I think you saw old cars in the desert. I see them here in Ohio on back roads in nice weather. All look pristine but they're "economy collector cars" at best. A status our cars have not even achieved yet. I'll bet none are daily drivers and certainly garage queens. I doubt you'll see a genuine Shelby Cobra out there. MGs and GTOs are as common as paper cups at the drive in restaurant parking lot. A status our cars have not even achieved yet. I guess I consider collector cars are those well into the six-figure range for cars to be just collectible and not drive-able.

-- Chuck

 

I have a friend who has an original 1964 Shelby Cobra and he drives it all weathers. I have been out in it (as a passenger) in the dry and it's a handful on narrow Sussex lanes. I tremble to think what it's like in the wet!

 

The bubble is interesting... other bubbles are different to this one and I’m beginning to think it may not burst. The thing we have now is a rapidly coming shift to electric cars, and anything rare, normally aspirated (F40 etc excepted) manual and mostly desirable is always going to be held in high regard when looking back in time. So I think there may be some adjustments short term, but the more the electric wave comes the more it will drive prices for investors in rare older cars.

I agree with Gad on the newer cars thing, but emotionally they are less desirable. That’s countered by the fact that for me, I can’t afford any of the old stuff I like... so it’s modern all the way. I can’t find anything I’d rather have than the Aston in the modern offering though, but it probably would be the AMG GTC.

 

Is part of the attraction of that Aston the fact its unlikely to cost you an arm and a kidney in depreciation though?

aside from the fact its a better work of art than owt picasso churned out.

appreciating there arent many cars like that around now anyway

there is lots of dross fecthing silly money but i'm inclined to agree with chuck that some are just anomalies

the S2 has gone up in value, i expect some boxsters/caymans will do likewise in the coming years

extreme rarity of something desirable will always push up prices. Look at property.

 

We're all really happy someone, at least, has a friend who can drive an original Shelby Cobra around in all weathers. Prices of $1.5million (£1.2million) were not unheard of a few years ago. For originals.

-- Chuck

 

Your bubble theory sounds good if everything else stays the same Mark

But if we accept the switch to electric, we must also predict a shift from petrol stations to charging stations (or blocks of flats if round here is anything to go by)

Together with automated cars

And the problem then is how you mix the automated cars with you in your Aston and Wayne in his collectable XR3i

So I can see that if the switch is very strong, petrol, self-driven cars will be (need to be) driven off the roads (no pun)

That's before we get to what the govt could do in terms of tolls, fuel duty, VED and other legislative disincentives

Then I'd predict petrol cars becoming museum pieces, simply trailered to and from shows

 

Yep totally agree, but I think the transition will be very slow, and i'd take a punt that any ban on use of analogue cars on the roads may not be in our lifetime. I think the onus will be on the electric manufacturers to be able to allow for analogue cars on the roads, possibly by addition of some sort of box / sensors required on them. This is currently happening anyway - I use a Tesla taxi company and have seen how the systems work in predicting accidents by detecting other (non Tesla) cars. But yes, ultimately it will all be automated... and no bad thing for non motoring enthusiasts. No more traffic, no accidents.

I've spent many hours reading the subject... What fascinates me is that before long we won't own a car - it was soon be an app based driverless pod car on demand. But it's the implications of this which interest me, particularly landscape and property. So we don't need garages anymore... extra room in most people's houses then. Driveways? Nope don't need those, and if you think how many people have those. This will probably be turned into usable space or garden areas, further helping our little planet. Insurance companies? Down the pan no doubt. Although the argument on blame if an accident does happen is another interesting topic!

Ok there will always be an elite who want a gold encrusted faster version of their own driverless car, but the masses will be car on demand, and it will change things.

 

You'll still be in a job, think of all the oil and gas needed to burn those generators to make all the electricity needed ...... which should more than make up for what is no longer needed as petrol for cars

 

Hell yes, and that's all I'm worried about UF

Although solar can more than easily power this planet :shhhh:

Also interested how the government are going to tax the sun...

 

agree with the general thrust of that but I struggle with what the council estates will drive

what's the 2040 driverless pod car equivalent of a rusty Mondeo?