Future of Car Collecting

[au350hp]

I just finished reading the post on 'sick of fake GT's advertised as real one'. Anyway, one of the posts suggests after baby boomers are gone, so will the values of the cars they loved. Like many others, I watch the second hand car market with great interest and we have all seen over the last decade or so what prices some achieve. I thought this might be a good place to discuss the future of collecting cars, their values and what models people think will be attractive to buyers in 20 & 30 years. The cars I am referring to are the typical Australian 60's & 70's Ford's and Holden plus American muscle cars from the same generation.

[GO FURTHER]

The big question is... In 30 years time, when the majority of cars on our road are electric, and the government making registration of petrol cars harder and more expensive in that era... Will Australian collectables of the 60's and 70's still be that desirable?

Of course "rare" cars will always fetch good money and increase in value, even if they might only be able to be driven on a special permit decades from now.

[Crazy Dazz]

Well, didn't take long for someone to dribble out the inevitable "all cars will be lectric" line. Pigs Armpit.

I think that proportionately, there will be less of the population interested in "classic" cars, and for some of those "classic" will mean Skylines or Imprezzas.
And yes, the demise of the Boomers will leave a big gap.

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Well, didn't take long for someone to dribble out the inevitable "all cars will be lectric" line. Pigs Armpit.

30 years ago, how many imagined we would all be carrying devices in our pocket that would be more powerful than many computers of the day and be used for more than making simple phone calls.

The electric car revolution is going to happen quicker than most people realize.

[ParisManfred]

Interesting topic trying to look 20 to 30 years ahead for collections worth money in the future. Like art and antiques, cars desirable now should continue to increase in value as supply never increases, it decreases due to theft, fire, crashes etc.

Vehicles that have matching numbers, sort after factory options, history/uniqueness and are original as possible should be where the most money is, my theory anyway.

Electric vehicles aren't coming, their already here but Australian's are a very long way from embracing the technology as our wide open land, great distances between towns and what I love most our Australian car culture will slow electric vehicle sales. The infrastructure to support electric vehicles isn't here.

[ozrunner]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

The electric car revolution is going to happen quicker than most people realize.

So you're also saying this will mean Oz will finally get a series of nuclear power stations dotted across the States so as to be able to recharge them all because the sun and wind isn't going to cut the mustard

[mike_nofx]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

30 years ago, how many imagined we would all be carrying devices in our pocket that would be more powerful than many computers of the day and be used for more than making simple phone calls.

The electric car revolution is going to happen quicker than most people realize.

Honestly I think it was always predicted we’d have such devices in future.
Shows like The Jetsons, 007 movies, basically any spy show had people using pocket sized communication devices or watches.

Still I agree, electric cars will happen unfortunately.

[slowsnake]

Hello,
Cars are for driving,nothing else,that's why they have round wheels and a " form of propulsion ".
Who wants a car you can't drive??..an investor that's all.
I see these dudes in the USA with more vehicles than they could not only drive but enjoy the driving experience.
Jay Leno comes to mind when I say that,how often could he drive one of his precious " investments " ...answer not often,or not if its raining or snowing and the salt on the road damages the underside!

Its an ego thing to me,or " look what I got "..there is no pleasure just worry!...and of course a lot of stress,you need a car you are not scared to drive and park anywhere,other than a racetrack of course!

Cheers Billy.

[Itsme]

What car that is now a collectable will always be a collectable if it survives, can only imagine it will gain value as years go by and it gets rarer.


Cheers.

[GO FURTHER]

Originally Posted by ozrunner

So you're also saying this will mean Oz will finally get a series of nuclear power stations dotted across the States so as to be able to recharge them all because the sun and wind isn't going to cut the mustard

The problem with many discussions and debates like this is that we are all naturally thinking about how technology "exists today" and also not thinking like a 20 or 30-year-old person will be thinking that is born today in 20 - 30 years from now.

Don't insulate and limit yourself to current thinking or technology.

Firstly, you are assuming that in 30 years from now we are all going to be charging Lithium based batteries at home and Australia does not have the current supply infrastructure to do this if suddenly we all have EV cars.

What if EV cars did not need to be charged as we know it today?

What if instead you pull into a service station, and your batteries are drained of the non charged used electrolyte and replaced from a browser in 5 minutes with freshly charged electrolyte instead of petrol?

Then the used electrolyte is taken away in bulk to be recharged using solar farms or other power sources of the future instead of refineries and then delivered back to the service stations.

This is just an example of lateral thinking outside the square and of technologies we just cannot imagine that will exist 30 years from now.

[slowsnake]

Hello,
Electric cars have been around for decades,they always will be as will vehicles with internal combustion engines.
They still ride horse on roads!..just like they did in Henry Fords era,I love cars and bikes but only because getting to work is a nightmare for some folk without them,I did my brief for demerit points,my 25 minute drive turned into 2+ hours,3 trains and one bus and a fair walk,I would of given my right arm just to even drive an old Toyota with a 1000cc motor, or any electric vehicle than stand on Petersham Railway station at 5am on a freezing cold and windy winters morning!

A good drivable and I suppose collectible car to me would be a " Bug Eye Austin Healy Sprite " for 15 to 20 grand,what a buzz, and I am looking at prices now in Just Cars!

Cheers Billy.

[PG2]

OK ladies and gentlemen, the topic is cars that will remain collectible in the future.

Any further discussion of EVs (or anyone who decides to start a new thread to continue this argument) will be deleted.

[Venomous1]

Personally I think any car can be collectable especially if it's something you enjoy keeping and looking after. I like looking thru second hand cars too and one thing I really like doing is setting kilometers from low to high. Seen some remarkable cars that way.

Now imagine 30 years down the track I think anything from say 1970-2005 could potentially be rather cool and possibly valuable.

About a year ago there was a 1999 AU1 Forte up for sale on Carsales with only 7000km apparently one owner who bought it new at an old age and passed shortly after owning it leaving it in the garage. It then went on sale many years later with those low kays. Wish I kept the pictures car looked remarkable like a time capsule and that in itself makes the plausibility of any car kept decent and straight for the future a desirable product.

Even being just a Forte it was still cool seeing it new in 2017.

I mean any car in perfect nick running from now in 2050 would be awesome.

Don't ya think?..

[slowsnake]

Hello,
Cars are like oil paintings!..only worth what someone is willing to pay for it!
If I won 20 million on lotto I would not pay 1 million for an Australian GT whatever model or year,but I would look around at a McLaren or maybe a Bugatti Veyron but not an XR,XT,XW,XY,XA,XB,GTor HO or Shaker or Cobra etc,not for a Million AU$...
But in saying that a nice GT40 would go down well,or a Mach1 Stanger!...

Cheers Billy.

PS..I reckon you could make a HO or Shaker from under 30 grand!..and drive it all day everyday on non GT insurance too!...that's the way,and who would know but you?
An XW or XY GTHO is a Falcon 500 with different bits added off the local parts shelf or wreckers!

Just a thought.

[OzJavelin]

A lot of veteran cars that were desirable years ago (Duesenberg, Packards, etc) lost a lot of value when the people that remembered them in their "pop culture" died off. These cars were like unicorns, stuff people spoke of but rarely seen.
A lot of vehicles from 60s and 70s were cemented in our collective history in TV and films, and have been consistently reused in modern TV and film, so their visibility and desirability is continually refreshed .. and exists outside the countries where those vehicles were available. Why else does someone living in Saudi Arabia want a '69 Mustang Mach III or the like?
By default, people seem to desire the vehicle they had or wanted in their youth, and loop back to these so we'll always see short term spikes in vehicles about 20-30 years old (50yo man reliving his 20s) .. but I believe real collectibility will continue to be in 60s/70s stuff.
I'm happy to be wrong, and the prices to drop so I can start buying again

[Maka]

I think generally, Aussie millennial's & future generations will in the future invest in collectable ice cars that will yeild a decent return but mostly with no emotional attachment because people over the generations have always liked to invest in all sorts of things.

cheers, Maka

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by Maka

I think generally, Aussie millennial's & future generations will in the future invest in collectable ice cars that will yeild a decent return but mostly with no emotional attachment because people over the generations have always liked to invest in all sorts of things.

cheers, Maka

.. and we wonder why we start to see Holden Camira's at local car shows ..

[mike_nofx]

I think every generation thinks the following generations are doomed and have no emotion towards cars and only sees them as transport.

Those who were brought up driving 30’s-40’s model cars probably thought cars and their owners of the 50’s and 60’s lacked soul, who in turn thought the same of cars and owners of the 70’s and 80’s. And so on and so forth.

Personally, I was born in the mid 80’s. My favourite decade of car manufacturing is the 70’s. I just love the style of that era, and it’s just around the time cars started to go well in stock form, but left plenty of room for modification to go much better.

The 80’s saw car designs square off, sharp edges boxy deaigns, just not really my thing. The 90’s through to about 2005+ has to be the worst era of car design ever. Mechanically great cars but totally bland home appliance type designs.
Now, some car manufacturers are going with more classic designs again, cars like the Mustang, Camaro etc all have styling cues to their 70’s models - and don’t they look great! Only now they’re coming with 300-500+ kilowatts and they can go around corners.

Oh but as for car collecting? It’ll always be a thing, but I doubt the days of $1m classics will last too long. The current generation can’t even afford to buy a house let alone spend that coin on cars.

[Maka]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

.. and we wonder why we start to see Holden Camira's at local car shows ..

And Pinto's & Gremlins..

cheers, Maka

[ford71V8]

Originally Posted by Maka

And Pinto's & Gremlins..

cheers, Maka

The gremlins come with the Camiras

[Cav]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

.. and we wonder why we start to see Holden Camira's at local car shows ..

Wash ya mouth out!

I remember the original Camira very fondly?



It was a work vehicle and an automatic because one of our staff had a prosthetic leg.

We travelled together for a week from Wagga to Wentworth (Near Mildura) covering a lot of distance at 110kms/h

The further we went the more I loved that little car. It was comfortable and easy to drive.

I never did have anything to do with the later model cars except that Wheels magazine raved about them.

Reminds me of journalists of today who rave about VW and Scoda. Maybe great cars to drive but sometimes they can be a pain in the butt to own, maintain and fight the dealer on 'issues.'

[mick taylor]

My reason for collecting would be that I like the car, it has to have class.

I have never looked at a car that I did not want to drive for my inspiration.

I admire people who do up any car like new.

But I do not like any Holden earlier that a EH because such is just too backward rubbish for me to be bothered with.

A 179 EH I could live with back in the day but a 138 grey powered Holden no way that would be just hell.

Not to many good cars I would like to drive until Disc brakes came about and the V8's from 1967 and then things got better when good tyres came out around 1980 before that tyres were truly just crap regardless. the Brimstone RE71 were magic.

I don't see the point of owning a car if you don't drive it or don't want to drive it.

So yes it has to inspire one in some way that you would like to drive it.

My mum bought a HD Holden wagon 149 3sp in 1985 it had about 27,000miles up and I drove it from Kingaroy to Toowoomba and back, I loved driving it that day by myself getting into it and all, but would I want to own it or collect it, no.
But to drive a 20yo car in that condition was a joyful thing to do, maybe because mum had a New HR 186 auto Holden back in 1967 to 1977 had something to do with it as well.

[Rallye Sport]

At risk of being edited I know but who said EV's won't become collectable? Anyway enough said.
The cycles will continue, modern hero cars WRX, FPV and HSV will always be sought after by those who remember them or couldn't get their hands on one in they're youth.
I've been looking at Model T's of late. Excluding brass era cars they are, in my eyes, surprisingly cheap when you think about their significance. I've been in touch with the club and most of the ones on offer are deceased estate or family heirlooms. Club members are sadly dropping of rapidly with no one to take on the passion. Same will happen with other generations of cars.

[roKWiz]

It's funny how some think when a certain generation dies off so will the interest in cars/trucks.
There seems to be a trend in old cars being bought buy hipster types and a younger gens to promote their "handmade" type business now. Older utes and small trucks are being converted to shop trucks.

[Crazy Dazz]

When it comes to collecting, i think there are different ownership practices that factor in, such as restoration, modding, hot-rodding, etc. There are those who would pay a high price for a pristine model, so they can keep it locked away. those who would prefer to start with a flogged example and rebuild it, and those who would transform it into a hot-rod or drag car.

As to what makes a collectible, again numerous factors, such as rarity, desirability, historical popularity, legendary status, nostalgia, etc.
And yes, I think our personal perspectives colour all of those, and in part are shaped by what we grew up with.

I'm not interested in cars more than a decade or two older than me, because I never really saw those around much growing up.
I grew up in cars without power anything, aircon, etc, so such a car remains appealing. However the idea of a Vintage car with no windows and a crank, does not.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

It's funny how some think when a certain generation dies off so will the interest in cars/trucks.

The demise of the Boomers will have a big impact on everything, simply because they were big and prosperous.
I also do think that interest in cars has fallen as a proportion of the population, BUT of course the population has grown.
I think also what we will see is a wider interest in models as a reflection of our more diverse backgrounds.

[anobserver]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

I think every generation thinks the following generations are doomed and have no emotion towards cars and only sees them as transport.

Those who were brought up driving 30’s-40’s model cars probably thought cars and their owners of the 50’s and 60’s lacked soul, who in turn thought the same of cars and owners of the 70’s and 80’s. And so on and so forth... as for car collecting? It’ll always be a thing, but I doubt the days of $1m classics will last too long. The current generation can’t even afford to buy a house let alone spend that coin on cars.

Couple of good points here.

One is that tastes change over time, and that future collectors might value quite different attributes to what we currently do.

The other point is that the current inflated prices can only last as long as the underlying bidding. What cannot last forever, will not, but good luck predicting how and when that might change.

I like a wide and eclectic range of collectibles, but the ridiculous prices means I may never own one. So I choose other interests rather than mope over what might have been.

[roddy1960]

Personally not much interest in car collecting mainly due to not enough space and definitely not enough moola . Even if I could I'm committed to Blue Oval and built here . Nothing else excites me much . The best I'll be able to do is give a really nice Falcon , maybe two like now or maybe one day a Mustang a home but with the promise of being well cared for .

Regarding the general question of future car collecting , I hope that there are plenty who can do that for the education of the ones coming that missed out on some pretty amazing cars that some of us know and love .

Wouldn't it be sad in say 25-30 years from now when possibly autonomous cars are just transport with no passion like we know now and the young ones have little idea what a motoring enthusiast was .. Might not even be that long .

[Sprintey]

In 20 to 30 my kids and their friends will be middle aged, and they all know and love those iconic 60's-70's shapes. Do they own them? Nope, no way, the cost is stratospheric for a young one. But would they? You betcha.

[Paul Knowles]

Old cars are our motoring history and we need to preserve all good examples for future appreciation. We all have a list of cars we desire for different reasons and have regrettably sold many due to lack of funds or adequate storage. One that I regret was an electric blue XB coupe I was given in 2000, it had a little rust you had to search for and although the paint looked good it really needed a resto. I pulled the drive line and took it to the scrapper. A thirty to forty grand car now in that state of repair.
My advice, buy what you desire and can afford and make sure it fits your needs.
I sold my XY GS van as it only had two seats and although Schlick I found it hard to sell because it had such a limited market. A thirty thousand dollar toy that can’t carry the family won’t last long.
Wow, even Toyota Cressida’s are becoming collectable, go figure.