Wow, what a price! Are old civics really bringing that kind of money? I checked it with Edmunds TMV (true market value) for my area. results below. I have always used this tool to price used cars. It was exact pricing for what I got the dealer down to on my last car.
Did a quick check in my area on craigslist... 91 civic in just as good of condition asking half of the ebay price.
Looks like no sale on this civic....7 offers
Pricing Details for a 1992 Honda Civic Hatchback
VX 2dr Car
Customized True Market Value® Prices
Trade-In Private Party Dealer Retail
National Base Price $300 $863 $1,800
Optional Equipment $27 $58 $122
Air Conditioning $22 $47 $99
AM/FM/Cassette Audio System $5 $11 $23
Color Adjustment - White $0 $0 $-1
Regional Adjustment - for Zip Code * $-10 $-30 $-62
Mileage Adjustment - 157,970 miles $1 $1 $1
Condition Adjustment - Outstanding $0 $0 $0
Total $318 $892 $1,860
I got $3,000 for a rust-free '95 in 2010. Mine had about 232K miles, but had a small tear on the seat, and aftermarket sunroof, and a crummy stereo. I've seen really nice low-mileage VX sell in the 4,000-4,500 range. A gassavers.org user sold a rebuilt one with <50,000 miles for $6,000 a few years ago.
Whats the hype with these in the states? Are they super rare? They used to be quite a common site here in the UK, but they're pretty poor on fuel consumption considering the engine size.
The problem in the US is finding a VX that wasn't owned by some kid that thought he had a racecar. Fart can mufflers, racing seats, hideous spoilers, and if daddy has money you will find an Acura engine in it too.