The numbers are in. Rare automobile collecting, once considered a pastime for only the eccentric rich, is now a legitimate wealth creation strategy. It's difficult to pinpoint the exact moment that an industry matures, but the regular publication of the Historic Automobile Group International (HAGI) index in London's Financial Times is a strong indication that the rare automobile industry is now well beyond that point. index measures the performance of rare cars as an alternative asset class and uses the type of rigorous financial methodology usually associated with more traditional investments. The breadth of HAGI's research enables it to publish market indices on rare Porsche, Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz cars and it now tracks the entire rare car market globally. HAGI is an independent investment research house which began when a group of car enthusiasts from the financial sector decided the rare car market needed some statistical rigor, and it set out to create benchmark