What age do you consider a vehicle to be a classic?

[roadrunnerh]

While I was thinking about this I realized that in 1990 I would have answered 25 yr old car WAS a classic.
Today? I can't say that. My answer was 40+ yrs.

 

[Cranky]

My 98 Dakota for instance. 318, 5 speed. No nanny computer. Crank up windows and manual door locks. CD player stereo, AC, cruise, tilt wheel, intermittent wipers....uck, that type of thing. Sounds like a classic to me.

Uh, last year for a full hydraulic controlled transmission was 95.....even my 97 Diesel which has a completely manually controlled engine has a computer for the transmission.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Prius & GM's EV 1 over 25 yrs old, classic/antique, DEFINATELY NO!!!

 

[Cranky]

I remember how "different and radical" the new Dodge truck line was in 94 (I think?)..... that design also flowed into the Dakota's and Durango's for years....... a very cool look, but still not "classic"

and again, things haven't changed much in 30 years

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Oh man, my dealership buddy came by with a red one but not 4wd. He said it was the only one in this zone so far. He wanted to go eat and told him I know of a good place but it's about 40 miles north and he was game but man, the attention that thing drew on the freeway was nuts. When we were pretty close to the restaurant we needed to stop for gas and well, it took us over 30 minutes to get out of there. Once at he restaurant, there wasn't any parking to be had out back and ended up out in front. Ironically, we got a table at the very front and could see traffic slowing down to get a look. There were some haters too but not many. I wanted one immediately but had to wait....until late 2000 and took 6 months to find a diesel that didn't have it's tongue hanging out in early 2001. Still have the thing too.

 

[68BabyBlue]

I think the term "Classic" is over used, as it applies to cars. In my opinion the true Classic car era ended with WW II . Even then, not every car built in that time could be considered a classic. Classic cars were usually low production high priced pieces that few could afford to buy. I am thinking of V-12 Packards, Auburns, and Pierce-Arrow, V-12 & V-16 Cadillac, Duesenberg, Lincoln. But not Ford Model A, Plymouth or Chevrolet. I think "Special Interest"could be used generally for anything 25 years old or more.

This makes me think back to 1993, when I moved from PA to Indiana, and started attending the Kruse auction in Auburn every year. At that time top dollar cars were the ones mentioned above. I found it interesting that my teenage daughter was fixated with the V-12 Packards and V-16 Cadillacs, the Auburns and Duesenburgs, a bit less. I remember a Duesenburg SJ selling for seven figures, seller owned a chain of Dodge dealerships. Though the prices for this era have leveled off, they still bring big money, as they approach the 100 year mark. Wonder if the post WWII stuff will do as well?

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Packards, Caddies, Duese, Auburns, Pierce Arrows, etc... that was dad's stuff most definately. That generation is over 80 now & passing away. The muscle car gang is dominate now (as far as US & "OOHHH CANADA").

 

[68-500]

1988 monte carlo or 1993 mustang 1979 magnum is the last classics in my book.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Packards, Caddies, Duese, Auburns, Pierce Arrows, etc... that was dad's stuff most definately. That generation is over 80 now & passing away. The muscle car gang is dominate now (as far as US & "OOHHH CANADA").

And the elite editions of the muscle car era are now bringing more money.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

Buick Grand Sport was under the radar for years. Usual Chevelle, GTO, Camaro, Stang, etc... were bigger bucks until Hemmings (??????) and 1 of the tv car shows stated this, THEN the prices EXPLODED!!

 

[Detective D]

Uh, last year for a full hydraulic controlled transmission was 95.....even my 97 Diesel which has a completely manually controlled engine has a computer for the transmission.

My Dakota is a 5 speed. The computer is my left foot.

 

[Cranky]

My Dakota is a 5 speed. The computer is my left foot.

Brain fart.....but yeah, your brain is the computer lol. Had a 92 318 Dakota that I bought new but it was an automatic with 3.9 gears and limited slip. Found out how dumb I was to sell it not too long after. It was faster than the Mustang GT's of the same era. Wasn't much faster but enough.

 

[Hey-O]

When you can officially put historical plates on it. Usually, the magic number for cars is 25 years.

 

[GetX'd]

I can’t wait to put classic plates on my extremely rare 2003 Lexus ES 300. If that’s a way I can skinny a buck out these thieves in Sacramento in a couple of years you can bet I’ll do it. “Classic“? Hell no! I chose 40+ and that would be really too tight for my taste.

I’m a narrow minded person - Huge fan of the 60’s muscle cars - before and after puts me to sleep.

What was classic was my pops. Before I tell you how cheap he was I have to couch it by saying - Nine kids on bankers salary. Can you imagine having 5 teenagers at any one time - multiple times? He bought the cheapest stripped down cars he could order. Always kept them for 10 years before another one came along. The one I remember the most a 60ish Dodge Pioneer station wagon. He would order or buy one w/ no ac, no carpet, no radio - he would’ve got one with no heater if he could have - and we lived in Minnesota. He wouldn’t let us use the heater because he thought it used more gas like ac does. Those cars - would they be classics today - not to
me - but I know to many they would. To me it was dad that was classic ……

 

[Black_Sheep]

I'm stuck in a time warp so anything after the mid 70's doesn't qualify as a classic, in spite of it's age...

 

[Ray70Chrg]

I have a 2000 Nissan Frontier that is my everyday driver. In the last several months I have had 3 times when someone rang my doorbell and ask if I wanted to sell the pickup. It's parked on the driveway because I have a 2 car garage. All 3 men were between 25-35, I would guess, and all driving late model pickups. There is nothing at all special about my truck and yet it attacks attention from a certain portion of the population. What makes a "classic", I don't know.

 

[JDmac72chrgr]

My pop was "FULLY LOADED" kind of guy, wanted to "reward himself (and spoil mom)" for his hard work. Cadillacs were his thing since mid 70s.
Still have his last work truck, 1989 S10 Ext cab 4x4 pickup, my "snow/ice" vehicle to get to work. 31 yrs at this house, NO EMISSIONS TESTING on it!!!

 

[ESOXER]

Carbureted.
Not imported.

 

[cosgig]

Anything before 1975

 

[Photon440]

Anything before 1975

I'd take a '79 Chrysler 300 over a '72 Maverick any day.

 

[GetX'd]

I'd take a '79 Chrysler 300 over a '72 Maverick any day.

Whoa - Another one of my dad’s cheapies - an early 70’s Maverick. Would you believe how hard a time I had making that seem like a race car as a teen when pops let me use it…..? POS personified.