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What age do you consider a vehicle to be a classic?

How old is a vehicle when YOU would consider it to be a "classic"?

  • 20+ years old

    Votes: 3 5.6%
  • 25+ years old

    Votes: 19 35.2%
  • 30+ years old

    Votes: 4 7.4%
  • 35+ years old

    Votes: 2 3.7%
  • 40+ years old

    Votes: 13 24.1%
  • 45+ years old

    Votes: 4 7.4%
  • 50+ years old

    Votes: 9 16.7%

  • Total voters
    54
auto styling hasn't really changed for over 30 years now...... like all the cool ideas were used up; even Mopar had to reach back to 1970 for the modern Challenger

and Chevy with the modern Camaro

even Ford to an extent, with the Mustang
 
The cars my parents drove greatly influenced what I would covet later on in life.

Mine did not. My dad always drove big cars. The bigger the better. I remember a Chrysler New Yorker, Olds 88, and a Dodge station wagon (red with the rumble seat - my favorite). All 60's vintage. Then a 71 Ford LTD. Mom told me (dad passed when I was 12) that he would have driven a tank if he could. He was very protective of his 2 boys.

Mom had a 55 Bel Air 4-door, slant 6, 3 on the tree that she sold for $250 when I was 15 1/2 years old. I was pissed!
 
Mine did not. My dad always drove big cars. The bigger the better. I remember a Chrysler New Yorker, Olds 88, and a Dodge station wagon (red with the rumble seat - my favorite). All 60's vintage. Then a 71 Ford LTD. Mom told me (dad passed when I was 12) that he would have driven a tank if he could. He was very protective of his 2 boys.

Mom had a 55 Bel Air 4-door, slant 6, 3 on the tree that she sold for $250 when I was 15 1/2 years old. I was pissed!

Bel-Air with a slant 6? broken motor mount? :poke:
 
Bel-Air with a slant 6? broken motor mount? :poke:

No broken motor mount. Mom was the proverbial 'little old lady school teacher'. I did crack my head open on the front seat while standing in the back seat when she got in a rear-ender, and I remember her catching me playing 'gas station man' when I was probably around 6 or 7. I was pouring sand from our sandbox into the gas tank from a 3-in-1 oil can. No spanking that time. Family court (mom and dad) determined I was too young and stupid to be malicious. I was just playing. They had to have the tank pulled and cleaned, but fortunately she caught me in the act and never started the car. Oh, the memories...
 
The cars my parents drove greatly influenced what I would covet later on in life.
Me too, but in a different way. I collected stuff my dad didn't like, and didn't own. My 1960 Chrysler 300F was the epitome - he referred to it as capitalistic decadence to the point of absurdity. He drove a 1960 Valiant. And you already know the story of my history with Clark Motor Company.
 
I think this may have more to do with the interpreter's age (beholder/beer holder) than the age of the cars in question.
 
Probably about 35 years. Late 80's were the last of them, although there weren't many worthy. 1968 -1970 being the best years for true "classics".
 
PA has a distinction between Classic and Antique. At least it used to be that antique was anything over 25 years, but classic had to be a limited production car that was deemed to be desirable. Typically they were at least 15 years old. Either way, they had to be in a certain book to be considered Classic. So it was actually harder to get classic plates than antique. A K car could never get classic plates, but can now get antique plates.
 
A lot depends on the age of the respondent. My dad had a close friend who was a past president of the AACA, and owned a 40 car collection. I remember him saying that the cars one coveted before becoming old enough to drive would determine the number. This has held true in my case, with the hobby cars I've owned ranging from 1960 to 1969 (all of which I remembered as new cars before I got my driver's license.)

PA uses 25 years an antique license standard, and I do have trouble getting my head around that stuff as "classic," as it seems too much like present day, and with a few exceptions, most doesn't possess any artistic quality that transcends the era.

Agree. This was a major line of demarcation. The year the compression ratios dropped in preparation for unleaded fuel and catalytic converters. Ugly bumpers to follow in 1973. The start of the era when the government, rather than the consumer became a major force in car design. This is not meant to be political, just referring to the process that began after Ralph Nader published "Unsafe at Any Speed" in 1965. As the public mood shifted in that direction, I used it to my advantage, buying GTXs when they were out of favor, figuring they would be worth a bucket of money later.
Can't believe some of the cars I passed on..... :(

The cars my parents drove greatly influenced what I would covet later on in life.
Wasn't much influence from my parents with what I liked. When the 58 Edsel came out I wents nuts on it but was only 7 lol. My dad hated Ford products and didn't want to go down to the stealership so I could get the free promo model they were passing out but after begging enough he caved lol
Mine did not. My dad always drove big cars. The bigger the better. I remember a Chrysler New Yorker, Olds 88, and a Dodge station wagon (red with the rumble seat - my favorite). All 60's vintage. Then a 71 Ford LTD. Mom told me (dad passed when I was 12) that he would have driven a tank if he could. He was very protective of his 2 boys.

Mom had a 55 Bel Air 4-door, slant 6, 3 on the tree that she sold for $250 when I was 15 1/2 years old. I was pissed!
Yeah, my dad drove big cars starting in 69 with a 440 powered New Yorker. The only lemon from ChryCo that he ever got, except for the engine. That thing ran good and I mean good. Can't even believe he let me drive it without him being in the car with me lol
Probably about 35 years. Late 80's were the last of them, although there weren't many worthy. 1968 -1970 being the best years for true "classics".
Can't think of anything in the last 30 years that can be considered a classic 25 years from now unless the juice boxes take over and the gas car become illegal...
You sure? I see nothing in 45+ years checked in the poll yet.
Man, it's there! :D
 
and lets not forget the 85 MPH speedometers of the late 70s :gay:

1980 is the first model year they were required. But you’re right, all ‘80 model year cars had them in September ‘79, and some had them before that… the ‘78 GM G bodies.
That's on my all-original 79 Cordoba. Which I can proudly say I buried. :D
 
A K car could never get classic plates, but can now get antique plates.

Lots of 90s vehicles around here with antique plates. I saw a 90s Honda Accord just the other day. First one that really caught my eye a year or two ago was a 90s Fox body Mustang. What the heck?

Cops aren't too strict on the driving requirements either.
 
Up here they shut down antique plates at 1987.
Basically, everyone knows it's about cheap plates, not the antique part.
I voted 50+years.
 
To me classic cars are pre 1980. Even in high school in the mid 80s the 70s cars seemed to have a classic look to them. They had chrome bumpers and style. You could always tell what type of car was coming down the road at night by seeing the headlights.
 
PA has a distinction between Classic and Antique. At least it used to be that antique was anything over 25 years, but classic had to be a limited production car that was deemed to be desirable. Typically they were at least 15 years old. Either way, they had to be in a certain book to be considered Classic. So it was actually harder to get classic plates than antique. A K car could never get classic plates, but can now get antique plates.
i have classic tags (the original blue/gold plate) on my 70 hornet and my 71SC. bad part is. PA now brand the title as exempt on millage even if its original miles. and ya have to turn in the original title. i didn't know that part until i got the new title in the mail. pissed me off. ... but its permanent tag. ya don't have to renew it every year and the old tag belongs to you. but ya still have to have it inspected as normal tag. and no millage restrictions.
but the car counts.. a 71 vega wagon... no. a 71 SC 360 hornet .. yes. but by 73 it was over... jmo
 
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IMO for a car to be considered "classic " must fulfill several options, desirability, productions numbers, brand, etc , not because is old is classic, I never ever consider a Ford pinto POS a classic car, a fox body mustang probably yes, besides mopar I like old volvos, a turbo brick never a classic, but yes a 1800 s or an Amazon to set an example, same goes to us humans not because you are old doesn't mean you are wise depends on many tings.
 
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