Is there any future museum cars driving now?

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Tzu

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This got me thinking after seeing a car museum with my dad on Father's day. We saw old Lincolns, old big Buicks, large Plymouths, and a red 1963 Chevy Impala, long, loaded, just enough real metal chrome and gorgeous sitting on display. I drive a very nice '00 Impala LS everyday and he said at look how much different the same car looks now. Aside from muscle cars, will tomorrow's museums want to put a 2014 Impala as a center piece 40 years from now or a 2014 Silverado? I really can't think of a lot of current cars that could be thought of in the same light. With all the plastic, fake chrome and thin sheet metal on vehicles now, what will the kids of the future look at and say "wow"? My guess is any car made before 1970. Todays muscle cars will showcase what was hot now, but has the everyday driver car been turned into a forgettable appliance after 1980?

I'm not saying the current cars are bad by any means, just that they lack any of the "wow" factor that the older cars seem to have. I'm 47 now, so maybe when a now 5 year old turns 47 in 42 years, will the then classic 2014 Impala have the same effect on him that the '63 had on me, or will he be in awe of the '63? I'm guessing the latter.

Also, what is the future of demolition derbies 20 years from now? Almost all the cars I used to see were full frame, RWD, V8 tanks. Now it FWD, unibody 4 cylinders. Maybe they'll resort to pickup truck demolition derbies instead? That might be kind of cool.
 
I went to a demo derby a couple years ago, small one, I think it was all FWD. Really, if all the vehicles are of the same class, it's just as much fun really. If anything, the cars last longer, they just run 'em harder in reverse, less driveline to break (rear axle is less important, as is the long driveshaft).

As for museums, well, I'm guessing 50 years ago no one thought of their 5 year old cars as collectible either. Hard to say. I have to think the novelty is starting to wear off; early 20th century cars will always be "collectible" as they were the first. Mid 20th century, that was something of a high point. Today, well, there will always be room in collections for plain jane stuff--but I don't think the value will be there.
 
My votes for future museum cars:
-Corvettes of any vintage
-Dodge Viper
-Nissan Leaf (early electric car with short range)
-Yugo (are any of those still running?), especially the "Grand Touring" model
-DeLorean
 
I think cars that the average person might see as "boring" now will become collectable. There will always be the early cars, the technologically innovative cars, and the insanely fast cars because of their unique character. These cars are usually owned by the wealthy, or the die hard enthusiasts.

If you look at the average car collector though, most own a car because it reminds them of a certain time in their life. A time when maybe they had seen that car when it was first introduced and had always wanted one, or maybe a car they owned in high school or one that was in the family. Back in the day, Mustangs, GTOs, and Camaros were just average cars. They were dirt cheap back then and were "throw away" cars. Now one in mint condition will carry a high price tag.

The same thing goes for today's generation. I know people my age who talk about fixing up cars they remember driving as a first car, or memories they had driving in their parents' cars. A good example is the Jeep Wagoneer. Production stopped in 1991, which wasn't all that long ago in the classic car world. They were just an early SUV with wood sides. They were family haulers, and a few years ago they were dirt cheap. Now they can go for 20-40 grand in restored condition and people will drive across the country to buy one.

I do think that as we approach the era where cars are turning into appliances there will be less collectors. A car has turned into a device that is merely a form of getting from point A to point B, with all sorts of features to distract you from actually driving. Older vehicles give the driver a feeling that is unique to that vehicle, a feeling that newer cars just don't have.
 
Shelby Mustangs, Boss 302
ZL1 and Z28 Camaros
Chevy Volt simply for being a start of what should be common in 40 years
I agree with the Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice as said above and would add that Pontiac made a few Solstice coupes at the end that are very rare and will likely be collectable.
 
Saab 99 Turbo

saab-99-turbo-11.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Stelth
My votes for future museum cars:
-Corvettes of any vintage
-Dodge Viper



I think probably only Z06 and ZR1 Corvettes are really museum-worthy, Standard corvettes are pretty common. Smaller museums-sure, exceptionally preserved standard Corvettes- sure, but in terms of truly collectible? Nah.

Special Mustangs- like the Cobra- will be collectible. The reincarnated Ford GT is already museum-worthy. Some of the SRT vehicles other than the Viper (I'm partial to the Challenger.. ;-) 80s Buick Grand Nationals are collectible (pretty much the only thing from the 80s that IS collectible...)

My conclusion when I walk through museums today is that its more the individual CAR and how well preserved it is in most cases. There are some really nice '30s Plymouths, Chevies, and Fords in museums, but those were kinda dime-a-dozen Depression era cars. Yet there they are, sitting right beside Packards and Duesenbergs.
 
My list of semi-interesting newish cars:

New Challenger, New Beetle, New Mini, Nissan Leaf, Vipers, Vettes, Camaros, Z-Cars, Caddy XLR, New Jeep Wrangler, 2001 Ford Mustang Bullitt, Chrysler Crossfire, AMC Eagle, Vega, Pinto, K car, Original Dodge Caravan, HUMVEE'S Maserati Ghibli, De Tomaso Pantera, Lamborghini Espada ...
oops afternoon break is over
frown.gif
 
Originally Posted By: NHGUY
The "GT" Yugo was the GVX.


I only ever saw one that I remember. It had "GRAND TOURING" in 4" high letters emblazoned on the hatch below the window. Really made me laugh.
 
although I'm not too fond of them, I would suspect the early Prius may make it. And what about a Tesla Roadster and a model S? The original street version of the Humvee has to make it, as an example of ultimate American gluttonous consumerism.

The Subaru STI?
 
I doubt as many "regular cars" will be museum pieces, but the car's role in people's lives has changed. Regular cars used to be more of an icon when fewer people had them, they were more of a status symbol, and there was just more fanfare around regular cars. Things changed when model became everything and people stopped caring most about what engine the car had. You used to buy the new Chevy or the new Ford, not a (insert model here) SEL with comfort & convenience package and tech package.

I don't see a FWD Impala or a current Taurus being in a museum. I can see a 1986 Taurus in a museum (there probably is one), or an early mainstream FWD GM (not Toronado - already a museum item), because they marked a pivotal change in automotive design and manufacturing, but a 2013 or 2014? Pretty unremarkable cars...just more tech package this, convenience package that.

A lot of post 1980 cars already are fairly high dollar collector cars (relative to new price), at least in low mile, unmolested, unmodified form...
Bronco
Fox Mustang GT/5.0
Grand National / GNX
Grand Wagoneer
K5 Blazer
Camaro IROC Z
NSX
etc...plenty of others could be put on that list.


I could see the last generation of Crown Vic possibily becoming a museum peice because it is an iconic car in a way similar to the old Impalas and LTDs...as a cop car, taxi, old lady car, sleeper performance car, and most unfortunately, a donk. Probably same for the Caprice. They would be museum pieces because they are the last of their kind though. Assuming the RWD full size American sedan was still a thing, they probably wouldn't get much attention.

Most current (post 2005 or so) cars that will be museum peices will have had some level of collector value to start with...F-150 Raptors, Ram SRT10s, higher end Vettes, GTOs, maybe even Mustangs and Camaros. Altimas, Fusions, Sonatas, etc. though? Forget it, IMO. The mainstream car isn't as meaningful anymore.
 
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