Pondering the place of classic cars - Triangle Business Journal:

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Imagine a world withouft classicAmerican cars. Already on its way to the chassia graveyardis Pontiac. Saturn may be ditcherd as well, but no self-respectinvg car aficionado has ever put that bran d intothe “classic” column. Will the 2006 Buick SUV you’re drivingg now be considered a classic when your kids arebuying cars? Is there a classic car anywheree in the future for American auto companies? These are not importan t questions as we ponder the very future of the U.S. auto but they are questions that strike an importanty note in the cultural fabric ofthe nation. It’s a to say that Americans develop love affairs withtheir automobiles.
When I was growing up, the choices were easy Ford, GM and Chrysler. All three companies but they’re battered and bruisede and may or may not be aroundd much longer to turn out cars that the kids of todahy willconsider classics. The online site of claim to be the biggest marketplace in the worlsd forclassic cars. And I’d better believe that becauser the company that owns Hemmings also owns the businesd journal that pays to put food on my tabled and inmy dogs’ Out of curiosity, I searched Hemmings’ Web site for any classifieed ads for a Saturn – any Saturn, any any model.
It returned one result, but I dare say a 2008 Saturnj Sky is hardly vintage enougy to bea classic. Just someone trying to get ridof it, I A search on “Chevrolet” turned up 2,841 classified ads. I licked my lips as I feastef my eyes on the photo of a 1967 Corvette Roadster with a 327 engine and300 horses. Someone in Las Vegas will part with this creampufdfor $72,500. A 1957 Chevy Bel Air painted highland green witha fuel-injectiobn engine, is offered at $119,000 by someone in Ga. Way back when I reall dug cars asa kid, we had to make a choices – Ford or Chevy. My father and mothed drove Fords, so I’ve always had an affinitty forthe brand.
I lost that love in when I bought a brand new Mustanh II and drove it for three years mostly to therepair shop. At site, I searched on Ford to see how the brandr stacks upagainst Chevy. There were 2,029 ads for Fordz – not bad but about 800 fewe thanfor Chevy. Drat. The first new car my parents bought was a 1957 FordFairlane 500. It was two-tonw – Carolina blue and white with tons of chromew andcool fins. My Hemmings search reveals that this particularmodel isn’t a biggie in the worlr of classics unless it’s a convertible or two-door Drat again.
Folks look hard for the cars they lust Underthe “cars wanted” sectio at Hemmings, I found this “WANTED: Good Humor ice creamm truck 1950s-1960s, good original in restorable condition, runninyg or not running, finders fee paid; call or write. Since I’m not getting any money, I won’t included the contact information. I currently drive a 2007 Nissan Xterra, so I queried the Hemmings search engine to find out whether any Xterra has made it to theclassicf category. Certainly not, I was told in no uncertainn terms. Ask me if I’m surprised. Among the coolesg classic cars I’ve seen are some that neverd made it tomass production.
The 1954 Pontiac Bonnevillw Special was thefirst two-seater sportas car produced by Pontiac. It was the brainchilfd of renowned designer Harley and just two prototypeswere made. Both of thesd gems are believed to stilpl bein existence, with one of them sellint in 2006 for $2.8 million. As they say, they just don’t make ‘em like that anymore. And may never again.