Future classic/collectibles..which cars have the right stuff? What say you?

[REAL 1]

Kirkhams? Really? Interesting. You never know. Kinda like AC Cobras today maybe. I can see a parallel.

[Jamo]

Well...same market as any one-off custom/hot rod, like one of Boyd's.

I took your inquiry to mean production vehicles.

Some additional thoughts.

Shelby Series 1 (yup...believe it or not)
Recent pre-VW Bentleys
Recent pre-BMW Rolls
Last two years of air-cooled Porsches
RR Defenders, asspecially the 110s

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Jamo

Last two years of air-cooled Porsches

You mean the 993's, which I mentioned earlier.

The 1995-1998 are the model years of the 993's (last air-cooled models), but the 1998 is considered the most sought after, relatively speaking, of course.

[Jamo]

You know more than I, my friend...I just know from friends.

[Jamo]

Damn...just went back through the thread. We're putting together a nice shopping list.

[RodKnock]

Well, there's always the Camaro IROC-Z's of the late 80's as well as the Firebird TransAm with the Buick GN engine, like 1989.

Don't the AC MKIV's seem cheap too?

[RodKnock]

Originally Posted by Jamo

You know more than I, my friend...I just know from friends.

I dabble a little in Porsche's too. Prices remain strong in the "modern classic" Porsche market.

[RedBarchetta]

IMHO, I see the lines between "collectible" and "enjoyable" really being blurred here.

A numbers matching '67 427/435 'Vette Roadster is collectible and enjoyable. The same car with non-numbers matching and (we all see this), "1 of only 213 with the red interior option" (BFD!) doesn't make the car necessarily collectible (given the rest of its condition), but still enjoyable.

I always wanted an '86 IROC. Not collectible unless it's ultra low miles and prestine. Mostly enjoyable though. Thus, it's desired.

Of course, a Bugatti Veryon easily passes both tests. Exclusiveness and collectibility are often compatable bed partners, too.

I need to get a bigger garage.

-Dean

[dcdoug]

Originally Posted by RedBarchetta

I need to get a bigger garage.

-Dean

Check out the Amazing Garages thread. Then you will really want a bigger/better garage.....

[RedBarchetta]

Originally Posted by dcdoug

Check out the Amazing Garages thread. Then you will really want a bigger/better garage.....

Over the top.

For me the best garage is the one that you either can't see from the street, or is the least obvious. But very accessible from the house.

Back on topic. Going back beyond the 10 year horizon, how about a well preserved DeLorean? Or ANY Countach?

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by RodKnock

Don't the AC MKIV's seem cheap too?

Yes,

Wanna buy one?

[REAL 1]

I think that to become collectible the model has to be out of production or at a minimum if the car is still being made it is superceded by something substantially different, i.e. Porsche 993s superceded by 997s which were now water cooled or even better the manufacturer has to have gone the way of the Doe Doe bird ala DeLorean. This is just stating the obvious though. However, I think initial desireability is likely the most important ingredient. The DeLorean while limited in number and no longer being manufactured in any variant was never really a desireable car and still isn't. DeLoreans are still rather cheap. I don't see them far removed from the Bricklin. Limited in number, not being produced any longer in any variant but still not very desireable.

Jamo mentioned the Shelby Series 1. I had also thought of the Series 1 as having collectible status in years to come for a number of reasons.

Yes my intitial question really focused on production cars not really customs like Boyd Coddington Hot Rods.

[twobjshelbys]

I think the Kirkhams will climb up the tree. They really are works of art. If I lived in a part of the country that you can drive into hail on the way home from a car show (see my story elsewhere) I would have considered one. I'm not that much into the brushed/polished look so mine would have been painted. Whether it was a Kirkham Kirkham or a Shelby Kirkham would have depended on the circumstances. But aluminum doesn't get along with hail. Even fiberglass gets whacked, so I think my carbon fiber was the right choice for here. Time and location might have changed that.

[twobjshelbys]

Regarding Series 1s. I think they deserve a spot in this discussion. They certainly qualify on the "rarity" metric. The question is whether they'll find a real following. So far I think they are doing OK but not great. I personally liked the silver 'vert I saw. Plus the parts are readily available. I'd put it in the middle .33-.67 bracket.

[Rare Iron]

Think of it this way, what if you found an '87 Buick GN, or an 87 Mustang GT local to you for sale, & it had all orig. paint, & it was all factory original - a real cream puff that had like 23,000 miles on it & was basically like new & garage kept all it's life. In my opinion, THAT would be a very desirable car to own, & of course if the price was reasonable - say around $8,500.00. Now compare that scenario with finding an '86 Ford Tempo or Taurus the same way - mint low miler. In my book, the GN & the Mustang would be waaaay more desirable - they would be very collectible in that condition. Same would go for a Porsche, an '88 Turbo Coupe Thunderbird, a '95 Impala SS, etc. Cars like Toyota Corollas & Renaults are just not collectable to most - there's no pizzaz. It's got to have some nice style & some muscle.