Future Classics

I'm often asked the question "So, what among today's cars do you think will become collectible in the future?" There's no easy answer, as my crystal ball only functions part of the time, and unlike a certain highly modified Delorean, I can't go back to the future. But it's a great conversation starter to toss around at bench racing sessions.

Many have attempted to define what makes a car (or truck or boat or motorcycle) "classic" or "collectible" to begin with. I've also given this a ton of thought, and find it be a complex matrix of factors, including but not limited to: Excellence of design, high performance, motorsport success, rarity, multiples of engine cylinders (the more, the harrier), success when new, and out and out beauty.

Of course there are exceptions. In the early 70s, Ferrari had a tough time selling the last few Daytona Spyders because everyone wanted mid-engined exotics at the time. People collect Edsels because they were failures in the market place. But generally speaking, beautiful, sexy, limited edition, high performance cars with a racing connection stand a better chance of becoming prized by collectors than do compact economy sedans that populate rental car fleets.

Ferrari 430 Scuderia

Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Photo: Matt Stone

Among all the current Ferraris produced, I like the 430 Scuderia. It meets all the requirements above (and then some), and is a thrill in every sense of the term. Ferrari dealers already have full order books for this limited production, extra high performance F430 coupe. It's one of those "racecar for the street" types of machine, and there will be more buyers than units available. I'd bet my pension on this one being a future star.

Ford Thunderbird

Ford Thunderbird
Photo: Ford

Few cars generated more early buzz than did the reborn Ford Thunderbird when it came to market for the 2000 model year. Dealers pimped them at high prices, and you could even buy a special version of it through the Neimann-Marcus catalog. But the execution had flaws, and people felt the car was too expensive. Ford gave the car more power, nicer wheels, and a general tune up a few years later, but it was too late. They languished on dealer lots, and Ford shut the program down sooner than they intended to. But I believe time will be kind to them -- especially the later, 280 horsepower model -- and they will ultimately find a happy collector following.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Photo: Chevrolet

A few months ago, every major car magazine in America had the Corvette ZR-1 on their covers. And why not: the first supercharged Vette ever, it'll crank out 638 horsepower, easily top 200 mph, be built in limited numbers, and cost a hundred grand or so. Future collectible? Chevy dealer Dave Ressler paid $1,000,000 at auction for the owning the first production example.