Can Anything Be A Classic?
July 24, 2023
“That’s not a classic” or the old favourite at a classic car show of “that’ll never be a classic”. Ugh, so annoying. Who sets these alleged parameters, who decides, WHO IS IN CHARGE? You, that’s who. The age of a classic car, the requirements, it doesn’t matter what anyone says, the answer is subjective. Yes, some outlets like some events and some insurance companies will bracket and quantify, but that’s their doing. There is no official body that says what a classic is. Some say thirty years, some say 20, some more, some less. What can be a classic, however, is very much down to you.
Yes, you’re right in that someone trying to pass off a ten year-old car as a classic would be wrong to do so, that’s a given. But defining what can be a classic is a nuanced, delicate, considered affair. For example, there are some cars that might be twenty years of age, but their ubiquity prevents them from really being a classic. However, something rarer is a more logical classic, or modern classic if you like. But then we delve deeper; that ubiquitous car may not be a classic, but if it’s mint and has low miles and an interesting history, it might be. Tricky.
The problem is, while modern cars are full of machines that go ‘ping’ and touchscreens and other such tech, the reality is that a car from 2000 is not a world away in terms of drive and usability from a car of today. However, take, say, a Ford Focus from 2000 and park it next to a Ford Escort from 1980 and, well, one looks like it’s from space, the other looks like it’s from B Roll used in Minder. There was a huge leap then, but it’s not that huge when transposed forward. Plus, cars last longer, so we see these 20 year old cars as, well, modern. When in reality they’re a hair more anachronistic than we realise.
What can be a classic is not dictated by age, that’s the bottom line. There is the aforementioned obvious ‘mate, that’s a new car’ exception, but by and large, it’s not the main requirement. Rarity plays into it, which is something we’re seeing more and more of, especially in the world of starter classics. Yes, a Ferrari 250 GTO is rare, but so is a Polo ‘bread van’ or a really well cared for Vauxhall Cavalier SRi 130. And arguably, these cars have more classic appeal as they’re more familiar to us. We can look at the exotic and rare and know, instinctively, that we’re gazing upon the accepted classic form. But it’s an acknowledgement, not a stir of the soul. One could argue though, that a ‘normal’ car from the past has more emotional impact, because we’ll remember the brother/uncle/sister/partner/neighbour that had said car. Classics are a personal thing. They are the very imagery of the backdrop to our individual memories.
And it’s on that note that we suggest you don’t listen to any hard and fast numbers or ages. If it’s a car that’s out of production by some measure, if it’s a car you seldom see any more, if it’s a car that you love and dote on and the brings you joy, then it’s a classic. Or a modern classic. Or a… you know what? It’s your car, and you love it, and it makes you happy, that’s all that matters. There is no rule here. Look at the surge in popularity of cars from the late ’90s at classic car shows, look at events that celebrate the mundane but also the forgotten, look at your car and think ‘will I see another one when I go for a drive?‘.
Finally, we’ll leave you with this thought. Even if you’re not sure of your car’s classic status, know that whatever your car is, by being you, by being an enthusiast and by not just throwing it away like an old white good, you are in fact setting it on the path to becoming a classic. You are ahead of the curve. One day, your car, no matter what it is, will evoke a reaction, a thrill, it will spark a memory in someone and make them smile. Don’t believe us? Look at the picture above and tell us there’s not a car there – now all classics – that you wouldn’t have loved to save?
