What is a classic car?

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Discussion

TheAngryDog

Original Poster:

12,514 posts

216 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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What makes a classic car a classic car? Age? The car itself? Rarity?

Is there a sort of golden rule?

MarkwG

5,085 posts

196 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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Some or all: & nope smile

CeramicMX5ND2

8,329 posts

80 months

Monday 1st February 2021
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Between 20 and 40 years old - still usable as a daily, even if it may not be a particularly good car....

konark

1,166 posts

126 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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If I'm selling its an appreciating classic.

If I'm buying it's an old banger.

Sahjahd

420 posts

52 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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Anything outstanding at the time of its introduction; innovation, aesthetics, handling, performance, longevity, general or specific ability, charm, especially cars with a combination of several of the foregoing.

Truckosaurus

12,013 posts

291 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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CeramicMX5ND2 said:
Between 20 and 40 years old - still usable as a daily, even if it may not be a particularly good car....
I'd argue that to be a 'classic' rather than just an 'old car' it needs not to be used as your main transport but saved for recreational use.

Also, the car should be owned for sentimental reasons rather than just because it was cheap, the right size, colour, etc. - along with preventative maintenance rather than the 'fix it when it breaks' style Shed ownership route.

There should also be an element of rarity, either from low initial production or age related attrition of a mass market car.

Bonus Points for vehicle inappropriateness/complexity/unreliabilitiy/etc - it is no hardship to drive around in a 20 year old MX5, in fact they are a somewhat common sight. Whereas a nearly new Morgan 3-wheeler would almost be an instant classic...

ARHarh

4,254 posts

114 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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It doesn't matter, end of. People have been arguing over this since 1920 when cars first became old enough for someone to sell an old car for more if they called it a classic. All cars will become classics to someone at some point. Stop worrying about it and just enjoy all cars what ever they are or how ever old they are.

Shezbo

602 posts

137 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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Sorry - 'what is a classic car' - cannot be defined?


hilly10

7,301 posts

235 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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A Classic car is your opinion

Filibuster

3,281 posts

222 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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The official definition of the Swiss MFK (MOT) for "Veterananfahrzeug":

- more than 30 years old
- owned and used privately
- max. 2'000 miles/annum
- not modified (I have huge discussion with them on a regular basis because of this)
- in pristine condition

ETA:
Having this Veteranen status means your car gets taxed at a special rate (Gogomobile is the same as a V12 E-Type) and you only have to do an MFK (MOT) every 6 years instead of every two years.

Edited by Filibuster on Tuesday 2nd February 08:22

//j17

4,606 posts

230 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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Truckosaurus said:
I'd argue that to be a 'classic' rather than just an 'old car' it needs not to be used as your main transport but saved for recreational use.
Humm, I only own classics so neither of my almost 50 year old Triumphs are classics - but if I bought something hateful like a Nissan Qashqai and drove that, rather than something enjoyable they WOULD be?

Truckosaurus said:
There should also be an element of rarity, either from low initial production or age related attrition of a mass market car.
Yep, everyone knows the VW Beatle isn't a classic...

Truckosaurus said:
Bonus Points for vehicle inappropriateness/complexity/unreliabilitiy/etc - it is no hardship to drive around in a 20 year old MX5, in fact they are a somewhat common sight. Whereas a nearly new Morgan 3-wheeler would almost be an instant classic...
A lot of the unreliability people associate with classic cars is because they get locked up, unused for months on end, then get dragged out for a run.


Truckosaurus said:
Also, the car should be owned for sentimental reasons rather than just because it was cheap, the right size, colour, etc. - along with preventative maintenance rather than the 'fix it when it breaks' style Shed ownership route.
This is the only definition that works for the whole broad church of "classic cars" - A car becomes a "classic car" (as opposed to a car that is a 'classic') when someone is willing to spend more on repairing it than it's worth in the end. What other reason is there for someone to spend £10,000 restoring a car that has a restored value of £5,000 (other than maybe insainity caused by rust inhalation trying to fix that first "small patch of rust")?

mbwoy84

624 posts

119 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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It's all very subjective.

In my opinion, and probably a general consensus amongst most people I've spoken to along the years of being involved in classic cars is that there are different factors that can make different cars considered to be classics.

I think everything above a certain age really needs to be considered a classic. Regardless of whether you like it or not or whether it's desirable or revered in any way.

Some cars are considered classics almost from new.

Most "proper" classics become "modern classics" after 10-20 years depending on many factors, and then will become true classics as time passes.

When I was a kid, things like MGBs and Midgets were always considered classics, even though the later ones were newer than most cars now that some people sneer at being referred to as "modern classics". A term which either didn't exist or was very rarely used back in those days.

sixor8

6,583 posts

275 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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For the purposes of car insurance, companies vary. 25 years old with some; several articles written on PH suggest this but there is no rule.

Footman James will cover some cars (or motorcyles) at 15 years old, meaning your NCD can be used on something else. You usually have to have an alternative 'daily' car anyway.

When I started driving in 1983, Morris Minors were already considered 'classics,' although they had only been out of production for 12 years!

One of my cars is a 25 year old Honda Legend and whilst it is insured as a 'modern classic' (not sure about that term ....), it's much older than cars such as Jaguars, MGBs etc were when accepted as 'classics.'

Edited by sixor8 on Tuesday 2nd February 10:38

TheAngryDog

Original Poster:

12,514 posts

216 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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Thanks all for your replies up to now.

I've never been interested in classics, but as I get older I feel that having a classic car might be something I would enjoy, and my wife prefers older cars as well. While she isn't into cars (she rarely accompanies me to car meets / shows), she said that she would for classic events.

My first car was a 1991 Sierra Sapphire. It is odd to think of it as a classic!

For me, emotionally, the cars that my dad owned would be the ones I would buy, such as a MK3 Cortina 2000E, MK2 Granada 2.0L (facelift) or a Sierra GLS 4x4, but all are hard to come by, and I feel I missed the boat on them financially as well.

restoman

951 posts

215 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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TheAngryDog said:
What makes a classic car a classic car? Age? The car itself? Rarity?

Is there a sort of golden rule?
YAWN . . . . . . . .

TheAngryDog

Original Poster:

12,514 posts

216 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
quotequote all
restoman said:
TheAngryDog said:
What makes a classic car a classic car? Age? The car itself? Rarity?

Is there a sort of golden rule?
YAWN . . . . . . . .
Sorry, as someone who knows very little about classics I felt asking questions might help. Please do feel free to be original elsewhere.

CanAm

10,012 posts

279 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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//j17 said:
Yep, everyone knows the VW Beatle isn't a classic...
Unless it's on the cover of Abbey Road

//j17

4,606 posts

230 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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CanAm said:
//j17 said:
Yep, everyone knows the VW Beatle isn't a classic...
Unless it's on the cover of Abbey Road
Not the one that gets overtaken 5 or 6 times in the Bullet car chase?

CanAm

10,012 posts

279 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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//j17 said:
CanAm said:
//j17 said:
Yep, everyone knows the VW Beatle isn't a classic...
Unless it's on the cover of Abbey Road
Not the one that gets overtaken 5 or 6 times in the Bullet car chase?
No, that was a Beetle. biggrin

21st Century Man

41,704 posts

255 months

Tuesday 2nd February 2021
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Unlike Veteran/Vintage etc., which are clear, Classic is a fairly loose and broad term imo, and so cannot really be defined.