[hotlap]

Originally Posted by SuperSound

Just for reference since I hear this brought up often. You might be surprised how many Camaros were built in those highly collectable first years.

'67-69 Total produced: 842,731

'09-Present Total produced: 669,045

That's not even to get into the massive numbers of the 2nd and 3rd gen cars. They sold almost 300K '79 Camaros alone, that's over half the number of 5th gen sales combined! It's not the number produced it's the number actually remaining. Cars built in the 60's/70's didn't last unless someone cared for them. That's why they are collectible today. So the mass produced argument doesn't really account for it. Just the availability. Now when you get into unicorn models like the original ZL1, '67 Z/28, etc...it does make a huge impact to their collectibility. But hell some of the most awful cars in history are highly collectible due to the low numbers produced of them...thankfully lol.

The key to collectability with the first muscle cars was nostalgia and that nothing better was coming. Emissions and fuel economy standards gutted performance by 1971 so people started putting them away and hoarding parts before a 70 Chevelle was five years old. When I was a high school sophomore in 1980, between my friends, someone owned every model year GTO made and they were just sitting in thier parents garage waiting for future restoration

The 1990 ZR1 was extremely expensive, has amazing performance for its era with awesome technology but cars kept getting better and they were toys for the rich so the public doesn't connect emotionally with them. You can now buy a low mileage #1 condition example for 50 cent on the dollar of its cost new.

The gen6 Camaro has the look and performance to be a classic but will the gen7 be even better? Millennials generally don't care about cars so they won't collect. Will the post millennials (gen Z) trend back to traditional American male love of cars and motorcycles?

Originally Posted by Marty McFlew

If the USA is still here in one piece 30 years from now I am sure plenty of aftermarket shops will be still working to keep them running. The key is ..what will become of America in the next 30 years.

Agree. You can still buy a replacement digital dash for a lowly 84 Corvette.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/corvette-digital-dash

[KILLA BEE]

The 17s definetly will, being the 50th Annies.

[maraging]

Originally Posted by JCunningham

and how many cars from the 90s do you see. these have 3 times the electronics on them.

More than i can count. They are everywhere. What am i missing here??

[IMadeYouReadThis]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeROC

I think it depends on where things go in the next decade or so. If performance starts to drop (ala early 1970's) in newer cars and these represent the pinnacle of automobile performance for years or decades to come, then absolutely they will be classics. Or if things starts going electric very quickly and these are amongst the last of the gas motors or V8's, then yes there too. But I think we'll see AT LEAST another several years of performance improvements in new cars to come. In that way, I don't think they'll be any more or less collectible than the 4th or 5th gens after the same amount of years. Low mile, great condition cars will become harder and harder to find as time goes on and will be sought after. And the halo cars will be sought after.

Agreed I think you hit the nail on the head

[Marty McFlew]

Originally Posted by JCunningham

and how many cars from the 90s do you see. these have 3 times the electronics on them.

I kept my trusty 97 Pontiac with almost 160k miles up until 2011. Never ever had an electrical issue after almost 15 years of use.

[cellsafemode]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeROC

I think it depends on where things go in the next decade or so. If performance starts to drop (ala early 1970's) in newer cars and these represent the pinnacle of automobile performance for years or decades to come, then absolutely they will be classics. Or if things starts going electric very quickly and these are amongst the last of the gas motors or V8's, then yes there too. But I think we'll see AT LEAST another several years of performance improvements in new cars to come. In that way, I don't think they'll be any more or less collectible than the 4th or 5th gens after the same amount of years. Low mile, great condition cars will become harder and harder to find as time goes on and will be sought after. And the halo cars will be sought after.

I think you're implying that electric cars and hybrids aren't able to be performance vehicles (and much higher than straight ICE's). That would be a very bad assumption to make since we have performance hybrids and all electric vehicles now, and there's no point to assume that they wont continue to be made and made in larger quantities as the years go by.

GM already has a competition to make 6th gen camaro hybrids/electric cars in a number of universities. It is not a big leap of faith to assume that Chevy will have a hybrid high performance camaro once it becomes financially viable.

These may be the final generation of non-hybrid/electric camaro's, and that may be collectible for that reason in the future, but they'll hardly be the last high performance camaro's. They may even be looked at like the 80's 3rd gen camaros ....with inefficient low performance engines while the correct crop could run circles around them in every single way.


or.... nobody owns cars that they can drive themselves anymore in the near future because cars are a service now that nobody with half a brain would purchase because it's much cheaper to rent as-needed and insurance would be too high. In which case, only rich people would have car collections and at that point, who really cares what is classic or not.

[Marty McFlew]

Originally Posted by KILLA BEE

The 17s definetly will, being the 50th Annies.

I have 17.Yep...looks like I have a classic alright. Sorry if you own a 16.

[Ponyeatr16ss]

Will the Cubs win another World Series?

Originally Posted by MackSteelPrivateEye

As one who has predicted classics since before the were classics I predict the 6th Gen SS and ZL1 become a classic right up with the 1st and early years of the 2nd Gen. Camaro. I predicted the 57 Chevy to become a Classic long before it was a classic. I knew the 55 and 56 Chevy would fall inline behind the 57. I also predicted all the old muscle cars from 60s and 70s would be classic as they were rolling off the show room floors. The 5th Gen Camaro was a good start, but the 6th Gen is the completed package to become a future classic.

[HeaterMan]

Originally Posted by maraging

They are that unreliable? Thats like saying all the cars from the 90s are scrap because their electronics quit working. Dumb

ummmm, a majority of cars built in the late 80's-mid 90's are in junk yards because of poor build quality including electronics issues.

[Sev]

Originally Posted by Marty McFlew

I have 17.Yep...looks like I have a classic alright. Sorry if you own a 16.

I'm not worried. Blue Velvet Metallic - One year run, not many made/sold, and pretty rare to see. Equals a classic to me!

['01LS1]

Originally Posted by Ponyeatr16ss

Will the Cubs win another World Series?

Am good with them taking another 108 years to get there.

Not seeing the 6th gen becoming a classic in terms of how people still desire the first gen. The 5th gen had the 3 year build up on the car show circuit from concept to its return from production hiatus that is still in peoples minds. Maybe if the 7th gen follows with some sort of retro-upated styling mix of the gen 2/1970.5's?

[redcoats1976]

Originally Posted by Marty McFlew

I have 17.Yep...looks like I have a classic alright. Sorry if you own a 16.

ah,but that was the first year of the new body style.im thinking my 2015 is a certain classic as its the last of the 5th gen.of course im hoping to put lots of miles on it.

[Emoto]

Originally Posted by '01LS1

Am good with them taking another 108 years to get there.

Not seeing the 6th gen becoming a classic in terms of how people still desire the first gen. The 5th gen had the 3 year build up on the car show circuit from concept to its return from production hiatus that is still in peoples minds. Maybe if the 7th gen follows with some sort of retro-upated styling mix of the gen 2/1970.5's?

In terms of performance to dollars, the gen 6 Camaro SS is tough to beat. I think that will make it sought after in the long run. We don't know what is next for the Camaro or other performance cars, but years from now, when someone starts thinking about something used, they will recall how in 2016, the Camaro lost weight and gained in performance, performance that comes within shouting distance of exotic cars costing several times what the Camaro cost.

Will that make it a "classic"? Who knows. Terms like that are slippery and hard to nail down. Time will tell.