Small discussion at work… what current cars do you think will be a classic in 20 years time?
From the mundane to the extra-ordinary.
Toyota GT86?
Anything molgrips has owned 😉

GT86 has to be a winner because it’s not very popular.

RX8, because the RX7 is, and because even though they were popular, most of them will be worn out so good ones are worth more.

S2000, less of them about than BMW Z’s, and they’re Honda so they’ll last.

BMW Z3 Coupe.

Nissan GTR

I’m not sure any will. Anybody can tinker with an old car. The new ones need computers and electronics to work. When they stop working I can’t see old fellas sorting them out in their garages.

I’ll get laughed out of town for this, but I don’t care!

Dacia. They have an extremely loyal and enthusiastic customer base (there’s a club and everything!).

I think they’ll attract the same type of enthusiast that has been keeping their 2CV or Austin Allegro going since 1975.

I think a lot of modern cars will struggle to be classics in the driveable sense in 40 or 50 years time.

Firstly because I’m not sure fossil fueled cars will even be allowed by then.

Secondly because the electronics and other systems will become impossible to maintain or source parts for. 60’s cars are already having to be modified because the plastics in loom connectors are beginning to break down and replacements are not available. Extend that to the sort of complexity that modern vehicles have inside them and even NOS becomes of limited use as age related degradation starts to creep in.

BMW M3/5
Boxster

very few cars from the 2000 and later will be classics in 20 years time – thats the equivilent of mid-90s cars now (and other than exotica I can’t think of anything that’s a classic there) – they’re just old and cheap, not classics. 30+ years old is probably the window to look for, so I’d agree with the s2000 and maybe the Z3 coupe (only in this country, in other markets they sold it with crappy engines). The mk1 boxster, posher 911 porsches (gt2, gt3, turbo), clio v6, mk1 mx5, integra type r

alpin – Member

BMW Z3 Coupe.

Not exactly current though, went out of production 14 years ago.

Would imagine that Teslas could be, but who knows what (very) long term ownership of electic cars will be like.

BMW 135m

The z3 isn’t that good a car though. It is almost just a bit bland. Classics tend to be either special like the GT86 is, or quirky.

For me it would be the Alfa 4C

Note that everyone’s mentioning the Z3 Coupe though, very different best

For people saying BMW, yes I get that they are good looking cars and nice to drive, but are 20 year old BMWs considered “classics” now? Or are they just utility cars driven by people who don’t have loads of cash but fancy a Beemer anyway?

Same with Boxsters IMO. Nice to have, but “classic”?

S2000s, GT86. Cayman GT4 RS. Fiesta STs might be the next RS2000.

I think specific models will become classics, large petrol engines in things like 3 serieses rather than a 318d, Focus RSs that haven’t been modded etc.

I’m hopeful that mine will but that’s based on it being the only one in its colour of only 3,000 in the country. Not because it’s especially good or sought after, and I think it’s wishful thinking.

very few cars from the 2000 and later will be classics in 20 years time – thats the equivilent of mid-90s cars now (and other than exotica I can’t think of anything that’s a classic there) – they’re just old and cheap, not classics. 30+ years old is probably the window to look for, so I’d agree with the s2000 and maybe the Z3 coupe (only in this country, in other markets they sold it with crappy engines). The mk1 boxster, posher 911 porsches (gt2, gt3, turbo), clio v6, mk1 mx5, integra type r

Going through your list, the MX5 was ’89 (so a 90’s car), the Clio V6 was 2001, Integra type R was ’95, there’s a lot of 90’s/2000’s potential classics.

Also things like the renault Williams cars, Mk1 BMW Mini Cooper S with the supercharger, anything fast and small numbers.

Volvo T-5R, a friend had one, always reminded me of the Churchill dog setting off form the traffic lights wheel spinning OHHHHHHHHH (redline) yes-yes-yes-yes (wheels/clutch slipping).

I’m not sure any will. Anybody can tinker with an old car. The new ones need computers and electronics to work. When they stop working I can’t see old fellas sorting them out in their garages.

I’ve a fault code reader for our Fords, cost £4 off ebay and tells me which (if any, every fault so far has been something physical) sensor has died. People get scared by modern electrics, but it’s not hard, you can even buy a generic ECU in kit form (megasquirt) that you could retrofit to pretty much anything if you were at a complete dead end.

People who say modern car electrics are too complicated, probably never had to deal with points distributors every 1500 miles!

Fairly recent stuff that will do well IMHO

BMW M3 last model N/A V8
Porsche 997 911

BMW M2 – in production now, I reckon will be a classic

Bedford rascal camper.

MX5

Untampered Scooby WRXs, quick Legacys and Mitsi Evos.

Those Mitsubishi bus things with off-road suspension that look like moon buggies

^ just beat me to it. MX-5

Those Mitsubishi bus things with off-road suspension that look like moon buggies

😆

I’m holding out hope for our Bongo becoming classic, but with a name like ‘Bongo’ I’m not convinced…

I’m not sure any will. Anybody can tinker with an old car. The new ones need computers and electronics to work. When they stop working I can’t see old fellas sorting them out in their garages.

what load of old cobblers, engine swap these days is much simpler, plug it all back in and your good to go, you don’t even need to tune them any more EMU does that for you. As for the computers and electronics it’s a standard socket and protocols so you can download the analysing software and the car will tell you whats wrong and even if you don’t have a lap top they’ll be a connector under the dash that will make the car flash/display any logged error codes.

Anything where the values have already bottomed, and are on their way back up again. So…

Honda S2000
E36 BMW M3
MK1 Ford Focus RS
Z3 M Coupe
8L Audi S3

To name a few more “reasonably priced” (take that as you will, but I’m excluding supercars here) cars that are only going to go up in value (some of the above have already gone up significantly).

what load of old cobblers, engine swap these days is much simpler, plug it all back in and your good to go, you don’t even need to tune them any more EMU does that for you. As for the computers and electronics it’s a standard socket and protocols so you can download the analysing software and the car will tell you whats wrong and even if you don’t have a lap top they’ll be a connector under the dash that will make the car flash/display any logged error codes.

Give it 20 years. If you can’t buy the parts you’re screwed.

Need a part for an old car now and you can’t buy it, you can make it.

Actually, pretty much any sporty version of a car that is the last generation without turbos, so the last C63 AMG, last bog spec 911, last M3 and M5, last Type R, perhaps even the current Suzuki Swift Sport. With the shift away from NA and customers wanting the noise and rawness of the old cars these have got to go up in value.

Same probably goes for the previous generation of anything now available only with an auto box.

People who say modern car electrics are too complicated, probably never had to deal with points distributors every 1500 miles!

I drove a Triumph Herald convertible for 35000 miles. Owned a Morris Minor for 5 years and had a Volvo Amazon. Currently own a classic mini.

I could fix all of them with hand tools.

The iDrive on my 2006 530D is currently not working. It needs a laptop to even diagnose what the fault might be and fixing it is likely to involve significant expense. If it’s the LCD screen then it can be replaced but not ‘fixed’ – who’s going to be supplying replacement 2006 BMW LCD’s in 20 years time?

There’s even a completely separate ECU just to control the active power steering and also the amount that the headlamps swivel to help you see round corners, it’s not just the engine management systems that will fail and make a car undriveable.

[edit] also just read that the anti roll bars have their own ECU and motor control system that controls how much they affect body roll based on road, engine speed and lateral g.

Fabia VRX petrol. Swift Sport. These sort of cars will appeal to folk who now look at XR2’s as classics. Simple (ish) cars that go (fairly) rapidly.

Fabia VRS petrol.

Oooo, maybe mine will be worth something then…

Give it 20 years. If you can’t buy the parts you’re screwed.
Need a part for an old car now and you can’t buy it, you can make it.

Se my post, above, if the ECU dies, just fit a megasquirt one.

The iDrive on my 2006 530D is currently not working. It needs a laptop to even diagnose what the fault might be and fixing it is likely to involve significant expense. If it’s the LCD screen then it can be replaced but not ‘fixed’ – who’s going to be supplying replacement 2006 BMW LCD’s in 20 years time?

There’s even a completely separate ECU just to control the active power steering and also the amount that the headlamps swivel to help you see round corners, it’s not just the engine management systems that will fail and make a car undriveable.

True, but then the cigarette lighter doesn’t work in my Midget. In 20 years time we’ll be wearing google contact lenses and the LCD screen will be about as superfluous as a lighter.

BUT, to eb a classic a car has to be intrinsically a bit special, the 530D is probably a good car, but the next 530D will be incrementally better. Old 3 series and 5 series might become classics because they were significantly lighter and a bit more ‘special’, bigger luxury barges tend not to fare so well as classics because there’s always better ones. so yes, why would you replace the LCD in a ’16 plate 530D in 20 years time, you could keep a Bentley continental on the road for similar money.

I could fix all of them with hand tools.

The strobe gun for testing the timing on my Midget still cost more than the dongle that reads the ECU on the Focus (not that the timing ever needs checking, but it tells me what it is anyway).

Defender

MK1 Ford Focus RS

Yes.

but TINAS – all BMW’s use the same equipment so it doesn’t matter if ti’s an M5 or a Diesel the underlying technology is the same.I was trying to illustrate how the intrinsic equipment of the car – steering, roll bars is the subject to the same problems as the stereo – if it breaks you can’t fix it and there’s no generic solution available (nor will there be)

Current Focus RS.

Current car..surely a Tesla!

I’ve always wanted a Ford RS either Cosworth, Fiesta etc and never had enough money to own one.

Having kept my eye on the prices on E Bay, they have gone up a few thousand in the last 2-3 years.

A Fiesta RS Turbo a few years ago were about £4-5 k going for £6-8 k now. Cosworths have now gone up to the same money that they were 20 odd years ago when they were brand new for good mint examples.

thats the equivilent of mid-90s cars now (and other than exotica I can’t think of anything that’s a classic there)

VW Corrado?

If any Alfa is still on the road after 20 years it’s automatically a classic.

I am hoping this will so MrsWCA will stop moaning when I spend money on stupid cars

Mid nineties wasn’t a great time for BMWs but the E46 M3 CSL (from 2004) is already a classic, prices are very strong.

The 996 911 is looking promising, as the ones that are left turn out to be quite reliable, the message only a few years ago was the complete opposite.

Pug 106 Rallye ?

As for current cars, I dunno. Anything Ford RS will maintain a strong following just because of fanboi. AMG & BMW “M” will be nice / interesting old cars but there’s too many of them so maybe not really *classic*.