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Attractive Older Cars and Why You Think So
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My votes go to the 1995-99 Buick Riviera, the first generation Oldsmobile Aurora, the Mazda MX-6, and (I can't really remember the actual years this one was in production) the second-to-last generation Oldsmobile Toronado, the one from the mid-to-late 1980's (before they made the trunk longer and ruined the proportions).
The cars that will most likely be admired in the future are the very same ones that are strongly admired today. So if it's not stopping traffic in the year 2000, it probably won't in 2020 either--this is what history has revealed so far, anyway.
Thanks for the Jag site and info. I agree, the Jag automatic of that era is hopeless, and the fuel injected cars are a much better risk.
They rate the 420 with one star * , and describe it thusly "The * car means Woof! Woof! A dog that nobody cares about and most likely never will".
Rather harsh, but in fact that's about the truth of it, in terms of market value.
I think the reason is that most people perceive the Mark II to be a much handsomer, better performing and better proportioned car, and this is why $20,000 and more is not too much to ask for a really nice one with the *right* equipment...which is wires wheels, 3.8 engine and 4-speed overdrive. A Mark II with RHD, automatic and disk wheels is worth considerably less!
SU--the SU is a great carburator and don't let ANYONE tell you differently. If they do, they just haven't learned about them. Now some old Jags, like the XJ6, will not have SUs but STrombergs, and those you want to stay away from. But SUs, once understood (geez, only 3 moving parts!) and calibrated, give very decent power throughout the rev range and are quite reliable.
Yes, I think an old Jag would like California climate, although I wouldn't take one into the valley in the summer!
My understanding is that the Jag overheats because of a) a long-stroke engine with lots of internal friction, and b) large hemi-head combustion chamber passes lots of heat to the coolant. Any truth to this?
How do you post a photo?
I'll throw one out, if it hasn't been mentioned yet: 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter cabriolet by Pininfarina. I'll post a photo if I can figure out how.
I'll just have to do it the old-fashioned way.
http://www.ferrari.it/vetture/ieri.e/212int51.html
Especially the wagon versions of the Chevy and Buick just might turn out to go up in value significantly -- the only '70s car that remained alive until the '90s with typical styling elements like 9-passenger space, 18' length and fake wood on the sides!
This is not to say some people in the future might not preserve and cherish a 1995 Caprice here and there...but I just can't imagine in the year 2025 the crowd going wild, flashbulbs popping, as a Caprice is driven onto the auction block!
!{
Actually it might be kind of cool to use antique cameras to cover an event about antique cars.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
About the only Japanese cars I see as possible future collectibles are the Acura NSX (rare, expensive, high performance), the Mazda RX-7 twin turbo (rare, beautiful, high performance) the Datsun 240Z (struggling right now because they are not rare, but as they expire over the years, they may make it!). Of lesser collectibility but still,, perhaps, preserved in the future would be the more common Miatas and no doubt the HOnda S2000 roadster--but don't expect them to attain any kind of big dollar value. What I'm saying is that they won't be junked.
I think a year 2000 "Japanese hot coupe" is going to be about as valuable as a 1980 and 1990 Japanese hot coupe...that is, not much. These cars will, I suspect, be recycled when they are worn out.
2) Mercury Marauder(*when* it comes out *if* it lives up to billing)
3) Corvette ZR-1(I think they made this in the 90's so it counts)
4) Dodge Viper
5) Lexus SC300/SC400
6) Maxda Miata(It will never be an expensive classic, but it will be in demand for some time)
7) Jaguar XJR
8) Jaguar XK8
9) BMW Z3
10)Audi TT
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/4791/
My choice for the most attractive foreign car is the Aston Martin DB5 from the movie "Goldfinger".
makes me want to crawl into the back seat just for old times sake. God I loved that car.
But the best and the most beautiful of all was the 1969 Gold Cadillac Eldorado Fleetwood I bought and restored. The most beautiful lines I have ever seen from the grill to the understated tail-fins. Perfect paint and leather interior, best built car I have ever owned, (when Cadillac was still the standard of excellence). Smooth as silk, with the 472, and front wheel drive, most well designed automobile that has ever graced my garage. And I say "automobile" as a compliment, as it was NOT just a "car', it was a statement in fine design! Got compliments on it everywhere I went. Unfortunately, some nit-wit college student, ran a stop sign and plowed the side of it....that was the end of her. Didn't have the heart to restore the damage, so sold it. It had never been hit before that, and even though his insurance paid the $2500 to fix it, I knew it would never be the same car again.
Never have gotten over that lovely queen of the road.....a true love, will probably die feeling it was the best and most gorgeous car I have ever had the honor of owning! And no they don't make them like that anymore!