Hemmings Classic Car – April 2020
English | 109 pages | pdf | 55.56 MB
Nothing in life remains the same. No matter how hard we try to preserve the things we love most and keep them as an intrinsic part of our life, it’s inevitable that Father Time and people new to the scene will make changes that old-timers don’t agree with, or like. The collector-car hobby is no different.
During 2019, I attended more than 20 different car shows and national conventions, was a judge at five major concours, and went to five key auctions, plus several cruise nights. I spoke to literally hundreds of enthusiasts along the way, and with my “I spy with my little eye” view during these events, the impending changes I see are quite interesting. No, there is nothing to fear, folks. All’s well.
In fact, some of these changes are downright good for our beloved hobby— changes that will generate positive results. So, in case you’re wondering what those changes might be, let me share some of my discoveries with you.
Brass Era: There is growing interest afoot for pre-1916-era automobiles. In fact, the older the cars, the more desirable they have become. However, it’s not the guys in their 60s and 70s who are interested in these simple mechanical contrivances. No, it’s… millennials. Yes, millennial-generation car enthusiasts have a deep interest in very early automobiles. The earlier the better, in fact. Twocylinder or two-strokes, doesn’t matter, they’re simply enamored with vehicles produced at the turn of the 20th century.
Full ClassiCs: Interest in Full Classics is starting to wane. Not that enthusiasts aren’t interested in seeing Auburns, Cords, and Packards on show fields —they still are, rather, they have little interest in owning one. It isn’t so much these cars’ higher values that has caused this lack of attraction— rather, as enthusiasts have aged, more and more of them want to drive old cars that require little maintenance and, above all, are easier to drive.
MusClE: There will always be a fairly large core audience lusting after those powerful Detroit street machines with their triple carburetion and large displacement V-8s, but due to the cars’ lofty values, which, thankfully, have started to decrease of late, enthusiasts instead are now looking at later-model “muscle cars” as alternatives. Cars such as ’70s-era Novas and Dusters, and ’80s-built Camaros/Firebirds, Grand Nationals, and Fox-chassis Mustangs are becoming noteworthy substitutes.
FiFtiEs Cars: Bright colors and wild fins have always made cars from the 1950s the center of attention at any show where they were displayed, but younger enthusiasts are more interested in the cars they saw on the street when they were growing up rather than those cars that their grandparents drove. This new generation isn’t very fond of ’50s-era road manners, lumbering handling and slow steering, either. This growing trend holds true for cars of the 1960s, too, albeit on a lesser level. The younger people love looking at them—they just don’t want to own them.
EightiEs: The fastest growing segment of the collector-car hobby is what has been endearingly referred to as the Malaise-era cars. This signifies American cars produced from around the mid-’70s to the mid-’80s. We’re talking about Pacers, SVO Mustangs, MKV Continentals, Aspens, Omnis, Hornets, and even Chrysler K-cars. And why not? They’re easy to drive, comfortable, and, most importantly, highly affordable. In fact, the most popular models are the 1977-’85 GM B- and E-body cars, with the later Buick Riviera convertibles being especially desirable.
JapanEsE Cars: Along with this injection of youthfulness comes a newfound awareness and appreciation for Japanese cars. Datsuns and Toyotas, Mazdas and late-model turbocharged Subarus, there’s a fast-growing cult-like following for these compactsize reliable cars. And now that early Miatas are eligible to be displayed at AACA events, you’ll be seeing more, not only shown but restored in the coming years, bringing with them much-needed new blood and enthusiasm into the collector-car hobby.
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