Can't believe no-one has mentioned the Lotus Elise yet - a proper step change in the evolution of the small sports car. Shame they've had to go porky along with everything else since the first one though.
Buy now to get in at the bottom (ish) ;o)
Elise mentioned early on.
ST170 etc like Mk1 Escort Mexico etc?
Mk 5 Golf GTI
Any car that survives long enough becomes classic. This thread is set out wrong - the question is what will be looked back on as the peak evolution of the petrol engine. I'd nominate a Honda VTEC, just to pick one, not because I've ever owned one or would enjoy having to rev the balls off the engine for performance.
Isn't part of he problem that stuff with a lot of electronics will be almost impossible to maintain in 20-30 years time?
Alfa 166 - Clarkson likes them but that should not disqualify them from consideration!
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406 Coupe, Peugeot's last good looking car.
166s are very nice - I had 2 156s and the 166 drove nearly as well and is a fair bit bigger.
156 more likely as a classic as it is a Walter De Silva design and it did a good job turning things around for Alfa - if only they could have followed up with some decent reliability and dealer network...
Fiat Coupe - although I didn't like the drive.
For classics I would say Mercedes more than BMW - their designs are better I think.
Escort RS Cosworth
Racing Puma
Fiat Coupe - surprised it's not been mentioned (or did I miss it?)
EDIT - Beaten to it by about 20 secs....!!
Possibly original Audi TT
I reckon anything that has set a newish design style, so probably in no particular order
Audi TT
Smart FourTwo
Lotus Elise
take your pick
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I can't believe no one has yet said....
335D!!!!!!!!
SAAB 99 turbo
Honda CRX
MR2 MK1
3.0 Omega
Merc CLS
Suzuki Cappucino
half of them are already classics, mm.
Saab 900 T16S
I'd also say Ford Puma, all models, because its unlikely to date style-wise, and there weren't many made to start with, (Yamaha only produced 100,000 1.7 ZTEC engines, for the Puma and Fiesta ZETEC S). 65,000 were built in total. The FRP is certainly a classic, being a hand built ltd edition, and only 300 of the 500 built are still in existence, but I think it will be a very high regarded coupé in years to come. Wish I could have kept mine... 😥
mcmoonter had it right. It's got to be fixable by a guy in a shed.
So let's think, what's rarer than a Ferrari and fixable?
The Morris Marina!
With a few minor modifications it can look like this 🙂
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(No, not the bike 🙂 )
presuming cars such as the 205 gti, sierra cosworths, delta's etc are already classics, ill go for the following...
BMW M3(E46)
Audi RS4
the question is a bit vague but in 30 years time when I am telling the grandkids about old dirty cars i will be talking about image, noise, reputation, achievement at the time etc... . Basically the glory of the internal combustion engine.
F40, macF1, early turbo F1 cars, all group B rally cars, bmw v12 with a 50p sat on top of the engine, Mazda rotaries, 1930 americana(from straight 8s to flathead hotrods), Veyron, all big bike engines.
Probably a bit of a warble about the rover v8 too. A bit provincial so you could talk about the hemi instead.
Have tried to avoid chassis design and styling as that would be a whole other evening
Without a doubt, the RX7:
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Just look at it. Automotive porn. And 300+hp from a 1.3 engine? Insane!
Bonus is, as petrol costs get higher the price of these bad boys gets lower. I WILL be owning one in the not too distant future 😀
I'll put my vote in for the Smart Roadster & Coupe
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Ox, they are lovely baby exotics aren't they? My friend imports and sells Japanese cars as a money making hobby, he's ended up keeping an RX7 as a weekend car. He says for £6k you can get a minter £4k a decent one if you look in right places, but finding a non molested ones getting harder. Cheaper tax and insurance than it's counterparts too. I hope you get one and enjoy it soon. Never fails me how small it is off the ground.
406 Coupe, Peugeot's last good looking car.
Smart Roadster & Coupe
+1
It's probably classed as a classic already but the E30 M3 is definitely, imo, the only modern BMW that warrants that status. Proper mix of unique style, proper engine and amazing racing pedigree.
They're already appreciating too (wish I still had mine)
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Can cars a;ready older than 10 years really be discussed? surely they are already classics??
People saying F40s and the like are massively wide if the mark. ANY Ferrari or similar is exotic, rare and expensive which automatically precludes it from classic status in a way. Thee will ALWAYS be sought after and aspirational but never a true classic. Madness? No. Look at the real classics we have now: Mini, Beetle, 2CV, mk1 Escort, mk1 Golf, Morris Minor etc. The ones with a fanclub and a magazine devoted to them. The ones with their own shows and meets, the ones that people can buy, run and cherish. Speed, expense and power does not equal character! Those are the classics. 🙂
Any old tat can end up being considered a future classic these days, people talk about old ford escorts and morris marinas as classics and they were really dull cars, it just takes a few people with a soft spot for them to start a club and all the sudden its a classic.
My choice; Skoda Yeti, got a real soft spot for them.
288 GTO
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There are some very strange choices here...
markrh.......skoda yeti?????????
Yeah, why not?
I saw your sneaky edit, 😉
If we're playing that game then I choose this ball of fire
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The MK III Astra. Fantastic bit of kit.
Vw Corrado VR6........if only for the sound Of the engine!
Sorry last nights thread title confused everybody!
I suppose where I was trying to get to (and many of you followed) was a car that will have a story and be remembered in years to come.
That might be because it was a particularly good example of its type (eg S2000 has to be about the best roadster out there), or will turn heads in the future, I particularly like the idea of a SWB Audi Quattro ragging its way round North Yorkshire in 30 years time when all the other cars are electric and silent!.
Thats why for me its the BMW M Coupe: Big proper engine, quirky looks and solid build quality. One day I will buy one!
I didn't really mean to focus on "exotic" cars (over £60,000?).
So what else makes the list?
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depends what the definition of a 'classic' is. As a couple have already said, once a car gets to a certain age it becomes a classic and a few geeks get together and form a club. It doesn't necessarily make them desirable or collectable. I think you could say that there are certain types of classics.
1. An old car that has reached an age and survived. - any car
2. A big fan base just now. Cars that have a large following just now WRX's, Gti
3. A cult classic- eg Volkswagon Beetle/Camper. Cars that are a bit quirky or oddball just now and it's only quirky oddballs that drive them. Prices now will be cheap as chips, but people will pay over the odds in years to come. I think things like the Fiat Multipla, Smart Cars, PT Cruiser etc will gain a following.
4. Luxury cars/sports models- A fortune new, but can be picked up for peanuts. loaded 7 series, Z3's, Z4's, SLKs, TT's, Boxsters, big Mercs, Jaguar XK's
5. Sports cars. 911's, SLs. Ferraris all the usual suspects
6. Exotica top of the range sports cars. Bugattis etc
It was always a toss-up between the RX7 and the NSX. I figure the money I save by not getting the Honda will offset the 15mpg and a couple of engine rebuilds on the Mazda.
Does your mate have a website, or is it word of mouth [b]catflees[/b]?
People saying F40s and the like are massively wide if the mark. ANY Ferrari or similar is exotic, rare and expensive which automatically precludes it from classic status in a way. Thee will ALWAYS be sought after and aspirational but never a true classic. Madness? No. Look at the real classics we have now: Mini, Beetle, 2CV, mk1 Escort, mk1 Golf, Morris Minor etc. The ones with a fanclub and a magazine devoted to them. The ones with their own shows and meets, the ones that people can buy, run and cherish. Speed, expense and power does not equal character! Those are the classics
I nearly agree, but a Jaguar E-Type is (justifiably) considered a classic. I do think that sports cars often age terribly, IMO 80's Ferraris look pretty cack, although a Countach doesn't.
The Lada Niva is another future classic. Although it's probably already old enough to qualify...
Hey Al, that nice original Audi Quattro was still in Sainte Foy village.
citroen DS3, C4 and C6 will amongst citroen enthusiasts, without a doubt. Untouched saxo VTRs and VTSs will become classics too, however many have already been tarnished 🙁
MK1 Toyota MR2 is my ultimate classic car (owned)
Many of the cars mentioned are already considered as classics or at least highly desired/collectable (Elise, DC2 Integra, 205GTI, BMW E46 M3CSL and E30 3 series cars).
My nominations are
The Ford Puma 1.7 - a fantastiacally agile car with a great engine which is already recognised as a design classic, they are starting to dissapear now through wear and tear, the remaining examples will start to be cherished before too long.
Focus RS - both Mk1 and Mk2 examples as were built in limited numbers.
Honda S2000 - as said before one of the best cars in class, and typical honda reliability will mean that these hang around for years to come.
Saxo VTS - the 106 already has a cult following, whereas the Saxo is seen as the chavvy relation and can be picked up for 25-30% less for a similar condition car.
Renault Clio 172/182 cup - fantastic handling lightweight cars, I'd have one in a second if I didn't hate the driving position so much.
Renault Megane 225 - later revised models only, especialy the R26.R which is a very rare car.
BMW Z4 - fantastically handsome car, especially in M guise, and the coupe versions will be even more collectable due to limited numbers being produced.
BMW E9x M3 - looks wise I find this car to be quite off putting especially after the simplicity of the E46, however it will always be remembered as the last naturally aspirated M car produced, and what an engine it is too!
Right that's all I can be bothered to think of right now, should really get back to doing some work.
