Future Classics

Classic cars: a hobby/obsession that has caught the attention of people all over America. For decades people have been buying old cars and fixing them up to become daily drivers, as an investment, or just for fun. There are clubs for owners of classic cars, websites for some, catalogs, and even magazines for others. We can learn anything we want about the cars of yesteryear. It’s a big business.

What about the cars of today? What cars are in showrooms now that will one day be seen in 4th of July parades and at car shows on Saturday afternoon? I believe that the future classics are cars that are unique in some way. Either they were especially pretty, or fast, or pricy, or cheap, or reliable. Or, they were really ugly, slow, or unreliable. The point is, though, they have to be memorable.
Some are obvious. Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, 911s, and any Italian exotics will inevitably be classics some day. They always are. Some, though, are much less obvious.

For example, the Ford Taurus SHO has what it takes. It’s good looking, it’s practical, and it’s a normal car that’s sold in a normal showroom. It’s also very fast: 365 horsepower and 0-60 in 5.2 seconds. This is a collection of numbers that can worry people in BMW Z4s and Nissan 370Zs, all in car you can take the kids to school in. At less than $40,000 it’s a pretty good deal as well.

How about the Cadillac XLR? It is basically a Corvette underneath its pretty body, and it’s also a more luxurious alternative to its fiberglass brother. It also didn’t sell very well during its short life which is good for a classic car. Rarity is always a plus.

The Toyota Prius is another safe bet to be a classic. It’s a love or hate car (I hate it), but it was also groundbreaking. It wasn’t the first electric-hybrid car, but it was the first to really catch on which makes it a poster child for the green movement in the auto industry. Besides, I’m all for other people using less gas… more for me.

Future classics are all around us, and you don’t have to spend much to get one. You just have to know what to look for.