[cellsafemode]

Originally Posted by foshjowler

Very few cars have ever been a keep it nice because one day it will be worth money kind of car. Outside of exotics and the odd person that deliberately keeps miles off their car, most cars of any generation get used hard for 20 years. Talk to older generations at a car show and most will tell you about whatever car they owned back in the day that they ran hard and one day turned out to be moderately collectible. Go to the 70s and 80s and the 69 Camaro wasn't considered collectible. It was viewed similarly to how we view 2000s cars today.

Cars go through a life cycle; new cool, to depreciated/cheap cool, to crappy, to ironic cool, to restoration/old guy cool. Regular cars don't really make it out of the crappy stage, but even moderately interesting cars do. Look at the 3rd gen F-body and Fox Body Mustang, they're getting into the ironic cool where people are starting to restore them. Now, I don't think they'll ever reach the collectibility of the 69 Camaro, there's just nothing inherently interesting about them. They're not the first or last of much that people care about.

If the 6th gen Camaro turns out to be the last of the Manuals, V8s, or Camaro in general, then one day they'll be quite collectible. If not then they'll always be moderately collectible like most other generations, but won't call for the big dollars at auctions.

yea...collectible doesn't mean classic though. Classic i would think is an artistic term for a car that is indicative of a generation of cars that no longer exists that way.

You see a car and you just know, those are the way cars of that type looked at that time period and that particular car that's deemed classic is the epitome of that look.


When it comes to cars that are 90's+... i'm not sure such a thing can exist. Are there any real design changes that have occurred since the 90's in cars that would make someone 30 years from now look at it and go ...yea, that's how they were then and now they're not.

I guess if everything goes to the robots and so people stop owning cars and they all change into little electric pods ...pretty much anything around now could be considered classic due to them being the last gas powered personal transports people drove themselves. But if gas powered continues being a thing, i can't really see something in the 90's being that stylistically different from something in the 2000's and beyond ... and basically the late 70's and 80's is just full of garbage vehicle designs so i'd be surprised if anything from those decades is worth remembering as classic.

[Abubaca]

Well first of all, a car is NEVER a smart financial bet, although you do rarely get lucky later on down the road.



Second, very few cars will reach the heights of the 69 Camaro. Some do for sure, but not many. That being said, I don't see the 69 ever going out of style. Cars get hot and cool off, but few actually move in and out of general collect-ability. < that spelled right!?

Lastly, my intent for this thread wasn't directly aimed at the 6th gen, or to compare to the 69 or any other classic. It was entirely to discuss potential differences between the generations based on the level of tech. That being said, I don't intend to have my SS that long. Still, if things continue in the direction they're headed, with electric and alternated fuels, automation etc. etc..... .....you don't think the last great Camaro won't be valuable down the road? Not putting a dollar on that value, or comparing it to anything, but it doesn't take much to invoke an interest.

[UnknownJinX]

Originally Posted by cellsafemode

yea...collectible doesn't mean classic though. Classic i would think is an artistic term for a car that is indicative of a generation of cars that no longer exists that way.

You see a car and you just know, those are the way cars of that type looked at that time period and that particular car that's deemed classic is the epitome of that look.


When it comes to cars that are 90's+... i'm not sure such a thing can exist. Are there any real design changes that have occurred since the 90's in cars that would make someone 30 years from now look at it and go ...yea, that's how they were then and now they're not.

I guess if everything goes to the robots and so people stop owning cars and they all change into little electric pods ...pretty much anything around now could be considered classic due to them being the last gas powered personal transports people drove themselves. But if gas powered continues being a thing, i can't really see something in the 90's being that stylistically different from something in the 2000's and beyond ... and basically the late 70's and 80's is just full of garbage vehicle designs so i'd be surprised if anything from those decades is worth remembering as classic.

I don't think there are American cars that can be considered classic from the 90s, but Japanese has a few you have probably heard of. Honda/Acura 1st Gen NSX, Toyota Mk 4 Supra, and Mazda FD RX-7 all can be considered classic as they are the products of the golden age of JDM(bubble economy of Japan), and JDM has certainly fallen to the point that we don't see something like them, maybe ever again. If there is a collectible classic I will go with, I would go with an FD RX-7 for sure. The timeless look and the insane 2-rotor Wankel rotary engine w/twin sequential turbos would seal the deal for me.

Personally I am not really holding my breath for Camaro 6th Gen, at least for a good while. Like others said, drive it and enjoy it. If you want to stare at them later, there is a thing called an automotive museum where you can see these cars to your hearts' content. You won't get to drive them, obviously.

[AZCamaroFan]

first gens have been uber-popular for a long time, but now as they have gotten so valuable, subsequent generations have been growing in poplularity. at the same time people have gotten use to electronics and computers more and more. So i do see the current Camaro's having popularity in coming years.

[Abubaca]

I don't think there are American cars that can be considered classic from the 90s

I disagree. What about Vipers and Rumblebee Trucks? The Lightning? The Saleens, Roushes and SVT Mustangs? The Terminators? -though they were technically not in the 90's. The C4 Corvette and 4th gen F bodies? Both have bottomed out in price and are now starting to bring money. Clean LT1 cars are coming up quite a bit and the SLP variants are up even more. Let alone the LT4 SS, Berger and GMMG cars. ...and if you can find an LT4 Vette, wow. ...whatabout the ZR1 cars? ... And have you looked at the truck market lately? Single cabs might as well be made of gold!

[UnknownJinX]

Originally Posted by Abubaca

I disagree. What about Vipers and Rumblebee Trucks? The Lightning? The Saleens, Roushes and SVT Mustangs? The Terminators? -though they were technically not in the 90's. The C4 Corvette and 4th gen F bodies? Both have bottomed out in price and are now starting to bring money. Clean LT1 cars are coming up quite a bit and the SLP variants are up even more. Let alone the LT4 SS, Berger and GMMG cars. ...and if you can find an LT4 Vette, wow. ...whatabout the ZR1 cars? ... And have you looked at the truck market lately? Single cabs might as well be made of gold!

Going back to cellsafemode's comment, those cars could be considered collectible, but classic? I don't think so unless there is pop culture influence backing them, like a Delorean(which is kind of an odd car in itself, which is classic).

This is in part that a lot of them have a modern successor to them that are fairly similar to them. C4 Corvette and C7 Corvette are fundamentally similar vehicles and so I don't really consider it much of a classic.

Looking at the JDM examples, just try and find a successor to each of the example I mentioned. Modern NSX is an electronic hybrid wonder, Mk V Supra is half German, and don't even get me started on Mazda rotaries. It fits the definition of "they don't make cars like these anymore" better than American performance cars, partly just because American performance cars are alive and strong nowadays and they have actually been improving a lot, while JDM is just a hollow shell of its past self. The golden age of JDM fighting American cars with twice the displacement and German cars with twice the price is not coming back.

[mikeman]

I don't want to offend anyone, but I don't think the average 6th gen is ever going to be a "classic" someday. The only ones that will be really desirable will be the ZL1 and 1LE models especially the ones in limited edition colors. Otherwise, it will be just another car.

[Abubaca]

those cars could be considered collectible, but classic?

While I acknowledge the difference, as well as your reasoning, I think we're now really digging into the minutiae. I believe any car to have depreciated to rock bottom, only to have enough interest to come back and start appreciating to be considered a classic.

[MackSteelPrivateEye]

Originally Posted by UnknownJinX

I don't think there are American cars that can be considered classic from the 90s, but Japanese has a few you have probably heard of. Honda/Acura 1st Gen NSX, Toyota Mk 4 Supra, and Mazda FD RX-7 all can be considered classic as they are the products of the golden age of JDM(bubble economy of Japan), and JDM has certainly fallen to the point that we don't see something like them, maybe ever again. If there is a collectible classic I will go with, I would go with an FD RX-7 for sure. The timeless look and the insane 2-rotor Wankel rotary engine w/twin sequential turbos would seal the deal for me.

Personally I am not really holding my breath for Camaro 6th Gen, at least for a good while. Like others said, drive it and enjoy it. If you want to stare at them later, there is a thing called an automotive museum where you can see these cars to your hearts' content. You won't get to drive them, obviously.

I can't think of any Japanese Classics anywhere at anytime.

[Abubaca]

I can't think of any Japanese Classics anywhere at anytime.

I'd consider the MK4 Supra a classic, and maybe the NSX too. I'll admit I had to look up the RX7. I wasn't aware of that car. -it's actually pretty sharp!

[UnknownJinX]

Originally Posted by Abubaca

While I acknowledge the difference, as well as your reasoning, I think we're now really digging into the minutiae. I believe any car to have depreciated to rock bottom, only to have enough interest to come back and start appreciating to be considered a classic.

Well, I guess at the end of the day, if a car is rare enough, it will be collectible and special, and that's all that matters.

Originally Posted by MackSteelPrivateEye

I can't think of any Japanese Classics anywhere at anytime.

The 90s JDM performance cars are pretty classic IMO, with pop culture to back them, no less(Fast & Furious, Initial D, etc.). Again, they make one go "the Japanese don't make cars like that anymore."

It's not the same type of classic as an American classic, but still classic IMO. The market on those JDM classics should give you a good indication.

Originally Posted by Abubaca

I'd consider the MK4 Supra a classic, and maybe the NSX too. I'll admit I had to look up the RX7. I wasn't aware of that car. -it's actually pretty sharp!

It's not just the looks, all these cars have a unique powertrain as well, with Honda's transverse mid-engine V6, Supra's crazy potent 2JZ and the just straight-up bonkers 13B-REW of FD RX-7. That was a time Japanese literally designed a car first and thought about how to sell them second, something that won't happen again in today's world.

[c4racer]

Originally Posted by Abubaca

I disagree. What about Vipers and Rumblebee Trucks? The Lightning? The Saleens, Roushes and SVT Mustangs? The Terminators? -though they were technically not in the 90's. The C4 Corvette and 4th gen F bodies? Both have bottomed out in price and are now starting to bring money. Clean LT1 cars are coming up quite a bit and the SLP variants are up even more. Let alone the LT4 SS, Berger and GMMG cars. ...and if you can find an LT4 Vette, wow. ...whatabout the ZR1 cars? ... And have you looked at the truck market lately? Single cabs might as well be made of gold!

Agree! Watching BAT is quite interesting. I am shocked at what lower miles late 80's IROCs, 4th gens from all years, 90's Impala SS and so forth are going for. I saw a IROC with under 50K miles sell for almost what I paid for a brand new one in 1989 - my first new car. Amazing. Terrible cars compared to a 5th or 6th gen that could be had for similar $.

So who knows - I could see a scenario where 6th gen cars - especially with 6MT could be somewhat cult classic collectible in 10-20 years from now - especially if we continue down the technology path and electric becomes more and more the norm during that time.

For me - I'm keeping mine as long as I continue to enjoy it. Mine is also a 2016, but it's one of 4 vehicles I drive on a rotating basis so it has only 13K miles on it. Garaged and covered in the winter. I'm not expecting it to be a collectible - but I really enjoy driving the car whenever I get the chance and as long as that continues and I can afford to keep it around - I will do so.
I also have a full on Pro-Touring build 1971 that is certainly more of a classic - I hope to own that one long term, but even if I did sell it I would replace it with something similar. The performance envelope is quite similar to the 6th gen, but it's a completely different driving experience and one that a modern car will just never have. I don't want to drive it every day and in every situation but it's a fantastic car to have as part of my rotation.

[gpskinzhut]

Originally Posted by MackSteelPrivateEye

I can't think of any Japanese Classics anywhere at anytime.

Just to name a few:

Datsun 240Z,


gen 1 Toyota Celica fastback,


First and second gen Nissan Skyline




Toyota 2000 GT

[cellsafemode]

that tracks... a classic should be a car you look at and go "yea, that's the kind of car from that time period" and all of those cars look like any car from the 60's or 70's as far as I'm concerned (I dont like any cars from that time period so they all look the same to me).

I'm sure the 2010 classics will look like prius's and suv's ..since that's pretty much all you see on the road. Anything still around in 30 years that aren't those kinds will just be niche collector vehicles almost nobody remembers existing. A novelty like a deloreon.