That doesn't make sense to me. If you have an original, unrebuilt engine it is worth X dollars to someone. If you have an original, unrestored car it is worth X dollars to someone. If the two match, and you have an original car with its original engine, it is worth X+X+Y, the matching numbers premium. If, however, the matching engine has been totally modified and only the block casting number and serial number are original, the Y factor changes. If the body has been tubbed, permanent suspension modifications made, things of that nature, the Y factor changes too. Once a car is modified to a certain level, it ceases to be what it once was. Numbers matching or not, it isn't what was built. A stock car may have been a Firebird, but it isn't a Firebird, it's a stock car. You can't look up its value in a book.

People will pay to get what they want. You obviously had cars for sale that satisfied the buyers. Some buyers will be looking for more original cars, some for more finished cars, some for higher performance cars, some for rarer cars. Most will find something they like. Some won't find cars that fit their budget and dreams.

Every car was once numbers matching. Why are so many cars not numbers-matching? A kid just brough his '70 GTO into a local shop to get his engine swapped for something newer, he didn't think the old engine ran well enough. I think he just didn't have a clue what points were, or how to set them. Now there is one more car not numbers-matching.