'Cassic' car you wish you bought.

[Malc]

the Rover Coupe I did have to drive at my car sales business and I thought over-rated but a good car nonetheless, The Wolseley 6/110 ( in Rose Taupe ? )  a straight 6 was a beautiful machine and I had the Westminster version for a very short time before it broke down on me and was going to cost rather more than the £150 I paid for it ...........  back in the 80's 

I like your choice, maybe it's an age thing 

Malc

[Spacewagon52]

8 hours ago, Linas.P said:

The price is ok for nowadays, but you know that I have same opinion - N/A Supra in same condition was literally worth nothing few years ago. 

Let me rephrase it a little bit - LS400 will become a classic car, depending which definition you use you can call any car over 30 years "a classic". But it will never command same value as say SC. I might be worn but I am looking to trends and Limousines/Large Saloons are not what becomes valuable. Furthermore, there are some exceptions when the car is specific rare edition e.g. BMW M5, or Lexus IS-F... but sadly LS400 were a mass produced car, even more sadly it is over-engineered and very reliable - not good sign if you want it to become "appreciating" classic. Funny enough, the better the car is the less likely it becomes exceptionally rare and expensive, unless made in limited quantities from the beginning. 

I appreciate what you mean - no pun intended. Yes, it is the TOP marques that get cult status but my argument is that the LS 400 was the only version available and the FIRST Lexus. I do agree with you, that because they are over-engineered, they will not appreciate in value or rarity as quickly. The SC 430 will be a classic, possibly as it will become a rarer car. 

It is interesting that what petrol heads might call "crap" cars become classics purely due to their rarity. Trabant? Lada? Allegro? Maxi? 

Pick a car like the Ssangyong Rodius, put it away for 30 years and see what happens???????????

[Spacewagon52]

30 minutes ago, thatfatbloke said:

Never been one for sports cars,always preferred 'luxury barges'. Here are just 4 on my list of many. The green Mercedes 300te, called Gertie, was the actual one I owned until about 3 years ago. Wish I still had her (as well as the LS of course).

"Never been one for sports cars,always preferred 'luxury barges'"

Could not agree more!

[Spacewagon52]

Age thing? Do you more mature guys remember most of the neighbours tinkering with their cars on a weekend - bonnets up for hours? Trying to make sure they started on Monday morning! Don't see many modern cars with their bonnets up ....... if you do you assume they are filling the wash bottle. Oh the days of points and rotor arms and duff batteries - always having to charge them as the "thingy" (before alternators) - dynamos - were not very efficient.

 

[Malc]

25 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Age thing? Do you more mature guys remember most of the neighbours tinkering with their cars on a weekend - bonnets up for hours? Trying to make sure they started on Monday morning! Don't see many modern cars with their bonnets up ....... if you do you assume they are filling the wash bottle. Oh the days of points and rotor arms and duff batteries - always having to charge them as the "thingy" (before alternators) - dynamos - were not very efficient.

 

come on, get real, wake up, smell the coffee ....... the Wolseley 6/110 and other variants and very many cars of that era had a Starting Handle ....  didn't matter too much about a dead Battery at all 

Malc

[Pecker]

This thread is taking on an undecidedly non-ISF flavour.... lol

[Spacewagon52]

26 minutes ago, Malc said:

come on, get real, wake up, smell the coffee ....... the Wolseley 6/110 and other variants and very many cars of that era had a Starting Handle ....  didn't matter too much about a dead battery at all 

Malc

Starting handle? I saw my father use one once but they were becoming rare in the mid 60's. If the points were knackered you can turn that handle and get nothing! I believe there was a technique for holding the handle to prevent a broken wrist from a kickback .... those were the days! H&S would not allow starting handles now me thinks.

[mikeyv]

On 2017-5-28 at 10:17 PM, Flytvr said:

It has been mentioned that the IS-F will be a classic / collectible car one day.

This got me thinking. What car do you wish you had purchased when they were sensible money.

Me - Honda NSX

Opening post ^^^^^^^^^^^^, coupled with the thread title, would suggest that IS-F would not figure much in the thread.

By the way, Pecker, I don't understand what the wheelchair smiley is about?

[lockeyboy]

The most beautiful car...

define sensible money...  

[The-Acre]

9 hours ago, Malc said:

come on, get real, wake up, smell the coffee ....... the Wolseley 6/110 and other variants and very many cars of that era had a Starting Handle ....  didn't matter too much about a dead battery at all 

Malc

Correct, my Wolsley 6/110 had a starting handle and it got used regularly!  And I never once broke any bones using it.  It was black with red leather and made me feel like I was in a Z cars scene....or Dixon of Dock Green for the even older ones!

[steveledzep]

11 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

Correct, my Wolsley 6/110 had a starting handle and it got used regularly!  And I never once broke any bones using it.  It was black with red leather and made me feel like I was in a Z cars scene....or Dixon of Dock Green for the even older ones!

How do you know the Dock Green cars had red leather ?

I remember my dad with a starter handle on a Ford Consul mk1 and also a Morris Oxford.  I specifically remember that both had front bench seats.

[Malc]

12 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

Correct, my Wolsley 6/110 had a starting handle and it got used regularly!

my 60's cars, especially BMC  Wolseley, Morris etc had starting handles that were often used those cold wintry, frosty mornings .......  to save the almost dead Battery which in those days I'm sure didn't have the charge holding capacity of modern times  

Malc

[Linas.P]

10 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

I appreciate what you mean - no pun intended. Yes, it is the TOP marques that get cult status but my argument is that the LS 400 was the only version available and the FIRST Lexus. I do agree with you, that because they are over-engineered, they will not appreciate in value or rarity as quickly. The SC 430 will be a classic, possibly as it will become a rarer car. 

It is interesting that what petrol heads might call "crap" cars become classics purely due to their rarity. Trabant? Lada? Allegro? Maxi? 

Pick a car like the Ssangyong Rodius, put it away for 30 years and see what happens???????????

 

I tried to express myself in as few words as possible, but after reaching over 2500 I realised my post is probably better suited for blog, rather that beeing posted here 

I appreciate LS400 as an achievement of Japanese engineering which needs no comments, however for many reasons and based on current trends I don't think it is going to be very valuable classic. Secondly, current trends are just rough guide and by no means proves or disproves my prediction. Sadly, if the technology going to move enough all internal combustion cars going to become irrelevant and be parked next to the "steam engines".. even Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport Vitesse SE (sorry Jay).

Funny you mentioned that... Trabant and Lada are becoming iconic and valuable classics, as well likes Ford Cortina, Escort, Vauxhall Nova ... I know mad... That is kind of a result of cars being so crap and hitting bottom so quickly, they fall in "bad hands" and simply perishes leaving very few and far apart. I guess Supra and NSX can partially belong to this category, except they are much better quality than the others.

Rodius sadly doesn't have any classic car features.. no matter after 30 or 100 years... Audi TT mk1 on the other hand has.. - not the best car ever made, but revolutionary enough. Sleek and original coupe looks, option of powerful AWD Quattro 3.2, cheap enough today to reduce population, to girlish to be appreciated and preserved, fairly easy to work on, fairly common parts. The result - it will be rare and valuable car soon...  

[polish]

very nice and nostalgic,  mine was AM db2/4 or Alvis td 21 convertible 1962 lovely car local doc had one .wouldn't sell when I came out of forces .now I just keep dreaming

[Mark G]

"Rodius doesn't have any classic car features"..............and the Trabant has????????????? 

[Linas.P]

18 minutes ago, Mark G said:

"Rodius doesn't have any classic car features"..............and the Trabant has????????????? 

apparently.. You see Ssangyong had all the tools and technologies and still made arguably one of ugliest cars ever (there are few other contenders as well), not only that it is least imaginable and overall completely dull car whilst in East Germany Trabant was probably achievement... as well it has some nostalgic memories for some, reminder to mad socialism, "Iron curtain" etc. (make no mistake is s*** car.... I am just playing devil's advocate).

[The-Acre]

3 hours ago, steveledzep said:

How do you know the Dock Green cars had red leather ?

I remember my dad with a starter handle on a Ford Consul mk1 and also a Morris Oxford.  I specifically remember that both had front bench seats.

Because young man I am that older one!  They used to film Dixon in our area of London, my older brother was paid a shiny silver coin for standing against a road sign to hide it whilst filming took place.  I do hasten to add, my Wolsley was very old when I bought it!!

[The-Acre]

3 hours ago, Malc said:

my 60's cars, especially BMC  Wolseley, Morris etc had starting handles that were often used those cold wintry, frosty mornings .......  to save the almost dead battery which in those days I'm sure didn't have the charge holding capacity of modern times  

Malc

And we wouldn't dare put our lights on until absolutely necessary to save the Battery. If it did loose power it took a drive to Lands End to charge it, which of course you couldn't do without breaking down!  The exception being my 59 Beetle. It would start first time in mid winter, even with a broken choke cable.

[Spacewagon52]

1 hour ago, Linas.P said:

apparently.. You see Ssangyong had all the tools and technologies and still made arguably one of ugliest cars ever (there are few other contenders as well), not only that it is least imaginable and overall completely dull car whilst in East Germany Trabant was probably achievement... as well it has some nostalgic memories for some, reminder to mad socialism, "Iron curtain" etc. (make no mistake is s*** car.... I am just playing devil's advocate).

To be fair Linas, I was being a bit flippant, regarding the Rodius. I just think any rare car can gain classic status. The boat Top Gear made from the Rodius, that did have "classic" qualities.

[Spacewagon52]

One drefinition of CLASSIC:-

"....judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind" 

 

Quite a few classics would not pass this test.

 

[mikeyv]

1 hour ago, The-Acre said:

And we wouldn't dare put our lights on until absolutely necessary to save the battery. If it did loose power it took a drive to Lands End to charge it, which of course you couldn't do without breaking down!  The exception being my 59 Beetle. It would start first time in mid winter, even with a broken choke cable.

You're all forgetting the biggest cause of flat batteries, the dreaded clip on parking light.

 

[Spacewagon52]

7 hours ago, mikeyv said:

You're all forgetting the biggest cause of flat batteries, the dreaded clip on parking light.

 

Wow! Yes! They came in the dead of night and did the whole of our cul-de-sac - never happened again. My father had one of those!

 

Memories! The charge notes they plastered to the windscreens were a nightmare to get off I remember.

[Malc]

14 hours ago, The-Acre said:

and made me feel like I was in a Z cars scene..

I thought at the time that Z Cars stood for the Zephyr and Zodiac Fords they used.  I never remember seeing Stratford Johns in a Wolseley or Westminster, that was an older time warp for policing I think 

Malc

[JonP]

my Dad used to have a Humber Imperial, which was basically a spruced up Super Snipe. We used to go on holiday in it all over the UK. He used to spend at least a couple of hours under the bonnet every weekend doing something to it, fabulous car, wish I had it now...

[rayaans]

Had one of these about a decade ago in the classic green - broke down every 3 miles