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Corvettes, Camaros etc. of the early 80s were pretty much the last of the collector cars. Nothing made since then is going to age well. Not even the muscle car reboot. Nobody is going to think of your 1995 Geo Metro as a "classic."
Pontiac Aztek. Ugly (which might be part of the appeal), but highly functional. Plus, they have the cachet that comes from being Walter White's car on Breaking Bad.
Old 4runner 4x4 with right stuff and no tinworm, 1st generation Explorer 4x4 and straight 6 Cherokee 4x4 are cool to me. Old Broncos and Landcruisers are getting expensive now.
The company I work for, back before my time here built a factory for Chrysler. Chrysler ran out of money and could not pay the final bill, so they paid us in K cars. For a while, every company car was a K car, even the executives.
Remember "Buy a car, get a check"? The beginning of rebates as a marketing tool I think.
Corvettes, Camaros etc. of the early 80s were pretty much the last of the collector cars. Nothing made since then is going to age well. Not even the muscle car reboot. Nobody is going to think of your 1995 Geo Metro as a "classic."
The collector car era is long gone.
Nobody with a straight face can honestly say an 80’s Corvette or Camero is “aging well”.
I had a grand aunt who ordered a new 1964-1/2 Ford Mustang on introduction day in 1964 (the dealer had already sold all their new Mustangs in inventory before the end of the day). A base vermillion red exterior/white interior 6-cylinder 3-on-the-floor no power anything radio delete car, even in the early 1970s, she couldn't drive anywhere without at least one stranger approaching her, and asking if she would consider selling the car. We're talking a ~7 year old car at the time.
I can't think of anything about seven years old today that I can imagine generating that kind of enthusiasm for owning. In fact, I can't think of much of anything post-1970s that I would be interested in owning, at least from a "collectible" standpoint.
H1 Hummers and Land Rover Defenders for sure. Plymouth Prowlers, Dodge Vipers, any “Hellcat” variety of Mopars. Shelby branded Mustangs, possibly Crossfires, Solstices and Saturn Skies. Anything with an LS engine in it.
I had a grand aunt who ordered a new 1964-1/2 Ford Mustang on introduction day in 1964 (the dealer had already sold all their new Mustangs in inventory before the end of the day). A base vermillion red exterior/white interior 6-cylinder 3-on-the-floor no power anything radio delete car, even in the early 1970s, she couldn't drive anywhere without at least one stranger approaching her, and asking if she would consider selling the car. We're talking a ~7 year old car at the time.
I can't think of anything about seven years old today that I can imagine generating that kind of enthusiasm for owning. In fact, I can't think of much of anything post-1970s that I would be interested in owning, at least from a "collectible" standpoint.
You’re also speaking from the perspective of somebody who grew up with old 60’s and 70’s cars. I bet nobody in the 60’s was stoked about buying Model A Fords. In 20-40 years the 60’s era cars will be today’s Model A and the cars of the late 90’s early 2000’s will be the “old muscle cars” people grew up with and fetching higher dollars for. Everybody thinks the generation they grew up in was the best.
Some big trucks will get expensive, as will clean Hummers. I saw an 80's crew cab Chevy on ebay for like 50K and it was very sharp.
The big HP Mustang/Camaro/Vette/Charger/Challenger stuff will be expensive if it is stock and in perfect condition. I suspect the V8 heavy metal will eventually die out for new car production. Oddball stuff like the Caddy CTS-V will be collectible especially the rarer combos like 6 spd wagons.
If you want to buy this stuff and enjoy it fine but to try to predict the market and scheme for a big profit is usually a failure waiting to happen. Everybody likes to remember the guy that bought that Vette for $6000 and sold it for 140,000 at Barrett Jackson. Nobody considers the actual costs of owning, maintaining, insuring the car for 40 years and the opportunity cost of that original $6000 investment compounded over 40 years.
I can think of a dozen people collecting cars that have the "big money retirement fantasy" yet they don't actually own the right car for that. HINT: If it was sold with a sticker kit and it is an otherwise plain jane car it won't be a "gold mine collectible." So pace car owners be ready for a reality check!
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