Trust me- people have said that about every generation of car since people developed an interest in old cars. For the post-war cars, when they implemented a lot of new stamping processes involving three story presses, the claim was that nobody would ever be able to reproduce those fenders. Ask a 90 year old gear head and he will confirm this, I assure you.
Virtually all the collectibles go through the stage of being nothing more than an old car, and where there is interest there is money. Where there is money, there is a way. The potential audience for the CRX is currently too young to have the money or time- most of them are building their families.
It is often claimed (and probably only barely hyperbole) that today you can buy reproductions of everything you need to recreate some of the 60s cars from scratch. Technology like 3D scanners and printers will probably make the restoration aftermarket more capable and efficient. Consider the convertible top for my Olds. It’s a one year only top for a model that only had 3500 produced, but the aftermarket has the prints and when I needed a new one there were at least three companies that could custom produce one for me.
I always liked the look of these cars, but they will never reach “classic” status. To begin with, they came with a jointly developed Volvo-Peugeot-Renault V-6 engine that was a technological disaster-most of these engines suffered massive failure by 50,000 miles. The next thing was the body-the stainless steel body panels discolored and stained-they look terrible (you have to sandpaper them periodically). Plus, the suspension rattled and heaved, so much so that driving them is rather unpleasant. Yes, they look unique…but they were (and remain) a design and production disaster-there is a reason why thousands were scrapped (within years of production).
I remember a nice little story about their demise…after the factory (in Northern Ireland) closed, they interviewed a local farmer about why they failed-he said it was because they cut down a white thorn tree, which belonged to the local leprechauns-that cursed them from day one.
Something that might be illustrative for this thread is Bring a Trailer, which is basically an aggegator of interesting ads for old cars. Note the very active “Japanese” section, which as coincidence would have it features a couple of super nice Z cars at the moment. Also look at the “under $20k” section to get a good idea of some of the the cars that are just starting to pick up some interest (or some serious basketcase projects!)
Back in the old days, cars were worn to pieces after 10 years on the road. If you could nurse your car past 100,000 miles, it was an achievement. And when a car wore out, it was scrapped. This meant that you hardly ever saw decades-old cars on the street.
But cars from the modern era don’t wear out the same way cars from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s did. Cars with 100,000 miles are just getting started. Cars that are 10 or 20 years old are perfectly fine. And they don’t stand out as “old”, they just seem like regular cars. So how are cars from the 90s going to become “classic cars” when they won’t go away?
Actually, modern cars do have some fundamental problems-electronic modules. You Engine Control Module, ABS module, spark control module, electronic stability control module, etc. These are sealed/potted modules-almost impossible to repair. When they fail, you replace them with a new one-only new ones get harde to find. This is a problem for imports as well-Bosch ECMs for BMW cars from the 1980’s are getting difficult to find-the situation is so bad, that several entrepreneurs are going into the business of repair old modules. Take an Alfa Romeo from 1990-these cars used Z-80 microprocessors-difficult to source today.
So many of these cars will be scrapped-when the cost of fixing them exceeds their value.
I realize ‘classic’ and ‘antique’ are not synonyms, but there’s a lot of info on that page.
My 96 Corolla will never be a classic, because although I think I’ll still have mine in 30 years, so does everyone else driving a mid-nineties Corolla.
I had a Porsche 928 and they’ve got a similar issue. There’s ONE guy in England repairing the modules - the supply/demand level seems to be such that it’s only worth bothering for one supplier, and he’s quick enough to suit the few people needing the service. Because most German cars use similar Bosch bits, he could probably branch out if need be.
I’ve seen quite a few comments about common cars being too plentiful to see collectability.
This notion should be put to rest by the following link:
The 57 Chevy is an absolute icon of the collectible/special interest/classic car world. Highly desired, and not all that rare. Despite the fact that they produced over 650,000 of them (on par with the best selling vehicle in the US at the moment, BTY), the value of a 57 Chevy according to that link ranges from around $15,000 to $50,000. Now factor in that the 55-57 are very similar, and I would not be surprised if there are still over 100.000 still on the road (for all three years).
Trust me, 50 years from now moe people will remember the Toyota Camry than the Lexus ES. And I would not be surprised if the Camry were more valuable.
A couple of us mentioned that early on. I know really common cars have become collectible - the Model T, the Mustang, Camaro, the original Mini, and so on. I still seriously doubt we’ll see Accords and Camrys do the same. For one thing, most collector cars since the 60s have been pulled up by “halo” models - Shelby Mustangs, SS Camaros, Mini Cooper variants. We’re even seeing the anemic Porsche 912 rise as the longhood 911s climb to triple digits. People bought the lesser cars in droves to have even a semblance of their dream cars; the Accord and Camry don’t have that.
They have enthusiasts now, and those guys will keep them alive for decades because modern rustproofing means a careful owner can keep most anything made now from rusting to bits. But I don’t see my 12 year-old nephew buying an old Hyundai in 40 years because he remembers his mother schlepping him around in one or the (shudder) minivan she had when he was smaller. Not when he’s pestering me for rides in my Z4 M Coupe and Boxster, or his older brother’s 335i. (He drove my uncle crazy last visit, in the back seat grilling me on Lamborghinis and Bugattis.)
I can see your point about SUVs, though. I think those are the new roadtrip machines, and hours on the road for trips is why I fondly remember my grandparents’ old 70s Caddies and Oldsmobiles.
Since this is kinda (d)evolving into a “collectable cars of the 80’s & 90’s” thread, i’ll posit a couple more:
82-84 vw rabbit gti, strong enthusiast base, rustbucketry adding to rarity through attrition.
I’d say that my rabbit pickup might also qualify, but more because of the funky factor.
Also because 45mpg on vegetable oil.
91-92 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4, 3000 total sold in U.S.
One of very few rally homologation cars available in America
IMHO possibly the best “sleeper” ever
91 GMC Syclone, 2995 produced
92-93 GMC Typhoon, 4697 produced
Turbo V6, awd, vette brakes, unmistakable styling, fastest production truck in the world, what’s not to love?
And i think japanese sports cars of the late 80’s-early 90’s will hold their value if not appreciate (RX-7, Supra, MR2, NSX, and to a lesser extent 300ZX)
And even though rarity is certainly not a factor, maybe the miata?
How about a 1985 Mitsubishi Starion? Hot car (in its day) distinctive styling, fast, and rare (only about 12,000 sold in USA).
The problem? Rust-a friend has one (he claims he will restore it)…every body panel, including the roof has perforation. Restore it? I don’t think so.
That last one has me eating my words. Though the Miata is inexpensive and very common, I can easily imagine people buying and completely restoring them decades down the line, same as a Mustang or Camaro. I sit corrected.
Nobody wanted an NSX when they were new. I doubt it will be more popular when it’s old. Sad story, that car - everything going for it except customers.
I own a Mercedes W124 320E 347,000K’s and while I know there were literally millions of this model produced, these cars were produced when Mercedes policy was to build cars to a standard not just a price.
Is it a Classic car?
I think so but I’m not keeping it for monetary gain but rather for safety and driving pleasure.
While it’s only worth a quarter of the price of some of the new tupperware cars produced today (example Honda Jazz) I see absolutely no reason to part with it. Tupperware cars are like bugs on a windscreen in a crash. LOL
I am sure there is some variance from state to state but in Missouri, a car is deemed a “classic” at 25 years at which time there are very relaxed standards and lowered taxes.
I am a bit of a collector and have a few Indy Pace cars and a 1990 Super Coupe that I am restoring, all three of which will be “classics” in just a few years.
