What Defines a
Classic Car
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There is a niche
market out there for classic
car models. These are older
models no longer being built by
the manufacturer, kept to the
original factory statistics,
and maintained to be at least
in working order. While not
suited for regular driving, a
classic car has a value that
transcends the utility of
driving. These models are rare
finds and while their financial
value may fluctuate in the
intervening years, these cars
are still beloved by the people
who own them because of the
nostalgic air that they have,
that unmistakable quality of a
bygone era of car manufacture.
With that in mind, what exactly
defines a classic?
  
A classic car
is, simply put, a car that
belongs to the highest levels
of style and class, the type of
car that inspires modern myths.
Some examples of this type of
car are the legendary pink
Cadillac and the equally
revered Chevy Impala. They are
typically over 25 years old and
are often compared to fine
wine, in the sense that these
cars can only get better with
age. For the most part, these
cars are no longer fit to be
driven on a daily basis and the
few that are require
painstaking, near-constant
maintenance to stay that way.
Interestingly, if a formal
definition is what you want,
you're not likely to find a
consistent one. Different
groups have different
definitions of what a classic
model is, and even the car
insurance industry has rules
for defining what is or is not
a classic automobile.
  
Much like the
art world and their
masterpieces, no single
definition appears to cover and
appease all groups with regards
to these cars. Groups often
argue as to the exact number of
years it takes for a car to be
considered a classic but most
hold it at around 15-20 years
from the original year of
manufacture. Some groups have a
stricter guideline than others
in determining what belongs on
the list as a classic car and
what does not. Some models,
like the aforementioned
Cadillac and the Ford Model-T,
are nearly universal among
these lists but other makes and
models, like the 1948 Pontiac
Sedan or the Impala, are not as
widespread in acceptance. There
are groups that recognize a
model of car that was made in
limited quantities, therefore a
collectible, to be among the
list of classics. In reality,
there is no clear-cut
definition of what a classic
vehicle is or is not, though
there are some cars that make
it into any list by any
definition because to the sheer
value and nostalgia that they
inspire, or through the mythic
status the cars have come to
enjoy over the years.
  
In the end,
one should use a classic car
list that fits one's needs.
There is currently little
consensus as to how to exactly
define a car but some elements,
like insurance and popularity,
should play a role in how a
person defines the term
"classic car." However, all
these groups agree that a
classic, beyond the objective
level, is a model of car that
inspires memories of past
decades and must have potent
nostalgic presence.
By H.Ong
at
http://classifieds.itrustmotors.com//cgi-bin/classifieds.cgi?db=classic
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