"Classic" defined by my Concise Oxford Dictionary: Adjective: 1: judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality, 2: typical Noun: a work of art of established value. Funny, they don't mention cars! But my guess is that a classic car is one which is seen, when looking back at it after x number of years, to be of excellence in all aspects of its styling, mechanical design and performance for its period.
elect70,
Jul 29, 8:35am
Put any V8 in glass case as govts will crucify anything that cant do 50 MPG in not too distant future
tgray,
Jul 30, 7:08pm
You are right, but it's all relative. The panels on every 2014 Stingray I have imported are not perfect, but its not German is it and it is a third of the price.
purplefalcon,
Jul 30, 7:12pm
Only cars with black number plates
sport_billy,
Jul 30, 7:36pm
Do you think an early WRX or early RS Legacy would one day fit the classic bill? Provided as original & in modified condition as poss?
budgel,
Jul 31, 7:34am
An unmolested early one of those is so rare, they are already on the classic shortlist in my opinion.
sifty,
Jul 31, 7:39am
I shudder at some of the 'classics' in the vintage and classic motorcycle category.
Just because it's old (or has a hardly dangerous badge) doesn't mean it's a classic.
mals69,
Jul 31, 8:23am
lolollllol one wrong is still wrong - get japanese cars quarter the price of your stingray and the panels line up ?
djrandomguy,
Jul 31, 10:47am
Peugeot 106gti - lives in the shadow of the 205 but can out handle and out accelerate it, a very nervous car at the limit and very subtle. Peugeot 306 Gti-6 - had huge power for it's time, 6 speed manual years ahead of the competition and sits on a tweaked version of the 306 platform that already rides so well
richardmayes,
Jul 31, 1:58pm
A classic is any car that has some kind of iconic styling or character that makes people think it is in some way better than the newer model that replaced it, and therefore worth holding onto.
I'm not sure if many modern ordinary cars will be classics, so much about many of them is just too lightweight and sh!tty and disposable. And too forgettable.
I can see the BA XR6 & XR8 becoming classics, just because they were extremely popular when new and they basically revived the Ford Falcon after the unpopular AU series. They are showing some signs of classic-hood already; most examples that I see around look like they are someone's pride & joy and are being well maintained (unlike most VT-VZ era Holdens which appear to be getting driven into the ground.)
many VZ and onwards Holden utes are being kept nice by people who obviously really like them, you see a lot of very shiny examples of those around still.
Monaro CV8s and HSV GTOs are nice cars, all other HSVs are basically hot-rods for people who lack the time or imagination to build their own (IMHO. So there!)
All of the 1990s Japanese turbo performance cars that everyone has already mentioned.
Honda NSXs and all models of Type R Civics & Integras.
All the 21st century European turbo performance cars e.g. Golf GTi, R32, S4, Focus RS, etc etc. I think these are going to increasingly become the boy racer / "car enthusiast" cars of tomorrow as the old 1990s turbo jappers die natural deaths with few equivalent 2005-2010 models replacing them.
Subaru WRXs have so much rallying heritage that all models of WRX and STI are always going to have their fans.
pandai,
Jul 31, 2:14pm
BMW Z8's and Ford GT's have been appreciating in value lately, and they are fairly 'modern' cars
tgray,
Jul 31, 3:59pm
Yes, the panels will line up and but it won't go from 0-100 in 3.8 secs either.
kdcentralni,
Jul 31, 4:11pm
R32 c31 cefiro any of that rb series Nissan stuff original will be worth hanging onto. Anything popular with guys in their 20's when they get to their 40's they will buy them back and have the money.
lookoutas,
Jul 31, 4:33pm
Unless OP got the heading wrong and actually meant what everyone is waffling on about - tg & I are the only ones who have given the correct answers to the OP heading. A Modern Classic is a late model version of an old Classic. That covers 05 onwards Mustang's, the V model Holden Monaro's, late model Camaro's and Challenger's. Don't know whether a Viper will scrape in tg. But for anyone who disputes this, go try'n insure any of those other crappa's mentioned so far with the Co's I listed in post 22, as a Modern Classic - and see how ya get on.
The advantage of being able to insure as a Modern Classic, is the fact of belonging to a club, and in my case - already having a Classic covered with the Co. Results in a very good price. (For both)
bigmwkd,
Nov 28, 12:03pm
Lexus LS400 Lexus SC400 / Toyota Soarer
lookoutas,
Nov 28, 3:09pm
There is no such thing as an old Classic Lexus. Therefore, there cannot be a Modern Classic lexus.
You guys need to listen with your eyes.
daryl14,
Nov 28, 3:15pm
Oh god yes. I was at the lights behind a mustang the other day thinking wow. Then a challenger drove past and I felt sorry for the Mustang owner.
trogedon,
Nov 28, 3:32pm
Early 2000s GTI stationwagons too.
socram,
Aug 31, 9:37pm
Define modern before you try and define a modern classic.
Age on its own EVENTUALLY renders anything that survives beyond a certain point a classic, in that it may be representative of a bygone era and few have actually survived, especially in good original condition. The problem in the future is going to be that with the reliance on electronics, computers, moulded interior trim, decaying plastics etc., that many run of the mill cars will not be economically restorable and will be scrapped, whereas an old Austin 7 which was a cheap everyday, car will always be restorable, but no one in 1930 would have deemed it a classic, in the same way we wouldn't deem any Toyota Corolla a classic today.
If you are asking which cars would be the best investment for the long term future, different ball game altogether.
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.