Collector Cars and the new Economy

[007Cruiser]

Yesterday a friend came by with her eight year old son. He totally flipped when he saw the Tbirds. There is hope for the future.

[Splitwindo@gmail.com]

All we can do now is love them now and leave them later, whenever that is!
I’m going to take my ‘05 RedBird out right now for a ride! That’ll cheer me up after reading the previous downer emails.

[jerrym3]

ALll great comments and what has made the car hobby what it is today. While many of us were a little over zealous about cars 50-60 years ago I,m not sure we were typical or at least the majority. Today's youth has a lot more to be interested than we did, but my guess is that the few who are car nuts will be just as gung-ho as we were.With them it may only take one noticeable incident to start a mad run on a car or a pair of $200.00 sneakers

I think the key word in your post is the "few". I don't think a relatively handful of car lovers can sustain a classic car culture. Maybe those well off will still buy an old car the way they buy an old painting.

Even if we all weren't crazy car lovers back then, we all drooled over getting our licenses and owning our first car no matter how crummy it was, (and my 1953 Ford 4dr sedan was definitely crummy). Driving defined independence, dating, trips to "lover's lanes", etc. In my low teens, I used to walk to the local dealerships to pick up catalogs and see the new models. (One Ford dealer in 1956 had his showroom windows soaped up with just a small clear spot to look inside. Other dealers did some other wild things.)

Now? People go nuts over the new Apple product announcement.

Went to a local old car show Sunday. Struck up a conversation with the owner of a 68 Chrysler convert, 75,000 mile survivor. My Galaxie won a "Top 25" trophy. His Chrysler won nothing. All the MoPar class trophies went to five fairly new Challengers. I disagreed with that decision. His car should have been recognized for being a survivor.

(He also told me that when the retros first came out, his wife wanted one, but when they saw the dealer mark up, they walked out and never returned.)

We both agreed that the classic car era could be dying. We could see it in the ages of the attendees, and the music played by the DJ. Mostly late 50's to mid 70's music. The age demographic is changing. You don't hear any Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin tunes over the speakers. At some point, you may not hear the Platters or Buddy Holley either.

When folks like me get too old to attend car shows, or we pass on, then what?

I'll just have to enjoy it while I still can.

[TXBlueBird]

I wonder to what extent hobby cars are inherently an older person’s pursuit because of the necessary resources? I’m not just thinking of purchase and maintenance cost but also garage space and the time to work through issues that can’t be resolved with a quick trip to the dealer or mechanic. I know some younger people who love cars and had older models that they worked on while they lived with their parents but who abandoned them when college, marriage and kids came along. I think at least some of them will come back around when their nests empty.

Also, as a city dweller with a condo, I really envy suburbanites with garages and private driveways. I don’t want to give up my urban lifestyle but I’m having to get creative to accommodate my growing yen for a classic or two. My 2004 retro bird (which i love) is a bit of a compromise. It’s a bit less demanding to care for and house than a 1963 rocket bird.

Duane

[5bird7]

Ask which they would give up first, their car or their phone.

easy answer for two of them, phone would go first and then the cars. The third doesn't make enough money for either.

[Rondor]

ALll great comments and what has made the car hobby what it is today. While many of us were a little over zealous about cars 50-60 years ago I,m not sure we were typical or at least the majority. Today's youth has a lot more to be interested than we did, but my guess is that the few who are car nuts will be just as gung-ho as we were.With them it may only take one noticeable incident to start a mad run on a car or a pair of $200.00 sneakers

[Sierra977]

Ask which they would give up first, their car or their phone.

[5bird7]

I have twin nephews, now 29 years old. One is into cars like his dad and mom are and the other has never had a drivers license. Both are techies/gamers.
I might add that my son is into cars, too and is a techie/gamer. He's just not into our tbirds, but does enjoy his MustangIIs and new car technology.

[007Cruiser]

Maybe cars were the tech of their day.

[Sierra977]

We are no longer a car culture, we are a tech culture.

[AZTB]

Does anyone want to buy a pristine, like-new VHS machine?

That's funny...my 90-year-old father has 3 new VHS machines in his closet, still in their boxes...he keeps them as backup should the one he's using breaks. He has a DVR, and a DVD burner, but he prefers the VHS (it's technology with which he's familiar).

[MikeB6]

Ben has a like new Laser Disc player in the garage. He probably has the discs too. He probably doesn't want to sell. I'll call the Smithsonian but I'm doubtful they'll take my call. Ha ha

[007Cruiser]

Does anyone want to buy a pristine, like-new VHS machine?

Maybe the Smithsonian.

[Sierra977]

Does anyone want to buy a pristine, like-new VHS machine?

[jerrym3]

Will there even be enough buyers interested in cars to keep the classic car thing going? I don't know.

A lot of younger kids still look at my Galaxie and retro, But, if my Galaxie weren't a convert and painted an eye-catching Pagoda Green, I doubt if it would get the number of young lookers that it now gets. I can't imagine any of these kids wanting to buy either one of my cars in the future just because they saw one once in a car show when they were youngsters.

And, for every youngster that looks at the cars, there's a kid who is glued to his smartphone.

As said above, where lies the nostalgia?

But heck, it was a good run.