Future Classic american cars?

I still don't think that the 300C or the Contour will be come great "American" classics. Those cars are about as American as a bratwurst. This on the other hand.....

chevrolet-caprice-13.jpg


These cars were probably the last of their kinds. The last of the full-size American sedans. We'll have none of that leather stitching, thank you very much. Body on frame, RWD, and a 5.7L V8. The earlier ones even came with a digital speedometer and airbags as standard.
 
I still don't think that the 300C or the Contour will be come great "American" classics. Those cars are about as American as a bratwurst. This on the other hand.....

chevrolet-caprice-13.jpg


These cars were probably the last of their kinds. The last of the full-size American sedans. We'll have none of that leather stitching, thank you very much. Body on frame, RWD, and a 5.7L V8. The earlier ones even came with a digital speedometer and airbags as standard.

While I do think the Cron Vics are better looking, the B-Bodies where better cars in general.
 
An American classic in the making 25 years from now?

Lincoln LS--the greatest car that Ford stopped making:

I would have to agree with that. It was a pretty good car, nowhere near the beamers of course but still a nice (and really only for it's time) US sports sedan. I think the V Cadillacs might be classics at some point. The problem with most newer cars is that they weren't built in the same that what we think of as classics were. We have light weight frames, either really thin metal or fiberglass body panels. Most engines have either aluminium pistons or blocks, electronics are very pervasive, I don't see a throttle by wire system lasting as long as a simple steel cable, not to mention easier to fix. I just don't see modern cars lasting for the next 50 years like the old school cars.
 
In his opinion, the much loved Chevrolet 210/Bel Aire was the 1998 Malibu of it's time.

Exactly. It's not always the most obvious cars that go on to become classics. It's always the cars for whom their previous owners had the most fondest memories for, and cars that are so common that almost all of them are scrapped, leaving the remainder to soldier on as representations of memories.

If you had told somebody in 1955 that this weird thing known as a Toyopet Crown would go on to become a classic, they would have laughed in your face. The 1998 Malibu that I learned to drive on might be hideous today, but in the future, who knows? Classics tend to surprise you like that.

toyopet.jpg
 
edit: after making this post I realized I haven't actually added anything new...
My father, who is 72, can be quite puzzled by what are treasured today as classics from the 1940's and 1950's. In his opinion, the much loved Chevrolet 210/Bel Aire was the 1998 Malibu of it's time.

I was asking my dad about the whole tri-5 chevy thing. He used to own a couple back in the late 60's, and he told me that while they may not have gotten the attention they do today, driving around in a clean/nice example of one usually would get some attention. They were also common cars to turn into Gassers for drag racing, plus "Two-Lane Blacktop" and not long after "American Graffiti" came out and made people want them more.

Exactly. It's not always the most obvious cars that go on to become classics. It's always the cars for whom their previous owners had the most fondest memories for, and cars that are so common that almost all of them are scrapped, leaving the remainder to soldier on as representations of memories.

If you had told somebody in 1955 that this weird thing known as a Toyopet Crown would go on to become a classic, they would have laughed in your face. The 1998 Malibu that I learned to drive on might be hideous today, but in the future, who knows? Classics tend to surprise you like that.

Try asking people in countries where those may have sold more (or at least been a more noticeable sight) about the Crown, I bet you'd get a different response.

A great example to prove my point is the growing popularity of the early 70's Toyota's. Toyota Celica's and Corolla's were just econoboxes in their day, now they are becoming popular and classics. They also got picked up by the enthusiast groups who wanted to go fast and do it cheaply. The same isn't happening for the FWD competition from Honda (until you start hitting the late 80's).

The 49 Mercury's are another example. Just another car for the most part, but a few guys decided to customize 'em and they became Lead Sleds and next thing you know others want to do the same.

I still don't think that the 300C or the Contour will be come great "American" classics. Those cars are about as American as a bratwurst. This on the other hand.....

These cars were probably the last of their kinds. The last of the full-size American sedans. We'll have none of that leather stitching, thank you very much. Body on frame, RWD, and a 5.7L V8. The earlier ones even came with a digital speedometer and airbags as standard.

I can't vouche for Mopar Man but I doubt it'll become a "Great American classic." I think it's got it's chance due to it's looks (even if it's basically a rip off of a Bentley it's got presence), and it was the return of the RWD American car. Combine that with a v8 engine, when they come down in price they'll start being picked up more by hot rodders and you'll see.
 
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An American classic in the making 25 years from now?

Lincoln LS--the greatest car that Ford stopped making:

I dunno... How often do you get classics made by a failing brand? Lincoln is in a bad funk and has been for quite some time.

I can see the boxy Town Cars maybe being classic in 20-30 years. But after that, Lincoln is stuck in a new malaise.

Regarding failing brands and classic status, I guess there is a segment that likes the dead marques (e.g. Nash). I think even the horrid AMC stuff from the 70s (Javelin, Pacer, Gremlin, Eagle) is getting some nostalgic value. But IMO they don't become true classics in the mainstream sense.

And right now, I'd put Lincoln on the path to extinction, they've lost their way and they are wandering rather aimlessly. They need a Cadillac-style turnaround to survive and prosper.
 
The problem with most newer cars is that they weren't built in the same that what we think of as classics were. We have light weight frames, either really thin metal or fiberglass body panels. Most engines have either aluminium pistons or blocks, electronics are very pervasive, I don't see a throttle by wire system lasting as long as a simple steel cable, not to mention easier to fix. I just don't see modern cars lasting for the next 50 years like the old school cars.

Excellent point! Imagine someone in the future trying to restore a BMW with a broken 30 year old iDrive system. Modern cars might have a very hard time staying with us past their shelf lives.
 
I dunno... How often do you get classics made by a failing brand? Lincoln is in a bad funk and has been for quite some time.

The Lincoln LS looks to much like they tried to copy BMW, I just don't see it happening. But that is a hard one to judge really.

Excellent point! Imagine someone in the future trying to restore a BMW with a broken 30 year old iDrive system. Modern cars might have a very hard time staying with us past their shelf lives.

If the cars are popular enough, the aftermarket will take it over. Or people will ditch the iDrive systems and replace them with modern updates, in the same way people add a/c and powersteering to their hot rods.

Simple electronic sensors/motors (like electronic throttles) will be easily replace with then modern counterparts. There are plenty of aftermarket EMS' as well as people shoving corvette fuel injection on old 350 Chevy's.

The biggest problem I think will be a lack of interest in most of these cars. We all know that much of the crap bought from the American companies were bought because they were A) cheap and B) American made.
 
I know it's a Crown Vic, but I'm sure Marauders are going to be collectors items in the future. I know I want one.

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It's bonafide badass.
 
I know it's a Crown Vic, but I'm sure Marauders are going to be collectors items in the future. I know I want one.

url


It's bonafide badass.

Especially the Kenny-Brown versions.
 
If you go to enough of the classic shows and talk to the owners, alot of the cars that are popular now were cars the owners couldn't afford at the time, or their parents owned one or something to that affect. With todays cars having so much plastic and electronics, restoring them to original is going to be a huge undertaking if possible at all....can you really see them making a reproduced ECU for a 30yr old run of the mill car? I can't. I think the cars that are def. going to be classics have already turned that way. Most of the the turbo buicks are hard to come by, the fox body mustangs are going for a pretty decent prices, the 03-04 cobras are going up in price. The cobra R's are all but impossible to find, and the normal cobras are going up back up in value. NSX's, and supras are there already. I think the shelby dodges will be considered a classic, but there are pretty hard to come by. I think an important factor will be the post fast and furious generation. That's what more kids are growing up to. So when they get of age and can drop a 100k on a car, is it gonna be the car they don't really know about, with only seeing one in a picture, or the car one of their older brothers/sisters/cousins/neighbors had 30yrs ago, that was oh so cool.
 
If you go to enough of the classic shows and talk to the owners, alot of the cars that are popular now were cars the owners couldn't afford at the time, or their parents owned one or something to that affect. With todays cars having so much plastic and electronics, restoring them to original is going to be a huge undertaking if possible at all....can you really see them making a reproduced ECU for a 30yr old run of the mill car? I can't. I think the cars that are def. going to be classics have already turned that way. Most of the the turbo buicks are hard to come by, the fox body mustangs are going for a pretty decent prices, the 03-04 cobras are going up in price. The cobra R's are all but impossible to find, and the normal cobras are going up back up in value. NSX's, and supras are there already. I think the shelby dodges will be considered a classic, but there are pretty hard to come by. I think an important factor will be the post fast and furious generation. That's what more kids are growing up to. So when they get of age and can drop a 100k on a car, is it gonna be the car they don't really know about, with only seeing one in a picture, or the car one of their older brothers/sisters/cousins/neighbors had 30yrs ago, that was oh so cool.

When you don't use paragraphs baby Jesus cries. :cry:

Anyway, I don't see ECUs or plastics hampering restorations. You can either reverse engineer, or by-pass ECUs, and new plastic panels can be as easily fabricated as steal ones.
 
If you go to enough of the classic shows and talk to the owners, alot of the cars that are popular now were cars the owners couldn't afford at the time, or their parents owned one or something to that affect. With todays cars having so much plastic and electronics, restoring them to original is going to be a huge undertaking if possible at all....can you really see them making a reproduced ECU for a 30yr old run of the mill car? I can't.

Plastics can be remade, if there is a demand for reproduction interior parts for a 1985 Buick Grand National, they will be made, there are plenty for various GM's now.

I've already addressed the electronics. They are only computers, it's not hard to replace wiring, sensors can be reproduced, pulled from other vehicles, or adapted. As long as there are internal combustion engines, there will be computers made to control them.

Oh and Mercedes continues to produce parts for the the original 300SL's (and all other vintage Benz's). There are companies that make complete reproduction bodies of '69 Camaro's and soon to be Mustangs and various Mopars. In fact, with around $40k you can have a COMPLETE reproduction '69 camaro and never use a single part ever produced by General Motors.

Ah I slightly misunderstood you. Though I don't see the 300C being remembered much, it never seemed to be all that special of a car.

Oh and thanks for the sig. quote ;).

Hey! don't I get a +1 for that sig?
 
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May I submit my favorite american car (grew up with one):
The AMC Wagoneer

Built up to the early nineties and as I understand it, already a classic. If I ever own an SUV it would have to be one of those (and I would have to live in a third world country to be able to afford to run it :D ).
 
A friend of mine has one of those, they are indeed awesome.

Sadly they are all being turned into this:


Do him a favor and put it on bricks. Maybe then he will get some proper wheels for it. Mind you, you would need quite a few bricks.....
 
Do him a favor and put it on bricks. Maybe then he will get some proper wheels for it. Mind you, you would need quite a few bricks.....

That kind of car gets the other technique. Pull all the lug nuts off, get everyone clear of the car, give it one hard kick from the front or back. The wheels will fall off and the car will slam to the ground.

The resulting undercarriage damage is just a lesson.
 
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