If you like achromatic 1 and 2-box vehicles, this is the automotive golden age. Take this picture I shot above the other day as proof. For the rest of us, well, that’s why sites like Curbside Classic exist.
Tastes change. A generation ago, no one would ever consider trucks and station wagons collectible. Now both are highly sought after, and regular attendees of car shows and concours alike.
The earliest examples of SUVs and minivans are now over 25 year old, old enough to qualify as antiques by the AACA. Yet I don’t expect to see one parked on the lawn of Hershey anytime soon. As proof, I offer the fact that there are currently just two vintage minivans for sale on Hemmings.
So who here is willing to look into their crystal ball, and go on record and guess when (or if) minivans and SUVs will be considered collectible?
I suspect some will. The Cherokee, for example, strikes me as a likely candidate. Likewise, the original K-Vans will probably carve out some sort of niche. However, I suspect the vast majority of minivans and SUVs will not be collectible. You’re always gonna see some clown trying to pawn off an old car as a classic, though. So in about 20 years or so, be prepared to see some ad bragging about a “classic” 2007 Saturn Relay.
A 2007 Saturn of any model MIGHT get some collecting “love” eventually, Orphan cars have their own following.
Look no further than Studebakers. . .
When describing crazies, the expression was “more loose screws than a new Studebaker.”
Not to mention Edsel and DeSoto fans! If I were to get an early “jump” on this, I’d go with a first gen Mopar minivan, As a “two-fer”, Make mine a Plymouth Voyager!
More loose screws than a new Studebaker? I’ve never heard that before. This is my first “collectible”. As things age, people enjoy the novelty of seeing something that has been completely forgotten.
+1?! Nice Stude, Dude!
It MIGHT be argued that folks are collecting the earliest minivans already. VW got an early start with collectors, and some folks collect the Corvair vans and pickup trucks.
My guess is that minivans built AFTER the Previa and the 1st generation of Odyssey won’t ever be collected. There are too many, they look too much like each other, and don’t have any unique engineering features.
I did come close to “picking up” a swb, Caravan with a turbocharged engine recently….but I wasn’t quick enough.
While I completely agree, I would disagree on the plentiful supply. Because minivans get used until they are completely used up, survival rates are going to very low (just try finding an early quad-headlight Chrysler minivan).
That said, rare does not necessarily mean valuable.
Exactly. I suspect this will be very much like the collector market for 1950s and 1960s station wagons is now, eventually. There will only be a few that survived the daily use and it’ll be the pioneers in the field (Cherokee, first Voyagers and Caravans) that will be the most valuable.
Yeah, I’d go with the Cherokee jx, and the original Mopar minivans. But there is nothing unique in style or function in the YUUUUUGE (woops, sorry!) plethora of mundane look-alike suv’s, cuv’s, (cpa’s, cbc’s, cbs’s..whatever) out there by the zillions. The all look alike, they all do the same things, all have the same options. Can’t imagine a former soccer-mom (or dad) in say, 2047 pineing for that “way cool what-ever-it-was van thing we had back in 2017”
I mentioned it in my reply, the VW van image is bolstered by it’s instant association to a counterculture movement. If it were memorable for mommy loading up a dozen kids after soccer practice and changing the newborn’s diapers on the second row seat the interest wouldn’t be so high.
Having said that the drivetrain layouts and cab forward layouts are much more of a talking point. But 2 box Front engine/front drive and front engine/rear drive vans, probably no.
The original VW buses also represent an aesthetic of bygone days, more related to 30’s design ideas than even early postwar American cars like the postwar Ford for example. And a restored high end Platonic ideal one like this is worth a whole lot today as everyone probably already knows. It’s amazing that this was made in 1961. Probably the revised one with the wider tailgate and blank rear corners came after that.
That photo didn’t work. Here it is.
Too many? Depends on age.
Once upon a time, 61 Chevies were common and unremarkable. Now many of us would consider even a good Biscayne with a 6 & stick to be a classic.
A 2 door perhaps, but a 4 door is still worth about as much as a fully depreciated Camry.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1961-Chevrolet-Bel-Air-150-210-Base-4-Door-Sedan-/262958394997?hash=item3d398aae75:g:jT8AAOSwSypY–zU&vxp=mtr
Collectible and Investment aren’t necessarily the same. To this day there are many low buck Model T Fords around. No one is going to retire on the money gained by “flipping” one. OTOH, Model Ts are still collectibles.
No but being collectible and merely collecting something are vastly different things, anything can be and is collected. The cost of entry is a barometer of collectibility. Not everyone with an old Muscle Car is using it for their retirement fund believe it or not, some just want their dream car no matter what the cost is – which is how flippers make money.
OTOH, Some folks dream car may be different from the “hot market”, so they have the fortune of getting in to the hobby at a lower cost. There are million dollar collectible cars that have no interest to me, A 1948 Plymouth is more interesting to me than a Lambo, I’m weird, I know. But just like new car buyers, Old car lovers have different tastes. I hate those old car articles that recommend against buying a certain old car JUST because of it’s low expectation of return. If someone loves and desires a 61 Biscayne sedan with a 6, they should get one even though it’s not super valuable (in cash) and likely won’t ever be.
Keep in mind you’re talking to a guy who cherishes a 1994 Mercury Cougar, rest assured I’m about as far from hot market as it gets with such a car. But I don’t consider it collectible, the definition of that is an item valued and sought by collectors. and while an obscure car can certainly have a cult following, that doesn’t mean people actually seek them out with a cost is no object attitude.
I totally agree with your latter point, investors are not the same as collectors. As I said, money is no object to collectors, we just may not have enough of it to get the cars out of the hands of investors where money is the objective. The net effect is that drives us to cheaper cars that ALSO interest us that investors ignore(they only know how to exploit collectors, not dictate what’s collectable). Sometimes if that following grows enough, then the investors get savvy and suddenly your collector car “alternative” became a collector car.
The way I remember things, wagon versions of even popular cars did not gain acceptance until fairly recently. If minivans eventually take off, it will not be until those who grew up in the 90s get into their mid 40s and a nostalgia factor takes over. And by then, nice ones will be rare as can be.
As with wagons before them, old minivans will get worked to death as each trade takes them to an owner who works it harder than the last until something expensive fails (probably a transmission) and off to the scrap yard it goes. If they ever become collectible they will be rarities indeed.
The old Grand Wagoneer has a good thing going with restoration specialist getting big bucks for them. Mostly because not been replaced by anything the right size. The current Suburban class vehicles are too bloody big to be practical.
Not bloody likely that Minivans will enjoy such a resurgence. Family haulers lead hard lives… hardly see a restorer caring about an original Dodge Caravan.
Do you see many ancient Suburbans at car auctions?
I see a few. The big advantage old Suburbans have over newer ones is that they’re built to carry a cow. The only upholstery is the seats themselves, and carpeting? Is that the business you’re in? It’ll carry a bunch of rolls…
How about the Isuzu VehiCross from the late 90s? And I am already noticing a curiosity starting up over the Pontiac Aztek, it flopped like the Edsel and now Edsels are prized collectibles.
I could see those being collectible. Very striking design.
I don’t know about mini vans but probably first gen 4runners&landcruisers might be in high demand some day.
First gen 4Runners and Land Cruisers through FJ62 are already in high demand. As for minivans, it’s hard for someone of my age to think of any Dodge Dart or Falcon as collectible, but obviously they are. The same wil be true of minivans, some more than others.
Certain vehicles that represent either the 1st or last of a line or have some unusual technological breakthrough for the automaker might end up being collectible.
I can see someone saving an early 1st Gen Chrysler minivan (back when they were still called wagons) or say a “dust buster” GM van which had space frame and plastic panels or a “KING DOOR” Windstar because of what an odd solution it was to the “How do we exit both sides of the van” or even an end of production GM U-body because it really repented GM throwing up its hands and say “eff it we can’t compete in this segment.”
The first GM plastivans are now 26 years old. I think in 20 more years when there are virtually none left a really nice restored Pontiac Trans Sport will be a collector car because of its unique future predicting shape and unique construction. It’s the only minivan of that time that has any potential. I can see people gathering around to see something they didn’t know about.
I can imagine the dust buster vans becoming hot Hollywood props for science fiction movies someday. Long after they disappear from the streets, to a younger generation who had no memory of them they’d still look futuristic, like a Citroën DS would be viewed today.
Did you mean this?
Taxi from Back to the Future 2, set in 2015
My memory is fuzzy but I think they used dustbusters in Predator 2 as LAPD police cars in future gang overrun Los Angeles.
Minivans, no. The trucks that are collectible tend to be standard cab short beds(i.e. The impractical ones) and collectible wagons tend to be obscure or exotic shooting brakes. I guess it depends on your emphasis of “highly”, but old country squires are still pretty low value, they may be more desirable than their sedan equivelant, but marginally at best. Plus don’t forget vintage vans are very low value, with exception of the VW bus – which is rooted n counterculture, not soccer practice
Speaking as someone whose grew up in the peak minivan era, I have no nostalgic feelings for it, they took forever for heat to circulate to the back, they accomidated filthy disgusting children and pets, and were miserable to drive when learning.
> vintage vans are very low value, with exception of the VW bus – which is rooted n counterculture, not soccer practice
That’s how people think of old VW vans *today*. But that’s not how they were thought of when they were new. VW didn’t target bohemian hippies with their little van; rather, they marketed the microbus the same way minivans are marketed today – as practical family vehicles. Advertisements for the VW bus look alot like today’s minivan ads – they’re sold as kid-haulers. Take a look at this advert from the ’50s:
….or this one from the ’70s:
Some SUVs are already collectable, just look at the early FJs and Land Rovers for pricing proof. I see the Willys Jeepster as a possibility, along with the war-era jeeps being a collector item. However, the mainstream “crossover” SUVs will probably never really be a collector vehicle, nor will minivans. Too many, too common, and other than appeal to nostalgia, they will just be used cars well into the future. In 50 years, do you see anyone clamoring over a 1985 Plymouth Voyager or a 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe? Neither are bad (I owned and loved my Santa Fe) but they will never elicit collector lust.
Early Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager started to be collectible these days, and few nice examples show up once a while
I think at some point, everything becomes a collectible to the right group of people. Are they ever going to command 6 figure price tags like some of the muscle cars from the 60s/70s…. probably not. Is that what defines collectible, stratospheric price tags 40 years in the future?
Take station wagons for example. Just a couple of decades ago, right as minivans were riding high in popularity, station wagons were not collectible at all. They were so out of fashion that no one wanted to be seen in them at all. I bucked the trend and drove my 77 Aspen for several years. I’ve always loved wagons. Now you are starting to see more and more of them being cared for and collected. Mid 80s B-body wagons, the Whale Caprice wagons, Volvo wagons from the 80s/90s…. I would say that they are starting to reach some level of collectibility.
Not too long ago, I attended the Long Beach Classic Japanese Car show. (I believe the cutoff year was 1990). I saw cars there, in really good condition, in all states of stock to modified. Had you asked the same question about collectibility of Japanese cars in the 80s, you would probably get a very similar answer then as you would today regarding Minivans and SUVs. (BTW, if you want to see my gallery of all these wonderful japanese cars, check out: http://www.michaelbrianstudios.com/Automotive/Car-Shows/2016-Japanese-Classic-Car-Show/)
It comes down to nostalgia, what you grew up with, and what you fondly remember as to what ultimately becomes “collectible” to a particular group of people. 1st Gen Chrysler minivans (turbo, 5-speed) will have a bit of collectibility. SUVs that were the first honest SUVS (XJ cherokees, Bronco IIs, 1st gen Explorers). And similar to the many curbside classics that we feature here…. used to be a dime a dozen, now you don’t see them at all anymore.
Yes, for the right group, they will be somewhat collectible.
Collectible doesn’t have to mean pricey. All collectible means is that some ppl want one of something. There’s oodles of collectible cars today that aren’t worth much. MGB for example. As for minivans… I dont think they will. Perhaps the first dodge caravan BC it was the pioneer… But u can’t see someone compelled to seek an old minivan out.
First and second generation Chevy Blazers and Ford Broncos for sure. Grand Wagoneers and Ramchargers too. Probably not any of the newer car like suvs. I already see first gen Caravans and Astros being fixed up and lightly customized.
Tom, Good question.
In my opinion, if it is old and in good and running condition, patina’d or not, and it played an important part in memorable moments of people’s lives, it could very well be objects of affection to future CC’ers.
I was very fond of the 1959-1966 Studebaker Larks, especially the VIIIs and all forms of the Lark convertible, but I never thought anyone would find them collectible. Now they do seem to be popular if and when they can be found in good and running condition. And it can be also the same for early 1960 Ramblers.
My old 1960 Comet was a cheap car that I bought quickly when in need of a vehicle and it seemed to be very basic transportation with few frills and even fewer comforts. However, when I did a COAL on it last year, I was surprised to see that the early Comets are considered desirable.
Many considered these types of cars as expendable, so they are usually hard to find now. Probably the same will apply someday to Minivans and SUVs (as noted in other comments above).
It seems that anything that rings a fond memory bell for some people, and is hard to find, could become a collectible.
Exactly Fond memories will be the key.
Perhaps the 1989-1990 Caravan ES Turbo with a five-speed might be collectible one day.
A turbo/manual shortie Mopar van would be the ultimate sleeper. Ive seen a few of them hotrodded before.
Older SUVs [60-80s] are definitely coming up the ranks! Same for 60-80s vans
The new Demon powered Jeep Trailhawk might be so in a few years. I think people are starting to wake up to the recent Trailblazer SS. Plebian, everyday, 100,000+ unit Vans and SUVs, no def not!
Trailblazer SS – good call!! Also Saab 9-7. Isuzu Ascender? I dunno ….
If enough people remember them fondly, they will be collected outside of the aficianados of the body style. I’m enjoying my time with my van and have more than once considered looking around for a 1990 Town & Country. I really wanted one back in the day.
However, these are the kinds of cars I call rolling biohazards; they get ridden hard and put away wet. Only grandma’s van will survive but it will be worth some serious cash when it sells.
Jay Leno stated that he see’s a day when a clean Pontiac Aztek will be a collectible. It definitely pushed the envelope on the design. Especially one complete with the tent ⛺️ option. For today’s models I like the X-box or whatever the proper name is and the Cube. Those little Hamster Vans.
Leno’s right about the Aztek. It’s the Chrysler Airflow of its time.
The Smithsonian American History museum collected one for its place in American cultural history. Of course they found a nice one with a family history attached.
I can’t help but smile at the sight of a minivan on display at the Smithsonian. My parents bought a first-year (1984) Plymouth Voyager – trading in a Buick Century wagon in the process – and I still remember the debate about whether to buy it. Dad was very impressed by the design’s space efficiency, and that won him over.
Despite the frumpy reputation that minivans soon established, for the first few months, that Voyager attracted lots of attention. People often asked to look inside. For that matter, the tinted windows were actually a novelty — some people were surprised that you could see out of them.
Fast forward a few decades, and now I have a minivan of my own. Even though the minivan market is shrinking, it’s still the best vehicle for our family’s needs (i.e., long trips with kids, and on a budget that puts SUVs out of contention).
Getting to the original question — yes, I think minivans will be collectible someday. Like others have said, they will be rare, but rarity creates collectability.
Well it depends on what you classify as an SUV. Jeep CJ and Wranglers are going to continue to have a following. Same with the 1984-2001 Cherokee. I would also thing that the fullsize Cherokee of the 1970’s and the Wagoneer will also be collectable.
Fullsize Blazers and Broncos are collectable now. I think the first generation S series Jimmy and Blazer will be collectable too.
On the Japanese side, first generation 4Runners are collectable already.
As for mini vans, I think some special editions will be collectable, such as the Dodge Caravan ES with the turbo engine and manual transmission and perhaps Eugene’s official vehicle the Toyota Van . but on the whole the mini van most likely will not be collectable.
Long before the term Sport Utility Vehicle came into existence, we had SUV trucks. The International Travelall was one such vehicle. I owned a 1965 and then a 1968. They were heavy iron with some flaws, particularly as IH did not do much to update the vehicles. In 1969 IH introduced a new Travelall with more insulaiton and front disc brakes (WHEW – that helped a lot and I mean it.) Are these collectible? I think so. Depicted is a Traveall from the early 1950’s and a 1968 Travelall. Travelalls were made starting in the 1930’s.
I guess that I cannot post two pictures. Here is the early 1950’s Travelall.
Sorry to take a bleak view, but I’d say that minivans and SUVs won’t be collectible, nor will virtually all the cars made today either. I say this for 2 reasons:
1) Increasingly complex electronic systems and engine control “computers” that will be hard/impossible to fix when things go wrong, nor will it be easy (or ultimately even possible) to find replacement parts (try keeping an outdated computer going–same problem). The electronics will make most modern vehicles just as disposable as an old mobile phone or laptop.
2) Due to this unavoidable and unrepairable obsolescence, I think vehicles will simply be junked when they go on the fritz, no matter how nice they were when they were new. Once the supplies of OEM parts are exhausted, maintaining survivors will get harder and harder without an abundant selection of decent parts cars. So the vicious cycle kicks in with more and more vehicles being scrapped for electronics issues even if the mechanical and body parts are serviceable.
Since it will be relatively challenging to keep a post mid-1980s “computerized classic” on the road, only the best/most desirable cars will be preserved. Mom and Dad’s family hauler likely wouldn’t make the cut, no matter how great the memories were…
I’m afraid you may be right.
To counterpoint. I remember all the hand wringing about Fuel Injection and Computer controls in the 80’s.
This issue is already being largely resolved on 80s cars with a combination of 3D printing, aftermarket engine computers and software that allows common generic computer hardware to emulate the original ECUs.
Computers are often cited as an obsolescence issue, but I think A. people are falsely equating their experiences with laptops and phones to them, and B. overestimating the complexity of the average automobile computer. There’s not much to them and not much to fail. There are no viruses or malware and the few, if any, software updates you get don’t come with a bunch of unnecessary bloatware. They have just enough hardware to drive however many fuel injectors and however many coils in a pattern, based on and altered from inputs from a handful of simple sensors, and the software simply changes timing and time of the outputs based on the sensor information. They’re much more Casio calculator than personal computer, but with much more robust internal components.
I don’t disagree overall though, but it’s for different reasons. The planned obsolescence is on a much more substantive level today than it was in the 50s and 60s, where a simple restyling of the basically unchanged body meant you weren’t keeping up with the Jones. Cars could deteriorate fast back then, but there was never a point of too far gone, with the exception of tin worm, cars were as simple as hammers and could be made drivable for generations – Cuba is proof of that – modern cars aren’t adaptable, everything thing is made with tight tolerances and fit in tight spaces to max efficiency – there’s no shoehorning in some eastern bloc diesel into a transverse FWD Fusion in other words – and with safety and emissions being at the forefront of people’s thoughts more than ever they have a substantial case to turn late model cars into throwaways, and without styling to save them for nostalgia sake (all cars look the same) nobody is going to fondly remember when only the front curtain airbags were standard or the hybrid system that gets MPG an efficient future gas only engine can nearly match(or if/when all electric dominates).
But as far as computerized classics, I have an mid 90s computerized classic, and will tell you that the hardest part about keeping it on the road is all the same stuff that you have to deal with on mid 80s and older classics, EXCEPT not dealing with a carb. Vintage computer works perfect.
I think it is the multiplication effect of sensors and electronic control units throughout the vehicle. Think of airbag sensors and climate control sensors just to name a few major ones–when those fail, and owners are presented with expensive repair tabs on an old car running right, many will just let it go.
I remember reading an article in Bimmer Magazine a few years back on the E32 7 Series, which was launched in 1987. The authors made the point that these cars were so complicated/sophisticated with all the ECUs and sensors, that the E32 initiated the generations of BMW that would start to be “un” collectible since they were too difficult and expensive to maintain. Part of the article included a search on used examples, and the authors noted that the E32 seemed to be virtually nonexistent as used cars. It wasn’t the lack of desirability for the E32–the car had been highly praised and well received–it was that owners, even original buyers, would tire of the cost and hassle of keeping the cars on the road. Now that technology has crept down from flagship cars into the most mundane vehicles–which now offer features and complexity unimaginable on an E32–I think the problem will become ever more widespread.
Ford rags expressed the same fears with the Mustang when it got fuel injection, but it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to it, with tons of aftermarket support and wide parts availability. The thing with EFI is that the sensors and actuators have quite a wide and long term cross reference, there are some sensors being used on 2017 Fords that I can plug straight into my 1994 Mercury and it will work exactly the same, even others would only require a software flash for my computer, which the aftermarket even provides software for DIY.
Maybe that’s not the case with BMW but computers have been anything but a hinderance to automobile longevity since the late 80s, so if BMWs have a problem with it it’s their engineering to blame.
The worst part about electronics is that they can become functionally obsolete. I have 10 year old computers that work just fine, but their operating systems lose support, same thing happens with phones. Then sometimes an interface changes or revolutionizes and you can’t connect anything to it. This can and has happened with cars – early navigation systems of the 00s are about as quaint now as cars with antique cars with turn tables – but this is an electronic accessory/gimmick problem. Functionally as cars, the old navigation stereo without fresh update CDs are still perfectly operating cars as far as engine management is concerned.
I don’t agree xr7… I do agree that electronics have made cars much better…. But long term collectibility will certainly suffer. Also I think the comparison of BMW vs mustang wizardry wrong. A mustang from 1997 has nowhere near the complexity of the BMW 7 series. They are worlds apart. What made the BMW great then is making them obsolete today. Ironically I remembercthe 85 mustang gt beingvworth more $ than the 86 gt simply BC the 85 had a carburetor. Despite exactly the same appearance. However… Even today the 86 EEC 4 FI is easily worked on. Its simple.
I’m talking strictly from a engine management perspective. What Ford used wasn’t much different than anyone else did. As far as luxury accessories, I’m sure they are more troublesome, and I think I’m not arguing the potential nightmares modern cars who’ve since adopted them going on the fritz either.
The 85s are worth more because they dropped power in 86, 210 85 to 200 in 86. You see the same effect with Muscle cars in 1972 – not all dropped compression, backed off timing, or sprouted smog devices from their 1971 predecessors, all that changed was the rating system, and they’re ALL worth less than the 71s. Fast forward and 87 Mustangs got a power bump to 225 and all was well again, and once Mustang switched to Mass air for airflow modeling all the aftermarket tuning angst evaporated, and the values of these cars reflect it, in fact 87-93 5.0s seem to be more valuable than the 79-85s with carbs or CFI.
But most collectors aren’t going to want cars with non-functioning center stacks, for starters…
It’s not just the basic engine management ECU, those can be relatively simple–when the Mustang belatedly got fuel injection in ’86, it was hardly rocket science. The potential trouble spots are the more sophisticated technology applications, with their network of dozens of computer modules, plus the associated sensors, switches, actuators, gateways, bus-systems, etc. that are found in the typical modern car, including all late model Fords. The E32 BMW was a pioneer in that regard–it was brilliantly engineering as a modern electronic marvel circa 1987, but became an expensive money pit as it aged. Hence the reason that they are now virtually impossible to find in working order, if at all.
For new cars, when the systems are new and operating as designed for that point in time, modern electronics can be fantastic. As they age, wear out and/or become obsolete, not so much. Hard core collectors may be willing to devote the time to sort through the issues, find workarounds, and pay for potentially expensive fixes. But shade-tree mechanics/casual collectors likely won’t be bothered…
Probably because the electronic hobbyists who are into poking around circuit boards with logic analyzers are largely a completely different crowd than the car guys. That will have to change if the old car hobby is to survive.
Also, I’ve heard rumors that BMW etc have buy-back programs to prevent those high-end cars from becoming ghetto-sleds. But even a modern Mustang is in many ways more electrical than mechanical.
Use as an example the Aston Martin Lagonda with Lucas electronics, particularly an early digital dash. They fail, regularly, and the cost to repair or replace usually renders the otherwise valuable and collectable car practically worthless.What should have been a truly collectable car, albeit one with polarizing styling, has been largely ignored, if not forgotten. You can find one that works, and someone will pay a reasonably large sum to purchase, but one that does not work will never see the cost of restoration recouped. That makes it a labor of love for those who desire it, and that is a very small number of people. So, collectable? Not really. It is more a prized possession of someone who cherishes it, and few clamor to have one like it.
I have to wonder though….as time goes on, and technology improves will it be possible to upgrade or eliminate the faulty electronic junk? Kind of how the first decade or so of emissions controls were nothing but glitch hp robbing garbage. Now that we know how to hack this stuff (and since theres no or reduced inspection for older cars) it can be modified, upgraded or removed entirely.
I suppose I better eat my words: Taking myself & doggie for our daily mile or two walk, I came across this!
Unknown year Ford Fairmont with Ohio historical vehicle plates. It was a beauty, too.
Only original Chrysler Town & Countrys with all Di-Noc intact!
Also, Chevy SS TrailBlazers, most definitely.
Lots of SUV’s will be. I think the BOF mid size models, that are no longer built are starting to get street cred. Like BOF Explorers, GM’s Trail Blazer family, and 1st gen Dodge Durangos. One other example is Olds Bravadas, they have a cult following.
Hmmm, makes me wonder what my one owner (me) 1987 Chevy Astro is worth…
I can see Astros becoming collectible because they are mechanically simple and old enough to be modifiable. There are instructions out there on how to replace your 4.3 V6 with a 350 sbc.
AWD Astros are in high demand from the “expedition camper” crowd. Though not quite as pricey … yet … as Vanagon Syncros.
Because they represent the mundane,and boring things of life, I doubt that minivans will ever be collectible. Nothing here to excite the car enthusiast, but they do represent an aspect of pre- SUV American motoring. The vehicles that were associated with suburbia, soccer moms, juice boxes, trips to Costco, Sam`s club, the mall, or crowding the family in one to go visit grandma or pickup the kids from school. SUVs? Probably. Indications point to early Escalades and Navigators,or other high end types.
The Cherokee (XJ) would be my vote for “collectible”.
1) It generated plenty of cash for AMC (’83) and Chrysler (’87)
2) proved that a unibody SUV was viable
3) reinforced the legitimacy of having a SUV in your suburban driveway
A ’97 thru ’01 version would be most desirable. However, most Cherokees have very high mileage or rusted away and a good example will be difficult to find.
The 1993 Grand Wagoneer (Grand Cherokee with wood paneling) and 1st generation Chrysler Minivans might be collectable someday. The 1990 Town & Country sure is rare. The Pre-Sienna Toyota Vans seem to have a cult following.
79-87 (I think) AMC grand wagoneer.
Ford Excursions are already a collectible given their short production run. The diesel equipped trucks in particular are already very much sought after units and command a hefty price on the used market.
I don’t see myself ever having a genuine need for a Ford Excursion. But that said, they are probably my favourite looking modern SUV. Very traditional upright boxy appearance, while still having smoothed out and sleek lines (don’t quote me on that if you put it in a wind tunnel). The barn doors at the back are also pretty neat.
I suspect that certain minivans will be collectible in the same manner most sixties compacts are collectible today. Grungy old Falcons and Valiants in good shape are rather prized these days. It’s fascinating how some old mundane cars can be quite prized, simple due to their longevity and practicality.
Personally, I really like the first, square headlight Chrysler minivans, particularly the rather rare folding bed version. One of those in excellent condition might be quite a find, along the lines of an early Mustang with, say, a six-cylinder engine.
Besides the already mentioned turbo/5-speed, I suspect that the last years of the good looking (for a minivan) fourth generation Chryslers that had the first Stow’N Go seating arrangement might be collectible, as well.
REAL sports utilities: 4-Runner, XJ Cherokee, Grand Cherokee, XTerra…those will become highly sought after…some already are. The old school 2 doors, especially those with removable tops like the CJ/Wranger, Bronco, Ramcharger, etc have been for some time.
The reason for this is the same as with muscle cars. As true rough and ready sports utilities got downgraded into soggy mom mobiles with little more capability than a sedan or minivan, the ‘real’ ones are down to just a handful. As muscle cars got neutered into slow soft PLCs or disappeared entirely, that made the bygone ones more popular.
Family cruisers have always existed in some form or another and that’s because theyre a basic ‘need’. More people will always buy those, especially brand new. Those of us who buy what we ‘want’ will get it any way we can, even if it means paying new car money for something older. Its a smaller but much more passionate group. That said, a turbo manual Mopar minivan might just have the kind of appeal to bring some coin. Turbo Mopars are easy to hotrod too, so there IS that.
I’ve read that the discontinued Toyota FJ-Cruiser already commands a premium on the used vehicle market. I don’t understand it, esp since they were slow sellers when new, but I guess some people love them.
Absolutely. It’s the LR Defender all over again.
Toyota had a solid hit with the FJ. No, it will never sell like the camry or rav4, that’s just reality. But it was a legit competitor to the Wrangler, halfway between it and the XTerra in terms of offering a no compromise off-roader. Best of all it shared the bulk of its hardware with the Taco and 4Runner. Fills a niche and has a guaranteed customer base. But it seems Toyota wants no association with anything resembling fun these days.
Agree. Some excellent picks, and I’d add more obvious classics like the Grand Wagoneer, Bronco, early Land Rovers and early Land Cruisers.
I have to admit I consider the sighting of a first gen Mopar mini in good condition to be interesting. And, I owned a 1999 Town & Country new, and couldn’t be interested enough to keep it more than three years. So, if I can find an old mini-van to be interesting, there have to be a few people waaaay ahead of me.
On the other hand, I’m fairly convinced the immediate successor to my mini-van, a 2002 Dodge Durango, has been a classic since I drove it off the dealer lot. I still have it, it is very presentable, my teenage kids absolutely adore it, it has drawn compliments weekly for the past 15 years, and I could sell it off Craigslist for five grand in 30 minutes all day – and not because it is a paragon of reliability. SUVs of many stripes are extremely popular with the high school crowd where I live. The cars high school kids seek out and actually like are frequently good bets for classics in about 30 years.
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I should also note… the two door Tahoe & Yukon built in the mid-90s are another highly sought after SUV. Lots of people always looking for those and units in good condition are hard to find.
Makes total sense. There is no direct replacement. A soggy, family oriented 4 door variant is a downgrade. The 2 doors just look better and if that’s your weekend toy, a project for upgrades etc then thats the version you want.
Honda Elements and Subaru Baja’s still command a premium also and for the same reasons. There’s just not a direct replacement for either of those. Love them
Or hate them, they’re both unique vehicles that have some convincing strong points.
It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.
Danish proverb
who the hell knows what will be collectible. Tastes change unpredictably so — who’d ever have thought that heavily used 1980-85 300TD WAGONS would be going at auction over $25,000 today?
As for the other point, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to use this photo — should I call it “Red in a sea of Achromicity”?
I’ve always liked station-wagons, and today decent survivors are in demand from those that don’t like minivans, or the ride and handling of a truck or SUV.
But I kind of liked the original Chrysler minivans. Even though they were gutless wonders, compared to most any other vans, mini or otherwise, the engine access was excellent, and today the 2.2 could probably be vastly improved with a non-ecu performance Weber carb.
In the mid ’90s, my brother got a low-miles ’84 Voyager to take his stuff to guitar-shows. Pretty clean, decent paint. Once up to speed the 2.2 did OK on the highway.
But the elderly PO apparently rarely drove it over 40 mph, so after a couple months of my brother’s highway driving, the automatic tranny died. We could’ve gotten a rebuilt tranny for around $800, but my brother was so disgusted, the Voyager instead became his backyard storage shed for 15 years, until the county made him get rid of it!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Collector wanted
Some one will collect them but most wont. I for one hate minivans.
I’d love a second or third generation IH Travelall. But pre 1970s Chevy Suburbans and Wagoneers would work too.
An SUV that comes to mind is the Isuzu Vehicross. Weird!
Minivans, CUV’s and SUV’s are basically throwaway vehicles. There may be a hint of nostalgia attached to some of them, but that’s as far as it goes. I sure don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling thinking about the pos ’99 Dodge Caravan my parents owned and their constant complaints to the dealer.
With fewer and fewer young people interested in automobiles anymore, the few vehicles that might attain any desirability to own 20 or 30 years from now will likely be the high performance Japanese and German cars that appeal to the younger generation today.
Vintage pickup trucks are now collectible and so are older station wagons, so there’s no reason minivans and SUVs couldn’t be. 1st gen Caravans, Previas and other unique designs could be desired by people who remembered them.
It’s quite possible that in 70 -100 years, anything with a steering wheel and pedals–designed to be driven by a human–will be considered hopelessly quaint. Jean Shepherd stated in 1976, “The idea of having a private automobile might be as contemporary as owning a Conestoga wagon today.”
If you think today’s SUVs are dull and lack style, you should see pictures of the Google and Apple self-driving cars–they’re basically pods–they look like a computer mouse with wheels!
My experience with teens and younger adults is that they’re not really nostalgic about ANYTHING–everything revolves around group activities and social media. Computers dominate their lives, any computer or phone that is old is worthless, and an SUV is just another appliance. Cars are not socially, stylistically, or culturally as important as in the ’50s to the ’70s.
Lastly, the motivations and tastes of America’s fastest growing demographic groups will not follow patterns that we would recognize, and they may not have the kind of emotional bonds to old cars that we do. And without that, there is no hobby.
I’m turning 18 this June and I seem to be the polar opposite of teens you’ve met. I’m too nostalgic for my own good, I have trouble throwing things away sometimes just because I’ve had it for a while. I have a facebook account but I barely use it, no instagram, twitter or anything else except reddit and here. Computers *do* dominate my life, but old ones just as much as new ones (would love to find a Kaypro 2). And for cars, well, here I am on Curbside Classic!
Collectible? No, not to collectors anyway. Too many and too utilitarian leading to high wear and tear. Now there will always be a few who will want to save them and feel they are valuable and collectible just like the few who think K cars are today.
Everything can become collectible.
The nay-sayers here are getting the wrong end of the stick: “only used by moms on shopping trips”, “too much electronics to be repaired”, “too boring to be worth the effort”, “driven too hard for too long”….
Folks used to say the same thing (minus the electronics) about the Citroen 2CV — they were worthless in the ’90s. But sure enough, nowadays, they can cost a bundle. Not a huge bundle yet, but the prices have only begun to climb. I remember the same thing about the Renault 16 back in the day, too. They all disappeared, and all of the sudden a small crowd of nostalgic folks started saving them. And the crowds grow, but the number of cars never does. So mathematically, prices tend to go up.
There is no reason to project one’s disdain for certain types of vehicles into the future and other people. I don’t care for SUVs or minivans much either, but if something ubiquitous becomes rare, it usually becomes valuable pretty soon.
+ 1. You put it in a nutshell. Time passes, nostalgia grows, the number of cars diminishes, so there you go.
I remember how my dad eventually sold his Citroën DS 20 Pallas in 1981 (it was getting old, there was too much trouble maintaining the hydraulics, and the mileage wasn’t too good either, he said). He sold it for almost nothing.
Nobody in their right mind wanted a DS in France in the early 1980s, except family men with caravans or guys who were into customizing. DSs were as totally out as a car can get. Look at what they fetch today.
Yes, look at the Renault 16. Today there are even guys who are crazy about the Renault 25.
So I see no reason why, 10 years from now, at least SOME minivans and SUVs shouldn’t become collectible.
In a world when you can fill a field with collectors’ Austin Allegros, I suspect there’s nothing that doesn’t have some sort of collectors’ market – though, as noted above, this doesn’t make them “investments”. Notwithstanding electrical/tech obsolescence, here are a few European examples:
– any “proper” Land-Rover (Defender). They’ll be like MGBs or Minis, practical classics for those that can afford to run them. Ditto G-Class Mercs*.
– Mk I Range Rovers
– London taxis (they’re going electric next year)
– Original Renault Espace
– Matra Rancho
– Original Fiat Multipla
– Renault Vel Satis/Avantime
– there’ll be a small but active market for prestige lumps like the Porsche Cayenne
– there’ll be folks out there who felt they’d “made it” (or mum/dad had made it) when they got their first X5, and they’ll want one as a memento
– and there’ll be people who’ll hanker for a Vauxhall Zafira for the same reason their dads/granddads are fond of Allegros
*in Europe a Merc is a Benz, not a Ford with gingerbread!
Hopefully the minivans won’t be collectible. As I advance in age I wouldn’t mind owning a minivan one day but not paying a collectible price. I would have had one in my late 20s as a single person if it wasn’t socially unacceptable. They seem so practical. I love driving my two sisters 4th gen. Grand Caravans with 3.3s. They actually have a very nice ride to them and have surprisingly good visibility when backing up. Oh, and they have a bit of that Highland Hummingbird sing to their starters as well. A very nice touch.
I can see SUVs being more collectible for their charms than minivans, however. SUV says character whereas minivan says Maytag appliance.
Boring.
Still, I’d take a minivan over an SUV any day for their greater urban practicality. Well, except a late 90s 4Runner in champagne. Those are too nice to pass up.
I’m surprised no one mentioned the current high-perf CUVs/SUVs like Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne and Macan, Maserati Levante and so on. I don’t like that sort of vehicle but some of them offer massive performance in all weather conditions and may have their own unique appeal.
And as for the electronics issue, do not underestimate what the current generation of computer geeks can do (I mean those computer geeks who are into cars).
Aerostar, long body, 3.0l, 5 passenger.
Not by me!
But that’s not the point, somewhere, somehow someone will love them. They’ll cherish them, acquire an arsenal of arcane facts and develop remedies for all faults.
Then they’ll appear at car shows and we’ll walk by and look at the display without the slightest desire to experience the vehicle or consider ownership. Then we’ll get talking to the owners and find they’re really good people, just with questionable taste. Common ground will be found, connections will be made, and we might just develop an appreciation for their ride.
At least that’s what the hobby is about for me.
+1?!
I don’t think that most mini vans will be collectible, but as always, a really clean well preserved 30 year old example would probably draw interest at a show. Something like a turbo Mopar or an Aztek, Previa, or something unusual. I would predict that SUVs will be much more desirable, especially real off road capable types like Jeeps, Broncos, Early Blazers and Ramchargers (what a great name!) A first gen Explorer done up Jurassic Park style. V8 power will be important. It’s always the clean well preserved example that will be kept by an owner who would take it to shows. I can’t imagine that many would actually be fully restored. Land Rover is offering a service where early models can be completely rebuilt by the factory either for the owner, or they will be offered for sale to the public. Who knows?
Yes, even though we look at them now as a “so what” vehicle. Who ever thought that a 1962 Ford Econoline, bought from the phone company for $100 would be a classic collectable now? I also see the Pontiac Aztec taking off in popularity in a couple of years. People laugh at the Aztec, but it is really one very neat vehicle. I am checking one out right now to see if I can get a good deal on it.
The Aztek is getting to be like the ’34 Airflow – a car that looked weird and ugly in its time but utterly normal a decade later. I see Previas and maybe first-gen Toyota vans becoming collectible, especially those with AWD, supercharged engines, or stick shifts. The VW microbus and Vanagon obviously, maybe the later front-engine VW vans. Given enough time, well-preserved top-line routine minivans will have the same allure a ’65 Town & Country does now.
Amongst SUVs, well, any Wrangler, any Defender (they already *are* collectible), Range Rovers. Crossovers will devalue at the same rate as regular cars, which is how their viewed today.