I guess I need to clarify that not all of the cars on that list are also on
my personal wish list. I just think for one reason or another that they
will have some degree of enthusiast status in 20 years. Some of them, for
exactly the reason that they are ugly.
You can't look at a 1957 Chevrolet Bel-air and tell me it is a georgeous
car. The tail fins are rediculous, it is large on the outside but small on
the inside, handles like a truck, was underpowered & underbraked. Yet a
nicely customized one rings all the right bells for lots of 65 year old men
with deep bank accounts. A lot of what makes something collectable is how
it is remembered, and what kinds of non-car related emotions it causes to
rekindle, not how good a car it was. I mean early Mustangs were poor
handling, and slow, but so many people got their first intimate encounter in
the back seat, they had to become collectable. The truest of Detroit muscle
cars had drum brakes, no power steering, carpet delete, and vinyl floors.
They were rusting before they left the dealership. The main reason we have
so many Midgets and Sprites to restore, is they broke down so often and were
parked in somebody's back yard long before they wore out. They haven't been
built for 26 years, and I've owned no less than 3 that had under 50k miles
on the clock.
The Chevrolet SSR might actuallly lack collectability, simply because at
its price point and low sales volume, no 20 year old will have any fond
memories of it when they are 60. The Corvette missed my list for just that
same reason. The average Corvette owner is recovering from their first
heart bypass surgery, and is grasping desparately for youth. Camaro,
Firbird, and Mustang are on my list because with a 5 year old resale value
of $4-6000 dollars, they wind up in the hands of younger drivers, thus
creating memories that those same men will try to re-create when they reach
their first mid life crisis.
Ultimately, I have accomplished what I set out to do in my first response,
generate some further discussion about cars.
David Riker
davriker@pacbell.net
http://home.pacbell.net/davriker/
http://community.webshots.com/user/fool4mg
----- Original Message -----
From "Jay Fishbein" <type79 at ix.netcom.com>
To: "spridgets" <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 10, 2005 2:57 PM
Subject: Re: Daughter's New (used) Car [NO LBC]
> Geez,
>
> You guys must have hacked my computer and opened my ugly car file.
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