Future of the classic car hobby may be unstable per experts?

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I call BS on most of that article. The hobby IS unstable by nature. Always has been. Always will be. It's not like we're collecting gold, diamonds, silver or anything of that nature.

People are gonna have their hobbies, come hell or high water.......OR the LAW. If the gubmint outlaws them on the streets, people will still FIND a way to enjoy their classic cars.
 
The issue is how many younger people are not exposed to 60' -70' cars. Most people I know only drive them some. They sit in their garage collecting dust bunnies. They are Taken out to a few shows maybe some cruise ins and then put back into their storage containers. if you are not exspossed to something how can you develop a Love or Passion for it.

"I" think the problem is the people who do not drive their cars. I would much rather see a car that is not 100% restored driving around than one that is taken out of cold storage rolled into the trailer rolled off the trailer at the show then just do the reverse when they leave the show. How many younger people get to see that car? Other than the ones who have parents that are interested and take them to said show.

I think you have to leave the investment types out of some equations. They roll in different crowds. To them it is like managing another 401, off shore account, or any other investment just moving assets around. Also how many toys can you take with you when go for that last ride into the sunset.

Just thinking out loud on the post.

Not sure on the clock thing. There are people who like fine things exspecialy old clocks and watches. I have one of my degrees from this place. Not in watch making or repair. The people who get in this program have a job way before they graduate.

http://go.osuit.edu/academics/watchmaking/
 
The demographic a market appeals to is the driver of all trends, booms and busts. After all the 'market' is really just the collective of buyers and sellers within it.

I have an appreciation and respect for cars of the 30's through the 50's, and yet (as I was born in '62) I have absolutely zero interest in acquiring one at any reasonable price. The muscle cars of the 60's are already being overshadowed in terms of performance and most certainly handling and comfort by modern performance cars. Heck my 06 Trailblazer SS I tow my race car with will run high 13's and is certainly faster than a stock 69 road runner 383 car.

So what is left as we project 5, 10 or even 25 years out? A 426 Hemi will still be respected, but only in terms of how it reigned 'in its time", as did the flathead V8 in the 40's and the Buick Grand national in the 80's. Nostalgia and unique styling primarily, that's already why a 68 charger will bring more than another comparable B body, it has a timeless and iconic style that personifies a period in time....and always will. Just like a 32 ford or a 57 Chevy, it speaks for a generation ( not necessarily better, just more universally recognized) as representative of a period in time.

Collectors buy and hold, speculators buy and flip but only stay in as long as the 'trend' is hot... the market is driven by the collective sum of how many of each type are in it at any given time. And all collectors will, sadly but eventually age out, for want of a nicer way to say it. When that happens the market will shrink and interest will concentrate primarily on mainly the Icons and the market value of the others will slowly contract.

My .02 only
 
Kids nowadays would rather program cars to drive on video games than get out and drive a real one.
 
I dunno, my 18yr old wants to drive mine every chance he gets. And someone commented on Diesels. There's a whole breed of people hooked on diesels. They can be a blast too. I should know, I have a collection of VW diesels my wife and kids drive, and a Dodge that I primarily drive.
 
POLITICAL TURMOIL?
ECONOMIC STRUGGLE?
GLOBAL WARMING?
DIVORCE SCANDAL?

<<<<<<<< !!!I BUY OLD JUNK!!! >>>>>>>>>>


Why would a poor kid hotrod a Honda? I'll give you one guess.

I think I have vague idea of what will happen if these cars become affordable to everyone with melanin in their hair, again.
 
That's why it's our responsibility to teach the muscle car culture to our youth and hope they can keep it alive throughout their lives as we have done by whoever first taught us. As with any culture there are things that have been passed down generation by generation and this will be one we all need to try and preserve for as long as we can! Long live the Muscle/Classic Car!!!!!!
 
WildCat said:
Go to any car related event, what do you see, a bunch of old gray hair people

The only positive thing is the sale of some of these collection means that maybe some of them will get some exposure and interest the younger generations

But many of my car buddies say, MY KIDS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THE CARS and these are guys older than me and their kids are not that much younger.
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I am 31 years old, when I was young kid I liked cars but I wasn't really into cars. When I was in high school I got into import cars (before the fast and furious movies). I wasn't interest in a old heavy gas guzzling muscle car.

But after years of imports, sport bikes, and then owning a Harley... I came to a point in my late 20's early 30's where I felt too old for import sport cars. Became too worried about getting hurt riding a motorcycle, so figured either a higher end car (BMW/Mercedes/etc.) or going for a classic/muscle car.

Not sure why, but I started getting a new feeling of interest in older cars. Maybe its the coolness factor, maybe it is the easy way to add power and comfortable cruising like riding a Harley.

Or maybe it is because you have more exclusiveness compared to the current import sport cars/sport bikes.

Whatever it is, I have grown to love them and have been learning what I can like someone obsessed lol. Well also maybe watching shows like Chasing Classic Cars, Overhaulin, Fast and Loud, and so on have also played a big role in growing my interest.

So I was on the fence, about to buy a BMW and then one of my good friends (who has always been into classic/muscle cars) that is 29 years old bought himself a 1965 Mustang.

IMG_0083.jpg


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Him getting his Mustang, motivated me to get something and I started looking into Dodge Dart's but got into Plymouth Duster's.

IMG_0024.jpg


So yeah going to what Wildcat posted, these cars need exposure and need to be seen by people. They need to see it, hear it, and that is what will help grow the interest.

Keeping such cars away, hidden, stored, and rarely driven will not help.
 
CudaDust said:
The issue is how many younger people are not exposed to 60' -70' cars. Most people I know only drive them some. They sit in their garage collecting dust bunnies. They are Taken out to a few shows maybe some cruise ins and then put back into their storage containers. if you are not exspossed to something how can you develop a Love or Passion for it.

"I" think the problem is the people who do not drive their cars. I would much rather see a car that is not 100% restored driving around than one that is taken out of cold storage rolled into the trailer rolled off the trailer at the show then just do the reverse when they leave the show. How many younger people get to see that car? Other than the ones who have parents that are interested and take them to said show.
Click to expand...

Hemaniac said:
That's why it's our responsibility to teach the muscle car culture to our youth and hope they can keep it alive throughout their lives as we have done by whoever first taught us. As with any culture there are things that have been passed down generation by generation and this will be one we all need to try and preserve for as long as we can! Long live the Muscle/Classic Car!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Yep and yep... I posted before seeing these and completely agree :burnout:
 
Holy shmoly! Great thread! I Don't have much to add since I am very new to the car hobby and the MOPAR subset.

That being said I truely hope the repop aftermarket doesn't buy into it the OPs article!
I love my dart and so do my kids.

I look forward to reading more.

AlV
 
My daughter is 7. She enjoys building car models, helping me in the garage, going to car shows, drag races, etc., along with all the other things a seven year old girl would normally be into (dolls, games, the computer, etc.). Any time at a show or cruise somebody is looking at my Polara, which is her favorite, she immediately points out loud and clear that it is not for sale, lol. She has gone with me to shows and cruise-ins since before she could walk, and has listened with mesmerized interest any time a cammed up V8 with loud pipes is loping at idle.
 
Fed by the baby boom generation?

All the studies I've read - formal and informal - says the most prevalent muscle car guy is in his mid forties. That makes 'em the front end of Gen X. 0-10 years old during the muscle car era. (Officially Boomers are born between '46 and '64.)
 
I agree these cars need to be seen driving down the road. need not be prefect by no means. I agree the youth need to be exposed to our hobby and we have the obligation to help them into it if they desire.
here is s w Missouri, cruise-in's are huge. perfect way to drive the car, spouse can go along for buger and chit chat, we have opportunity to see what goes on in brand x and y camps (the dark side!?), but most important the car is being drive, its only true purpose in life???
 
On of the larger car collectors, Ron Pratt, is selling off a lot of his collection which is drawing a lot of attention from the speculators. He's the one who outbid everyone on all of the big Dollar auctions at Barret Jackson for the last 10 years. Notice how the Snake and Mongoose cars didn't have the big selling frenzy like in years past, its cause BJ's big $ man wasn't there. Somebody like him is in it for the $ and how to manipulate it. RIght now there is an upswing in the economy. He's going to lose $ on every car he sells most likely, but it will be far less than what he could lose should the economy take a down turn again. Why would somebody like that purposely lose $ ? To me that is the lesson to learn.. not the fact they are selling off their cars, but WHY are they selling them? What do they know that we do not?

This hobby has gotten too expensive for the younger generation and it needs to come back down to an affordable level for them to get more involved in it. Thats my .02
 
Been following this thread with great interest. So may good observations. I'm 64 and was SO fortunate to be there in the day. The only thing I would like to add is that yes, the hobby may be off its highs but I feel by only a small margin. Could just be the state of the economy. On the up side one needs to a look at the after market business such as Year One and others that are apparently doing well and are always adding new line items and expanding their catalogs. I would think they have done their home work and understand trends better than anyone.
Another barometer of the hobby I like to follow is the Mecum auctions. Yes, Dana is unique, but his auctions are more real world than others, has a good sell % and has a broad buyer base. As a bonus he also expose many of the curious to the muscle car experience.
Just my .02.
 
There is already some regulation going on in my area. I believe it is gas prices. It used to be that even 15 years ago there was still an occasional young adult running a Chevelle or Camaro as a daily driver. Not so much anymore. it can be because they are all off the road as restorations or show cars, but the gas mileage just isn't good. Today a young person cannot afford a car the needs constant maintenance and is a gas guzzler. I believe a young person still appreciates a cool car when they see one, but they view ownership of one as a "rich Mans" toy or an "Old rich mans" toy. My son thinks my 70 340 swinger is cool, but he isn't interested in working on it or maintaining it if he ever owns it. Its funny though because the inherent nature of hot rodding is still out there, you can see the youngsters that think their Civic CRX is hot stuff. I don't think these kids know how to work on the Hondas though, they are always dumping black smoke when I see them. The older cars were easier to mod and tune. Hard to say where the future lies in the years ahead. I do believe the gov. will try and make certain cars illegal. They are already looking to phase out v-8's if they cant comply with mileage restrictions. There really isn't an epidemic of old cars on the road though, so it isn't a problem where they need to make them illegal. And why couldn't a modern drivetrain be retrofitted? I believe California already does this where their old cars have anti smog motors in them. I think as long as the vehicle complies, it doesn't matter how old the body is.
 
In the last few years Nevada changed their registration laws.It used to be all cars newer than 1967 neded to be smogged to get plates. Now they have 6 or so ways to register that require no smog test. I have 2 of my cars with "Classic Vehicle" registration. They have to be 25 years old and driven less than 5,000 miles a year. That's just fine to me because combined they won't get driven that much.as long it is legal to own and drive I will always have a classic car.


I just got a e-mail from Barrett-Jackson saying that the Ron Pratte collection will be up for auction.Several hundred cars. I truely think he is selling not because of investment,he maybe bored with what he has and wants some new tin to look at.
In 2004 he sold 53 cars at the B-J auction but bought over 100.Guys like Mr. Pratte and Rick Hendrick are extreme collectors but I think the Classic car industry will be around for awhile. Like anything there will be peaks and valleys even for little guy investors that have cars for the pure fun of it.

Some things in the industry will come and go (remember drifting??) Even drag racing died off in the mid seventies only to come back strong.
 
If people only would open their eyes, they would realize this country is gonna crash and crash hard. The value of classic cars will fall into the basement.Not a pessimist, just a realist!
 
My 13 yr old Grandson loves my Demon and would like to have it and even asked me if I would give it to him when he turns 16. He is my Daughter's son and my Son in law who is 39 yrs old would like to have it when I kick the bucket. My Son (36 yrs old) would like to have it also as well as his son who is 9 yrs old. My Son in law likes to work on cars but my Son does not. I am inclined to give it to my Son in law when I am gone because these cars need periodic work done on them. My Son just would want to to drive it and when it had a problem would probably just get rid of it. I think it may be true what others have said about young people not having an interest in these cars is because of little exposure to them. The young guys in my family all seem to want mine.
 
fratzog lover said:
If people only would open their eyes, they would realize this country is gonna crash and crash hard. The value of classic cars will fall into the basement.Not a pessimist, just a realist!
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I agree completely with the crash and burn part. On the other hand, classic cars have now fallen into the same investment class as art, gold and silver. I was in gold for years, and one of the reasons I dove completely into the vintage Mopar thing is BECAUSE of the handwriting on the wall. Those with wealth will always look to protect it through tangible goods with recognized value.
It's happening right before our eyes! The middle class has been pretty much gutted...half our population is on some sort of assistance. Our banking system and government are both so completely corrupt that we've become the laughing stock of the civilized world! And at the very same time, the interest and value in our cars..and not just the High Performance ones, continues to climb. I'm paying $1000 for the same parts cars I was buying for $100 just 5 or 6 years ago, and I'm selling every last scrap!
From an investment standpoint, keep your eyes on the Chinese. Those folks are on top again...just like they've been many times over the last 12,000 years. This time around, they have discovered the automobile in a HUGE way and I will guarantee the classic, vintage American car is going to be right at the top of the NEED list of every high-roller, future Chinese car collector.
If things unfold the way they appear to be, and all of the logical and mathematical ends are met, the million dollar Slant Six 4 door Valiant is an absolute certainty...and it could happen much sooner than you think.
 
well, here's my 2 cents:
cost to drive classic? good runnin slant in A body, 4 speed od, 30 mpg. fact. with highway gear, and auto low to mid 20's. fact. same A body with right gear and stock SB, mid 15's or more..... fact.
economy tanking in BIG way???? I sure think something has to give ! but, what if the US economy does go belly up? perhaps???? that old slant you can work on, and buy parts for liitle to nothing will be your saving grace!? NO job? $ not worth squat? too far to walk? lost your modern vehicle cause ya can't make the payment? i'd be glad to have that slant dart (that's paid for). fact?? i'm not smart enough to know!! LOL
cost of restoring a classic car nodays???? plenty of restoreable early A bodies complete to be had for $500- $1000.( no, no original 340 dusters!)..... that's plenty cheap! cost to restore it!? yes. that's where it gets costly!!! just look at the price of just oil, antifreeze, ATF, radiator hoses, any Mopar repop parts!!!!!
BUT, if a guy wants to learn to do his own work, not too lazy or nervous to try......doesn't have to have $6000 concours paint job.... anyone can have a nice driver to enjoy, drive it and keep it nice.... always worth decent money... wear out any modern throwaway vehicle, and ya what? throw it away!????? fact.
yes, I would l ove to know some of what Mr. warren Buffet knows..... LOL
 
Whitepunkonnitro you are absolutely spot on about the Chinese and it has already started. I sold a 53 XK120 Jaguar last year that I restored to a Chinese couple that were here on a buying spree. They also purchased a 57 and 65 Corvette to take back to their home land.
 
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