What is the 'Classic Car' of tomorrow?

[California Tanker]

Article in the newspaper about some classic car rally in Wisconsin this week.
One of the interviewees remarked that the time of a 'classic car' was coming to a close, that none we being made any more.

What is it that makes a 'classic car'? In thirty or fourty years from now, would you see a Toyota Prius, 2009 Mustang or Mercedes E-Class as a 'wow' car, which people would pay top dollar for? I just don't see it.

Is it whatever car was the 'Halo car' when you were growing up? That one car that the guy in college had which everyone else was jealous of. (BMW M-3?)

Perhaps it's the status icon, that famous people were associated with, how many of the Rich and Famous had E-Types?

Or will there never truly be a 'classic' car outside of those made in the heyday of automobile manufacturing when the industry itself was a culture, the Pontiac GTOs, the Lamborghini Miuras, or the big Cadillac convertible boats?

Or perhaps a 'classic' is born of excess, like today's Pontiac G8.. a humble cheap car, with a stupidly big engine.

Of course, any car, if you wait long enough, will turn into a vintage car, and be a head-turner in its own right. But that's not truly the same as a 'classic.'

So what are your nominations. What will you find selling for a hundred grand in 40 years that you can buy on the streets today if you were an average employed Joe? (i.e. Maseratis are out)

NTM

(Mental note: Consider responses for future investment)

[Miisa]

Limited-edition or discontinued cars seem like obvious winners. The Smart ForFour?

[beyelzu]

The new challenger is gorgeous. However, since it's a throwback design maybe not.

[ceptimus]

'First of type' cars usually become collector's items, so I bet if you got one of the very first hybrids and stored it so as to preserve it in near-original, low mileage condition, then it will eventually be valuable no matter how crappy it might be.

[Master Taran]

'First of type' cars usually become collector's items, so I bet if you got one of the very first hybrids and stored it so as to preserve it in near-original, low mileage condition, then it will eventually be valuable no matter how crappy it might be.Yugo's? :chin:

[Qingdai]

1988 Toyota pickup.
I don't think anything with a carburetor is going to survive long though.

[Adam]

Limited-edition or discontinued cars seem like obvious winners. The Smart ForFour?

I didn't even know they made a ForFour.

I guess I don't really understand why certain cars are currently considered classics. I'm not really a car person, though. A couple years back I frustrated the hell out of a guy who was trying to do car talk with me, because he was all "OK, if you could have any car you wanted..." and I told him I'd get a Jeep, which made perfect sense to me because that was the car I'd always wanted when I was a kid, and that's what I ended up buying as an adult when I could afford one.

Anyway, to get new classics, however you want to define them, I'd think you'd have to have a replay of the post-WWII, pre-GenX, car culture, and I dunno how likely that is. Maybe when we finally get widely available electric cars, the first couple performance models will become classics.

[Ensign Steve]

A couple years back I frustrated the hell out of a guy who was trying to do car talk with me, because he was all "OK, if you could have any car you wanted..." and I told him I'd get a Jeep, which made perfect sense to me because that was the car I'd always wanted when I was a kid, and that's what I ended up buying as an adult when I could afford one.


I bugged my Java teacher almost the same way! :stunned: We had some i/o exercise, and at one point I had to enter the dollar value of my dream car. I entered 13000. I got a perfect score on the assignment, but a big red comment, "Your dream car is only 13,000?!??!" The honda civic starts at 13,000, and I wanted that car for twelve years before I finally bought it in 2006. A red one with two doors! With the trim it came out to more than that, but yes, 13K is the MSRP for my dream car. :giggles:

:racecar:

[erimir]

Funny, my dream car is free.

I mean, it is a dream, right?

I'm also not a car person. I want something fuel efficient, comfortable on the inside, good stereo system and a few other features. Looking nice on the outside is a bonus. I'm not looking for a sports car or a giant truck.

[Corona688]

What is it that makes a 'classic car'? In thirty or fourty years from now, would you see a Toyota Prius, 2009 Mustang or Mercedes E-Class as a 'wow' car, which people would pay top dollar for? I just don't see it. Neither can I. There's no brand recognition on the streets anymore. Except for limited edition hyperexpensive concept cars, they all look the same. About the only unique things that get marketed at anything close to affordable prices are odd little compacts. That "lil' yella car" I spotted in the image archives here and now cannot find might be collectible if it survives long enough. And the kind of car that becomes classic through sheer utility like the old Beetle doesn't seem to be appreciated anymore, as much as disdained. No matter how old they get I doubt the K-Car will be "classic" any time soon.

Restoration's also not going to be as fun as it used to be in the future with the proliferation of plastic parts and electronics between the previous generation of classics and the upcoming one. Things are going to be a lot harder to replace, and almost impossible to keep "original".

The obsession with the 'original' whatever is also something I don't understand in classic cars. I mean, giving it an entirely different design of engine would be an obvious nono, but who cares if its got a manifold cast in 1958 or 2008?

[Dingfod]

I agree, I can hardly tell most of the cars apart today and the ones distinctive enough to tell at a distance are usually fugly, but not all of them. If we're excluding retro-looking cars, the Challenger, Mustang, and Camaro are out. By that standard, one should also exclude the Chevrolet SSR and HHR and the Chrysler PT Cruiser. I think the Chrysler 300 and it's sibling, the Dodge Charger might be candidates along with the Dodge Magnum wagon. The Cadillac CTS maybe? The Lincoln LS? I'm just talking American brands here, and cars that don't already cost a hundred grand. There are some fine-looking foreign cars too, some of which may be considered classics in the future, the Mazda RX-8, for one.

[California Tanker]

I would qualify SSR, HHR and PTC as fugly as well.

RX8 is, I think, a possibility all right. Not so much for the car itself as it is because it's an oddity. A suicide-door sports car with a rotary engine. And there are not so many on the road that you'll see one every day of the week. (Every other day, perhaps)

NTM

[curses]

'First of type' cars usually become collector's items, so I bet if you got one of the very first hybrids and stored it so as to preserve it in near-original, low mileage condition, then it will eventually be valuable no matter how crappy it might be.

Damn. I should have done this.

[Kevlar]

I agree totally with the RX8, the rotary engine has always stood out. It's pretty hard to understand how they even work without moving diagrams (BTW, what ever happened to HowStuffWorks - Learn How Everything Works! (www.howthingswork.com)) so that makes them very mysterious.

If there is an equivalent of the old Volkswagen Beetle in the future, I think it will probably be the SmartCar. I'm seeing those little things everywhere.

*thread derail*

I just turned on avatars and realized bey is not a dick anymore! :gasp:

*please continue regularly scheduled discussion*

[godfry n. glad]

Since, in order to qualify as a 'classic car' there have to be enough around to still be functionally awing the rOObs.

I say the Nissan pickup...or Toyota pickup...the choice of 9 out of 10 Afghan warlords - for a reason. I suspect that something like Honda's Element could make it. But the truly emblematic vehicle of the period (which I'd bet that many will survive, even if they are museum pieces to expensive to operate) would be the Hummer One.

I'd like to think that the Smart Car will do that well....I had a good friend who just got one.

[Kevlar]

Since, in order to qualify as a 'classic car' there have to be enough around to still be functionally awing the rOObs.

I say the Nissan pickup...or Toyota pickup...the choice of 9 out of 10 Afghan warlords - for a reason. I suspect that something like Honda's Element could make it. But the truly emblematic vehicle of the period (which I'd bet that many will survive, even if they are museum pieces to expensive to operate) would be the Hummer One.

I'd like to think that the Smart Car will do that well....I had a good friend who just got one.

Yeah, I think I know who you are talking about. I was talking to him the other day and he and his wife were fighting over who got to use it.

I never thought about that: what the hell is it with Afghan warlords and Toyota pickups?

[wildernesse]

I think the Smart Car is the only thing that really comes to mind, because it is emblematic of a new way of thinking about cars today and stands in contrast in some ways to the classic cars of the past.

[godfry n. glad]

Since, in order to qualify as a 'classic car' there have to be enough around to still be functionally awing the rOObs.

I say the Nissan pickup...or Toyota pickup...the choice of 9 out of 10 Afghan warlords - for a reason. I suspect that something like Honda's Element could make it. But the truly emblematic vehicle of the period (which I'd bet that many will survive, even if they are museum pieces to expensive to operate) would be the Hummer One.

I'd like to think that the Smart Car will do that well....I had a good friend who just got one.

Yeah, I think I know who you are talking about. I was talking to him the other day and he and his wife were fighting over who got to use it.

I never thought about that: what the hell is it with Afghan warlords and Toyota pickups?

You've never seen the Top Gear series testing the Toyota 4-WD pickup? It's a "Classic" set of U-Tube. It'll answer every question as to why Afghan warlords like the things (although it's Nissan in greatest supply, but same deal). First, they found an old Toyota that'd been used as a farm vehicle for over 200,000 miles. Then they tested it on several challenges, with the true challenge being that a mechanic, using ONLY HAND TOOLS, could get it running to drive away from the site.

They drove it through a French barn.

They dropped it from an extension crane, and then dropped a travel trailer on it from the crane.

They placed it on top of a building being demolished.

They chained it to ramp at the sea while the tide rose...which not only emersed the truck below salt water for hours, the coast tides basically rolled the truck body at the end of the chain and off the ramp.

It drove away every time...under the specifications of the challenge.

[godfry n. glad]

YouTube - Top Gear - killing a Toyota pt 1 - BBC

YouTube - Top Gear - killing a Toyota Pt 2 - BBC

YouTube - Top Gear - killing a Toyota Pt 3 - BBC

[Lauri D]

I am biased, but I would vote for the Mini Cooper (convertible 2006) re-introduced same year after more than 15 years off the market. They just keep making her better and better and I'll prolly get another one in the next year or so, but for now I love the fact that they are not only distinctive in style and presence, but get fantastic safety ratings. You wanna roll me, Hummer? I got eight airbags. (OK I still might die. But I will out-maneuver you any day of the week with... dexterity. When you're that much smaller than the behemoths, you learn to be a defensive driver.)

[Qingdai]

The mini-cooper is a very distinctive car.

I loved my two 1988 Toyota pickups. They were durable and reliable.

[Dingfod]

But the BMW Mini-Cooper is a retro car, a homage to a past model car. It'll no more be a true classic than the Challenger, Mustang, or Camaro.

[California Tanker]

Agreed. If you put a 1965 Mini next to a 2005 Mini at a concourse in 2030, there's no doubt which will get more attention.

So far two cars on my potential shopping list have been mentioned. So far, so good.

NTM

[Corona688]

(BTW, what ever happened to HowStuffWorks - Learn How Everything Works! (www.howthingswork.com)) They failed to make a fortune for providing free documentation in the dot com bubble and relaunched themselves with such a high ad ratio the content is almost lost among it. Almost, not completely; their search does still work, here is How Rotary Engines Work (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/rotary-engine.htm)

[Dingfod]

I think the Infiniti G35 Coupe has potential for classic status, it is a beautiful car.

http://www.automedia.com/NewCarBuyersGuide/photos/2006/Infiniti/G35/Coupe/2006_Infiniti_G35_ext_1.jpg

[BrotherMan]

I'm somewhat partial to the New Beetle. It's one of those serendipity models. When VW first debuted a show model people went nuts over it - me among them. It's among the first of the neo-retro craze. The truth of the matter is that the classics are classic because of their durability and perseverance. Modern technology, for the reasons listed earlier, may not have the longevity of other classic and antique models. Especially if one tries to maintain some kind of "original" status.

I can't think of many cars made that will be as definitively classic as the muscle cars of the 60s and 70s; but that may simply be a product of nostalgia. I have a soft spot for my Civic; but that may be considered a classic model line with no one standout.

I was considering the cars that I've owned and I would still love to have my 1988 Suzuki Samurai. Something quirky, unique, like that would be a hit at small shows and cruises.

[Master Taran]

The X1 Prototype (http://www.wrightspeed.com/x1.html)

http://www.wrightspeed.com/images/X1-front-34-high.jpg

[Ensign Steve]

BM, what year civic do you drive?

[Crumb]

The X1 Prototype (http://www.wrightspeed.com/x1.html)

http://www.wrightspeed.com/images/X1-front-34-high.jpg
Does it go faster than the speed of sound? :D

[BrotherMan]

BM, what year civic do you drive?

2008. It's berry nice. :unnod:

[Master Taran]

The X1 Prototype (http://www.wrightspeed.com/x1.html)

http://www.wrightspeed.com/images/X1-front-34-high.jpg
Does it go faster than the speed of sound? :DIt depends on how loud the sound is. :innocent:

[California Tanker]

Looks kindof like a two-sea Ariel Atom.

NTM

[BrotherMan]

Built from it, actually. :nod:

[California Tanker]

So you can rearrange a friend's facial features at the same time as your own...

I don't think it'd ever make it as a 'classic' though, it's just not practical enough. I mean, you can use a 1970 Charger to go to work in without any great inconvenience, or just go cruising, but that thing's designed to go hurtling around tracks.

NTM

[Dingfod]

Along the same lines as that: the KTM X-Bow:

http://www.carsandtuning.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/ktm-x-bow-supercar_3.JPG

[specious_reasons]

Within the last 20 years or so:

Dodge Viper.

Humvee- the original military vehicle, not necessarily the Hummer.

I imagine the Cadillac Escalade(sp?) will probably be an iconic car of the 90s.

Probably a Tesla - too soon to tell.

The Chevy Volt might wind up being iconic like the Edsel was.

I'll go for a "wacky" classic: Dodge Caravan. For a while, it was what every suburban Mom drove.

[California Tanker]

HMMWV (not the civvie version) is definitely going to be an eyecatcher, because only a few thousand were sold before the DOT said that they were too dangerous to put on the streets.

NTM

[Chris Porter]

The Pontiac Fiero. Unusual stark wedge shape instead of the standard bulgy, smooth sided muscle/sport cars of the time.

[California Tanker]

Wait, which model year? None of them strike me as being particularly appealing or even unique.

NTM

[Dingfod]

The Pontiac Fiero. Unusual stark wedge shape instead of the standard bulgy, smooth sided muscle/sport cars of the time.By that standard, the Triumph TR7 and TR8 should be quite valued. They're not.

[California Tanker]

TR7 actually had quite a reasonable rally career, as well. Something I don't think a Fiero could claim.

NTM

[Dingfod]

It was a crap car though.

[California Tanker]

In fairness, a fair few 'classics' are.

NTM

[BrotherMan]

I've always fancied the RX-7. Though I guess by now the original type couldn't be considered a new classic.