What cars are future classics?

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
I guess time will tell. If they're still going down in value, I don't see how that's ever going to turn around.

That was said about every car that is now a Classic.
50s,60s, and 70's cars all depreciated until the folks with money started buying them up at stupid prices.

A very good friend of mine, Jim, who just turned 62 remembers his father always talking about how guys Jim's age were wasting money on what he condsidered was a pile new. Why would want you want to fix it up now? It sucked new. His words. He also said . "I should have saved all those cars that the price went in the [censored], because now I could have retired rich" Goes in cycles. Eventually all you Baby Boomers will die and what was cool won't be as cool and I will be able to pick up a "pile of poo" Bel Air or Impala cheap. A lot of guys my age even car guys aren't into anything that old. I would like to have something that old to tinker with, but not for the crazy prices people want.
People my age who could not afford A WS6, Cobra, S2000, Corvette or Supra are going to drive prices up in about 20 years, because they will have all the money and will want a little bit of their youth back.

On a side note Jim has a 1959 Ford Convertible and an original unrestored 1932 Chrysler, and right now they are not worth what they used to be.

And my WS6 isn't going anywhere. I want my kid to have it.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Originally Posted By: MarkM66
I guess time will tell. If they're still going down in value, I don't see how that's ever going to turn around.

That was said about every car that is now a Classic.
50s,60s, and 70's cars all depreciated until the folks with money started buying them up at stupid prices.

A very good friend of mine, Jim, who just turned 62 remembers his father always talking about how guys Jim's age were wasting money on what he condsidered was a pile new. Why would want you want to fix it up now? It sucked new. His words. He also said . "I should have saved all those cars that the price went in the [censored], because now I could have retired rich" Goes in cycles. Eventually all you Baby Boomers will die and what was cool won't be as cool and I will be able to pick up a "pile of poo" Bel Air or Impala cheap. A lot of guys my age even car guys aren't into anything that old. I would like to have something that old to tinker with, but not for the crazy prices people want.
People my age who could not afford A WS6, Cobra, S2000, Corvette or Supra are going to drive prices up in about 20 years, because they will have all the money and will want a little bit of their youth back.

On a side note Jim has a 1959 Ford Convertible and an original unrestored 1932 Chrysler, and right now they are not worth what they used to be.

And my WS6 isn't going anywhere. I want my kid to have it.


I'm not sure what your age is, but there are plenty of younger guys, like me (36), that will keep these old junkers going strong for a long time to come.

You can keep your 4th gen, and I'll keep my 1st gens. Sounds like a great deal to me.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Some opinions and speculation are more valid than others.

An opinion or speculation that doesn't account for important facts is less valid than one that does.

Yours does not account for an important fact. I was just pointing that fact out.


I can only comment on american made muscle cars (mostly Chevy), anything outside of that, I don't know, or don't care.

I build and sell muscle cars, so I keep a close eye on the market. I'm not saying my opinion is more important they yours, but my experience may be.

 

[cadfaeltex]

I think the time factor is important. I would hazard to guess that most cars have a u shaped value curve. Some cars are instant 'classics' because of there rarity or performance. Others downward then upward cycle is more shallow due to their popularity with collectors. Given enough time, almost all cars will get old enough and rare enough through attrition to become 'collectible' is some sense or another. If you are 'betting' on which ones will have the shallowest curves I think there's truth to the though that those things we couldn't afford but really wanted at a young age are the ones most likely to rise quickest.

 

[cchase]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
Close to zero will ever appreciate in value.


Definitely true - and some of the cars that people thought would be classics 20-30 years down the road didn't end up that way, or have a very narrow window of interest now.

Originally Posted By: MarkM66

The post '72 muscle cars will always be THE classics. Most, if not all the cars listed so far are still depreciating in value.

4th gen F-body, Impala SS, late model GTO, G8, are still dropping in value.

Even the early C4 ZR-1s aren't even close to being worth what they originally sold for, and everyone thought they'd be a "good investment."




My GTO's KBB is within $1000 of what it was 4 years ago with half the mileage. That's pretty good for a now 6 year old American car. It's still no indicator of whether it will be a "classic" down the road. One major roadblock a vehicle like the late model GTO's has is that a lot of people did not like them when they came out - so the window of people to want them 30 years down the road will be that much smaller. The "hot" classics of today are worth a lot because the generation that grew up with them loved them and now have the money to relive that part of their life.

 

[Win]

Originally Posted By: MarkM66
Close to zero will ever appreciate in value.

The post '72 muscle cars will always be THE classics. Most, if not all the cars listed so far are still depreciating in value.

4th gen F-body, Impala SS, late model GTO, G8, are still dropping in value.

Even the early C4 ZR-1s aren't even close to being worth what they originally sold for, and everyone thought they'd be a "good investment."




Just looked at NADA, my '08 G8 has lost $3200 from my purchase cost; the Solstice has lost $3400 from my purchase cost; and the Torrent GXP has lost $125 from my purchase cost.

The shallow depreciation curve of these cars is meaningless in predicting the price of the car twenty years from now. I doubt any of them will be a classic. The Solstice, maybe, but that's a real big maybe.

The geekiest kid at my high school had a bright orange Plymouth Superbird. It was worth about a third of what my new Firebird cost at that time. Most of the muscle cars that are high dollar nowadays when restored, couldn't be given away in the 70's or 80's, or were pocket change at most.

Anyone who thinks a car is an investment has rocks for brains.