So today I watched a interesting video, it was from a all original car show ( no hot rods or resto rods or rat rods etc...) somewhere in California, It was interesting for two reasons # 1 the way the video was created was cool they set up a camera and filmed every single attendee as they exited the show, all beautiful orig stock vehicles ,#2 I noticed that almost every owner of every vehicle was a older guy !! (like Me) and I wondered why,
maybe it was because they had finally reached a point in there life where they can afford a classic car ? or was it because younger generations don't have a interest ? is it because younger folks only consider automobiles point A to Point B transportation and nothing else.
would they rather have a vintage X-Box than a vintage car ?
For me it was easy, when I was 18 and my friends were hunting 68 Chevelles, Nova's and Mustangs I purchased a 57 Chevy sedan delivery! nothing's changed now days when I open the garage I'm happier than a pig in $hit when I see that Rocket 88 !!
Anyway I found this blurb in Hagerty and thought I'd share.


The best estimates we have at the Hagerty Group, which sells classic-car insurance, peg the number of collector cars in the U.S. at roughly 5 million, of which 58 percent are owned by baby boomers, or those born from 1946 through 1964. Our data says that the median age of collector-car owners is 56 years. The oldest boomers are approaching 70, and their interest in the hobby is starting to wane. We won’t see a generation of similar size until the so-called millennials hit their peak earning years in a few decades. It’s questionable whether they will care about the cars of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers—or any cars, for that matter.

 

Not surprising Solly. That Hagerty article must be about 5-6 years old because I am in the first year of boomers (1946) and I just turned 74. I still have my interest in cars and am going to restore a 57 Chevy I have had for over 50 years.

 

I have a theory I call the 70 Year Value Drop. I think that people like cars they either were born in or grew up with, so maybe 5-10 years younger than them. As those people die off around age 80 or lose interest/capability, the value drops because the demand is not replaced by younger owners and it outpaces the supply dwindling. There are less of any given car each year, but, once something is a classic, it tends to survive better. I think we have seen Model T value go down, and Model A, and 40s cars. I expect to see mid 50s drop in about 5 to 10 years. I expect to see 1970 cars lose value in 20 years.

 

^^^ THIS ^^^

FWIW, I'm only 40. I guess that qualifies me as one of the "young uns."

I have a friend about the same age with a 74 Mercury Capri. So, there are younger people interested in classic cars.

 

Koda, great theory, I am with you on this thought process.. I am 61, have had 50’s cars, 60’s cars and 70’s cars as hobbies, plus other later pontiac trans ams. I am pretty much a product of 60’s and early 70’s cars as that was what we drooled over then. Still think 1965-66-67 were GM ‘s best styling years. Engines late 60’s early 70’s were the barn stormers of my youth.

 

I think a lot of it has to do with the economy, but maybe that's just me. If we as Americans were doing 1/2 as good as we were after WW-2, there would be
a lot more interest in our beloved classic cars. Including all the orphans, Buick and Pontiac included, not to mention Mercury and Plymouth, but I did.

 

I removed the political portion of your post Adam... BTW Buick is not an Orphan brand.

 

I meant Poncho's Eric, you got me. You know me, some days I start early...

 

There are a lot of interesting thoughts here. My opinion, and it is just that, is that really cool cars, desirable cars, will always retain value. They may not command insane money, but there will always be a market.

For example, old hot rods ('32 Fords, etc.) and luxury vehicles (like Cords, Auburns, Duesenbergs,) still sell very well, yet virtually no one buying them today are doing so because they were cool when they were kids. Some of these are inherently valuable due to scarcity and other desirability factors (looks, performance, etc.)

I do think that there is a "nostalgia" market, though, and I think we are seeing some of that with 70s and 80s cars today. My dad drove a 1985 Buick Regal Gran National when I was in high school, and I could easily see myself buying one of these or a mid-80s 442 someday. I do not think that these (with the exception of maybe a limited car like a GNX) will ever achieve the kind of demand and prices we see for the higher performing muscle cars of the 60s, but they will have a market.

As for 60s muscle cars, I think that they will always have reasonable value since they were the pinnacle of performance for their era.

Just my opinion.

 

By the way, wasn't it younger "hipsters" making vehicles like old Broncos really expensive? It seems like that market has sunk recently.

 

I'm pretty sure it has everything to do with "all original car show".
I live in SF Bay Area, and there are plenty of young guys (and girls) that own classic cars, however 99% of the time these cars are modified in some way.
Most of the younger crowd prefers cruises and meet ups vs all out car shows.

I'm 43, I modify all my cars because I like to drive it as often as possible, which in my area is almost every day of the year. A lot of guys that I hang out with own classics, and we all prefer to meet up and cruise around mountain roads, Pacific Hwy., wine country, etc. vs spending a day sitting next to our cars and listening to clueless people criticizing it.
JMO.
__________________

 

It will be interesting to see what the future holds, When I was a young man even in high school I was considered a Gearhead,
I don't know if gear heads even exist anymore although I do see some interest in hot rodding Japanese cars and it is pretty amazing the horsepower they can squeeze out of those 4 cyls, but it seems most kids these days are computer guys which is ok since that seems to be the future but it it would be nice if somebody picks up the baton and runs with it, gotta keep the classics rolling !!

 

I think that it will be a while before the younger (currently in their 20s-30s) generation gets into older cars. And it will not have anything to do with interest in them. A lot of them are just carrying around too much debt to be able to afford to get into the hobby.

My oldest son just turned 27 and is working toward his doctorate. I'm not bragging here. In addition to doing the work, he's currently carrying $108,000 in student loan debt that he has to pay off over the next 15 years.

It's kinda hard to start buying classic cars when in addition to normal bills, you're paying $900 a month toward loans.

 

Yeah. So, I'm 40, and I paid a little under market value, and no shipping since it was here in town, on a 72 H/O this spring. I specifically wanted that year, that car, to hang out with my friends in the Hurst Olds Club of America, and I figured the 72 was a good compromise between the awesome, and awesomely expensive 68s and 69s, and the lesser priced and less awesome 73s and later.

I could do this because I can manage my money, make good income, play the market, and, most importantly, I'm a jerk, so I'm not married with kids. Most guys who are 40 would be spending that money on something else like their kids, so, even IF they dug the older cars, they might not have the discretionary income to do so until later.

 

By the way the true or correct definition of a classic is limited to a very few cars all pre war and nothing we common fok have. I know I'm nitpicking and I'm one of the worst offenders of the term but some of the purests get their pantys in a twist if you misuse the term. Not that I care but if you find yourself at the judges dinner table you might want defur your conversion about your classic Rambler, or not!.....Tedd

 

The All American Originals Car Show is awesome! I so want to go check it out when they do another one. Every year in Tustin, CA. I hope it becomes more and more popular so they can start having them in more locations around the country. I totally aspire to show my car in that show when I finish it.

 

here's the video

 

Thanks! I have watched it before. It's definitely a show for me!

 

One looming problem with ownership of mid seventies and older cars is repairs and service .
Most modern technicians ( fancy new buzzword for mechanic ) don't have a clue how to repair a carburetor or service points ignition .
Much less being able to repair a Slim-Jim transmission .

 

Luckily, we have a number of shops in the DFW area that cater to classics. One is right here in Rowlett. The shop started out serving all models, and still does but, evolved into a classic car build / repair shop. The owner has muscle cars & trucks of his own. For me, the added benefit is he and his GM are very, very, good at setting up & tuning EFIs. Specifically my Sniper. More importantly, he is a good and honest human being.

The downside is...he is always covered up with business. It doesn't take much to see a dozen classic / muscle cars at the shop.

 

A " good and honest human being " is often " covered up with business " .

 

I'm 27, and own a '75 98 Regency.

My first car was a '63 Buick Special, then a '75 Mercury Montego MX, then a sucession of intermediate/full size Fords, well until this GM! I also currently own a Dodge W150.

I've always loved 50s-70s cars. New stuff just doesn't really turn me on. I think maybe part is from growing up with my dad driving old stuff, not because he is an enthusiast, but because he's cheap lol.