A Miata, a Mustang, maybe a Ferrari if you’re lucky. Those are the classic midlife crisis cars that immediately come to mind. But Jack White has always been cooler than the status quo, so it makes sense that for his 50th birthday he got a 1991 Suzuki Samurai.
A couple days after the former White Stripes frontman celebrated the big 5-0 on July 9, he posted a few photos of his retro mini-SUV on Instagram. White explained that his manager Ian Montone and current drummer Patrick Keeler gifted it to him after he had been trying to find one for six years. (He also posted a selfie video driving the Samurai while listening to Jay-Z’s “99 Problems,” taken with his other 50th birthday present: his first smartphone.)
This isn’t the first time White has professed his love for oddball autos. As the Autopian noted, he previously bought a Sebring-Vanguard CitiCar, a pipsqueak EV from the 1970s, in hopes of using it as a delivery vehicle for his label Third Man Records. It didn’t work out, but some lucky fan scored it afterwards for $2,500.
If you’re inspired to copy White’s vehicular proclivities, you’ll have better luck with the Samurai than the CitiCar, as only roughly 4,500 models of the latter EV and its variants were ever made. As for Suzuki’s lil’ 4×4, it was first introduced in the U.S. in 1985 for the 1986 model year and rebadged as the Samurai in place of the original name, the Suzuki Jimny. It was a huge hit for the Japanese automaker. As MotorTrend recounts, “It took just more than a year and half for sales to hit the 100,000 mark, and by mid-1988 Americans were buying 8,000 Samurais per month.”
The 1991 model that White procured had a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine with throttle body fuel injection that produced 66 horsepower (up from 63 hp in previous models!), as well as a part-time four-wheel drive system. In our list of the 50 most underappreciated cars of all time, in which the Samurai was featured, we noted that the proto-SUV was “underpowered but heaps of fun no matter where your adventures might take you.”
The 50 Most Underappreciated Cars of All Time
A panel of automotive writers rank six decades of vehicles that the collector market has criminally overlookedJohn Wiley, the director of valuation analytics at Hagerty, which offers insurance for enthusiast cars, calls the Samurai “a small, charming and off-road capable collectible that’s seen respectable appreciation over the years — especially during the pandemic-fueled buying frenzy between 2020 and 2022.”
According to Hagerty’s data, values for the 1991 model year are up 48% since 2018, when averaging across its four condition ratings (Hagerty classifies vehicles in a 1-4 rating system with “concours” condition as the top tier followed by “excellent,” “good” and “fair”). White’s particular model looks to be in pretty great shape compared to your average derelict Samurai, with what appear to be new Maxxis Bighorn mud tires and a fresh paint job. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a few other upgrades elsewhere too, maybe in the stereo system?
The Samurai eventually left the U.S. market after the 1995 model year, but the Jimny continues on to this day outside the country. Still, with around 200,000 models sold here during its Stateside life, there are plenty of opportunities for you to nab one at a reasonable price.
“The vehicle remains an accessible entry point with good condition examples under $8K and excellent examples under $15K,” according to Wiley. Now might be an especially opportune time. While he notes that the vintage truck and SUV market is still hovering around all-time high values, the 1991 Samurai is actually down from its peak valuation; condition 3 models peaked last year at $8,900 on average, but have now dipped to about $7,033.
If you’re looking for specific examples, the online marketplace Bring a Trailer has sold at least 68 models over the years, ranging in price from $5,700 to an eye-popping $29,500. Earlier this year, a 1988 Samurai went for $5,950 on Cars & Bids. And if you’re already sold on the idea of copying White, an eBay seller has a 1987 model listed for $10,000 or best offer with a deadline of Friday.
Or you could stick with the midlife crisis playbook and get that Miata.
Meet your guide
More Like This
This article appeared in an InsideHook newsletter. Sign up for free to get more on travel, wellness, style, drinking, and culture.
