thor64
Rover Fanatic
Posts: 138
|
Post by thor64 on Nov 3, 2022 11:07:00 GMT
As an ageing person in receipt of his state pension I am aware of the importance of attracting younger enthusiasts into the classic car scene. It is refreshing to see , on social media, individuals who are showing an interest in classic cars. They like Rovers, especially P5's, giving them a thumbs up. 'Youtuber's' such as Steph from I Drive A Classic; Mark On Motoring; Rover Joe; Twin Cam. I am also aware that being the age they are, they are interested in cars they grew up with such as the Rover SD1 / 25/ 75/ 200 /400/ 620. Being young and economically challenged they can only afford cheaper modern classics. We will have to accept British Leyland Rovers are going to be popular and older Rovers not so. The situation could occur where there are a lot of older owners of classic cars who have very nice examples of great value, who possibly at some future date want to sell them for a princely sum, finding there is no interest in their vehicle. Will youngsters be interested in those cars and will they be able to afford them. The latest comment I have heard is that ' youngsters are not interested in pre-war cars because they are slow and difficult to drive'. What will become of the classics we consider collectable? Hopefully 'Youngtimers' will continue to see how enjoyable it can be to own a Rover P5 and want to collect them. What do you think?
|
|
|
Post by Eric R on Nov 3, 2022 11:28:23 GMT
My opinion is that we humans yearn to recapture our youth so interest is with childhood experiences then boy "racers" then phut. As cars get outside our recollections, parts become scarce and work-on outside our knowledge the interest fades. Shame, but thats life. tempus fugits!
|
|
|
Post by Mike’S-a-loon on Nov 3, 2022 18:22:17 GMT
I completely agree. It's like music: my "golden oldies" are definitely not my parents ones! The happy memories of my youth are not triggered by my parents' collection of 50's music.
I wouldn't consider a car built before the 60's: brakes, power, general engineering, etc, are just too dated for a guy who started driving cars built in the 70's. There's no doubt that we hanker for cars we admired in our formative years: Dads and Uncles taste in cars has a huge influence on what the majority of people look for in our classics.
I work with a young chap who has a very nice series 1 Mazda MX5 (Miata). For him it's 5 years older than he is, and he is clearly obsessed with it. I'm sure he would no more buy a 60's car than I would buy a model T!
What this means for the future of our Rovers and their values I can't predict, but supply and demand would seem to indicate that an investment in classic Rovers is probably not the best retirement plan...
|
|
tonys
Rover Fanatic
Posts: 419
|
Post by tonys on Nov 3, 2022 19:04:41 GMT
I'll have a go at predicting future values: if the 'youngsters' don't have any interest in or connection with a particular model, they won't want to buy one. If there aren't a sufficient number of buyers, sale prices will 'rebalance'. Or drop . If you look at many classic car gatherings, or the custmers on some of the TV classic-car auction programmes, the majority of those present have grey hair, grey beards or no hair. That says a lot to me.
|
|
|
Post by MK IA Norway Viking on Nov 3, 2022 22:15:12 GMT
A philosophical question: do we have our Rovers for our own pleasure and as an arean to meet people we have kinship and will easily connect with, or do we have them as pension plan ?
As with anything we cannot take with us "over Yonder", we should be happy with it and raise those that will succeed us into favouring the Rover.
Who of you have children, or grand-children, who wants to be Driven to Church in a Miata, or Vauxhall or a Yaris ? Would they think the Rover offer something not found in a Rolls Royce or Bentley ?
I take pleasure in having something very few others have, and cherish the feeling of riding in a Sculpture on Wheels (as opposed to "culture on wheels) on my way to the parking lot at Goodwood and let others drive in volume models that are found in droves on every high street.
I am confident that the Rover will always have an appeal - they don`t make more of them so in a generation from now those "few" that will look after our pension plans will certainly favour quality, style and practicality - if petrol will be around at all, that is ...
|
|
|
Post by enigmas on Nov 3, 2022 22:38:32 GMT
From my perspective, I'm particularly drawn but not exclusively to cars made in England. Perhaps due to being a post war baby boomer in OZ. Cars manufactured by Austin, Morris, Wolseley, Standard, Vanguard, Rover, Jaguar, Daimler, etc were the primary marques pre and post WW2. Both my parents, migrated from Europe after the war.
My fathers's choice of cars ranged from Desoto, Morris Oxford, Renault 4CV 750, Volkswagen beetle, Citroen ID19, Mazda RX4, Austin 1800, Austin Kimberley, MG ZB Magnette, Ford Transit Van Camper and a tiny Toyota coupe.
As a young kid, many old, virtually derelict cars could be found in paddocks and backyards when we went out mowing lawns for pocket money. Often these cars were given to us freely if we could remove them from the owner's backyards. One such vehicle was an Austin 16. It had a real jewel of an engine and transmission. It also had 4 built-in hydraulic jacks to raise the car off the ground. As 14 year old kids (after we got it running) we drove it to death in the paddocks that surrounded our then semi rural neighbourhood. There were also remnants of WW2 military vehicles ranging from blitz wagons to M20 BSA motorcycles. In the 1970s my father-in-law offered my wife and I his 1962 Fisher bodied Chevy Belair. It was turquiose with a white roof and fitted with a 283 ci V8, 2 speed power glide, pleated leather (fold down) bench seats and blue green tinted glass windscreens. A beautiful car but it wouldn't fit up our driveway due to its physical size. So we passed on it.
I've got an electic taste in vehicles incorporating cars, motor bikes and scooters (1942 WLA and 1962 Vespa Sprint.) I really don't know where the interest comes from. It seems to be ingrained. I just like machines of the internal combustion kind. Smoke, noise and gear whine. Think of W O Bentley's magnificent cars. You either get it or you don't. Why does a dog put it's head out of a car window into the air stream? If don't know you never will.
I don't think an interest in veteran, vintage or classic cars is exclusive to baby boomers or those even older. If you enjoy history and the beauty of engineering whether in furniture, artifact building or machines you'll always want a piece of the past.
If I was wealthy, I'm sure there'd be some prop driven planes in the collection. 😉.
|
|
thor64
Rover Fanatic
Posts: 138
|
Post by thor64 on Nov 5, 2022 14:45:15 GMT
My influences, when a child, were Matchbox, Corgi and Dinky and the observer book of cars. Looking through at the MPH, BHP and seeing pictures of all the cars out in that year; comparing and thinking which I would like to have. At the time the roads were empty, if you see pictures of streets in the 60's, now, the first thing you ask is where are all the cars? Today it would take a well known TV series like 'George Gently' to have the main character drive a Rover before people to take notice. An important part of classic car ownership is taking yours to shows to let youngsters see them. There is a large social dimension to having a classic. We have got the NEC coming up and best of all a P5 stand. Hopefully visited by 'Youngtimers'
|
|
|
Post by lagain on Nov 5, 2022 17:24:24 GMT
For those who watch Bangers and Cash, the wise words of Derek ! Cars of the 30s and 40s are falling in value as the people who they appeal to are dying off. It will soon be moving on to the 50s and 60s !
My nephew, who is 30, is keen to have my Rover when I am no longer here, although he has never shown a great deal of interest in her, but there is the sentimental value as I drove his mother to the church when she married my wombmate and next year I shall be taking his sister to her wedding.
|
|