for $235,000