I doubt anything made nowadays will still be working in 30 years time.

Not so sure

Bet they all said that 30 yrs ago

But then we said that of Peugeot 205s, Mk3/4 Escorts (XR3i) and such like. I quite fancy a Pug 205GTi.

I can remember reading a road test for the Morris Minor from about 1949, when the writer said the car was very good, but like everything else on the road today, it'll never become a classic car.

Part of the attraction of older cars is "rose tints" and memories. I can remember being sat in the load space of my grandfather's Morris Minor Traveller and him taking me, with my brother, sister, parents and grandmother, up onto Hay Common for picnics. That memory was enough for me to look at the Minor with rose tints and good memories and it was enough for me to go out and buy one. Classic cars remind you of "better" days, good days, of days where the sun always shines and life was good. As people get older, they generally tend to reminisce about things they did when younger, when they had little or no responsibility. And along with music, cars/motorbikes/scooters are the things that help to bring back carefree memories. And in general, what do older people tend to have more of? Money. And money talks.

The 2CV was a student car in the '80s, so students driving 2CVs to their law classes are now successful lawyers and barristers earning silly money and thinking "Hmmm, I quite liked driving that old French car in my student days, think I'll buy one and see if it's still good fun".

[quote="Jonathan"]
Part of the attraction of older cars is "rose tints" and memories. I can remember being sat in the load space of my grandfather's Morris Minor Traveller and him taking me, with my brother, sister, parents and grandmother, up onto Hay Common for picnics. quote]

That reminds me. My Grandfather used to pack me and my sister (when we were children) in the space behind the seats of his MG Midget. I walked past a Midget the other day thinking how the hell did we fit in there?

Some benefits then. Think I'd rather be young and broke again though. Perhaps driving the Moggy Minor convertible that was my first car.

I guess as we all age, we do look back on our youth with affection and, as disposable incomes become greater due to both earning capacities and reducing outlays - mortgages a fraction of salary that they were 20 years ago, it is inevitable that we hanker after our first cars and we now have the cash available to buy and maintain them.
In a totally elastic market, where demand is balanced by supply, any product, including cars, reach an equilibrium on price - however, as supply is greatly diminished on ageing cars, and demand potentially increasing as the population demographic ages, this will inevitably create a pinch point and force up prices.
Clearly, this is not a question of "investment" but just people wishing to re-visit their youth at a cost.
Buying a car as an investment is speculation rather than demand and will, in the main, be confined to exotica rather than humble cars such as our beloved 2CV's. However, should the dreaded red braces brigade, who were responsible for the massive hike in classic car prices during the 80's, latch on to them, there is nothing to say that we would see even sheds selling for astronomical figures. It will be a sad day for those who wish to run a cheap motor -I'll just sell up all our 3 A series and best break open another case of champers and pop open a few oysters......Not!

It must take a while then, my first road car 12 years ago was a beige fiat uno 45. I've yet to feel the urge to blow my disposable income on one of them.

I guess I cant be "aging" then.
I bought my first "A" series in 1973,and I've owned one ever since.
I cant relive my youth anyway .....according to my wife I have'nt left my childhood behind yet.
I dunno about "disposable income" though .....I'm on a pension now,and it's taking me all my time to "p*ss it against* the wall".

* I might have said up the wall back in '73.

best regards
Terry [growing old disgracefully]

Ah Tel. Don't you just hate it when it splashes your best suede shoes? I took to swilling dockers down the trough with mine to save finding out it won't reach as high as it used to.

About the classic cars though, some are never driven like the one that shouty bloke from radio just bought. Twelve million quid for a car you don't drive. I'd sooner have a Rembrandt. Other classics are driven occasionally, and others still used every day. (which are my favourite kind) I reckon the Rover 75 is a classic now at just ten years old, watch 'em grow.

Shouldn't people just buy what they like though? The money's moving in to ordinary classics now which will spoil the fun for many, my option is to look elsewhere while the prices are still sensible. Renault 4's give me a semi these days, I can see one in my future.