Big question?

[90503]

Originally Posted by RallySS

I believe they will have a decent corner in the marketplace in about 30 years, but mainly for highly optioned cars with the V8s that are well kept. Other than that, it will likely be a wash like the 80's. The only reason I say this is the fact we fell into a very muscle-hungry time span where we have high hp numbers like the sixties and very early seventies, but we also found high production numbers like the eighties and nineties. I guess it will all depend on the survivability of the cars produced in the end.

I agree...I get a kick out of watching the Mecum/Barret-Jackson auctions to get a feel for the "collectibility" of cars, especially the 60's, early 70's muscle cars...Everybody cheers about the Gen5 Camaro's out-selling Mustang and Mopar now...but guess what?...the old Mopars are way more valuable primarily because of their low production numbers. Sort of similar to whats going on today, if you have an interest in the "collectibility".
Just a thought...

[1BADLS3]

Originally Posted by 90503

The last Mecum Auction had I believe it was an '02(?) Camaro, the very last year...guy thought there would never be Camaros again...it was fully loaded, SS, convertible...never driven, still had plastic covers on seats, etc...still had window stickers and all on it like it just came off the lot...
He paid @32K sticker...it sold for @20K after ten years...just sayin'...

That's what I'm sayin. Go even farther back and look at limited production/"rare" cars like the '82 pace car, the '93 Pace Car, never driven '02 SS 35th anniversary edition cars, '97 SS 30th anniversary edition cars -- They're not even going for MSRP, inflation adjusted. Collectible Camaros seem to be limited to the original SS/Z28/COPO cars, and maybe split-bumper 2nd gens.

Very few 3rd gens are collectible--I'd wager to say most of them are the TTA's/Firehawks if you can find one in good condition, it might hit an auction block and sell for its MSRP if it doesn't have any miles on it (those cars actually had MSRP's in the $50-$60k range in the early 1990's, by far the most expensive 3rd gens ever produced).

I have very very high doubt that regular production 5th gens will ever be collectible.

[spectre_]

I believe cars are a lot like art. What one considers desirable and thus collectable, is really just a matter of personal preference.

You watch those auctions and there is always a couple of cars/trucks that make you scratch your head and think, "That car/truck isn't worth half of that!"

[Wizard1183]

Well I think it'll have some value to it considering theyre soon going to stop making high performance high horsepower cars. By 2025 to meet the strict 35+mpg, Im betting this will be 1974 all over again moving away from "race cars." This will end the era all together because, unless they find a way to increase mpg in V8s by 10 or more I cant see them still making them. But of course it'll be for the rich to play, adore, admire and collect in 30-40 yrs

[90503]

Originally Posted by Wizard1183

Well I think it'll have some value to it considering theyre soon going to stop making high performance high horsepower cars. By 2025 to meet the strict 35+mpg, Im betting this will be 1974 all over again moving away from "race cars." This will end the era all together because, unless they find a way to increase mpg in V8s by 10 or more I cant see them still making them. But of course it'll be for the rich to play, adore, admire and collect in 30-40 yrs

You may have a point...all depends on what other cars, (economy, alternative fuels, etc.) they can make viable in the future to meet the Coporate Average Fuel Economy mandates. How successful those are will probably determine how much of a hit our types of cars need to take.

To make these "collectible" in any sense, I think would probably take some drastic decision to stop production completely and in the very near future.
I don't see that happening as long as they are selling like hot cakes, and if they can keep them in the over-all mix of things in the years ahead.

[Wizard1183]

Originally Posted by 90503

You may have a point...all depends on what other cars, (economy, alternative fuels, etc.) they can make viable in the future to meet the Coporate Average Fuel Economy mandates. How successful those are will probably determine how much of a hit our types of cars need to take.

To make these "collectible" in any sense, I think would probably take some drastic decision to stop production completely and in the very near future.
I don't see that happening as long as they are selling like hot cakes, and if they can keep them in the over-all mix of things in the years ahead.

They did it in '74 and history has a sense of repeating itself I can see it as you say a drastic decision to stop making them completely coming up in the future. Im pretty sure in the muscle car era, they were selling like hot cakes as well. And then once emmissions kicked in, it stopped.

[90503]

Originally Posted by Wizard1183

They did it in '74 and history has a sense of repeating itself I can see it as you say a drastic decision to stop making them completely coming up in the future. Im pretty sure in the muscle car era, they were selling like hot cakes as well. And then once emmissions kicked in, it stopped.

There was a little more to it than emissions..The demand was tapering off before emissions...Insurance companies made them out of reach for a lot of folks...They had their run, and the auto-makers saw the handwriting on the wall...then not much later, you couldn't even buy gas!...lol...and that certainly didn't make them collectible at all at that time!

[oyealiz]

I'm going to do like I've always done....drive my car when and where I want to drive it and not worry about what it might, in the future, be worth to someone else.