Immediately following yesterday’s post about the MotorMax “Fresh Cherries” series of die-cast cars, I thought it was high time for me to address a topic that more and more car enthusiasts are talking about these days. If cars of the 1970’s are now becoming classics, the natural question raised is, what’s next? Of course, we are already seeing the answer to that on the car market.
Nothing makes a person feel older than when the things they remember as mundane daily objects from their childhoods become “collector’s items” or “antiques.” Regular readers of this blog have probably noticed I tend to be a little hard on younger generations and their mores and tastes. There are many reasons for that, some justified and some likely not, but beyond subjective matters (read: being a cranky old man yelling at the kids to get off my lawn), there are a lot of objective reasons why I’m having a bit of difficulty accepting the notion of cars the 80’s and up as “classics.”
If you’re more “hip” than I am, you’ve probably already heard the term “Radwood” (more often spelled as “RADwood”) to describe a contingent of mostly younger people who are in love with-and celebrating-the culture of the 1980s and ‘90s, and the cars are a big part of that. I’ve been trying to figure out where the term “RADwood” came from and I haven’t really found an answer, other than that it started with a group of young guys in Southern California-where else??-who began organizing car shows for ‘80s and ‘90s cars a few years ago, which also featured concerts and party elements that showcased the music and styles of the time, and the idea caught on like wildfire and quickly became “A Thing.”
I suppose it’s not all that dissimilar to those of us who were “Greasers” in the ‘80s, in love with the cars, music, and culture of the ‘50s. I’ve long thought that there are some parallels between the 1950s and early ‘60s, and the 1980s and early 90’s: they were both periods of tremendous economic prosperity, more conservative politics and values, and an active and exciting rebellion against that; both eras were marked by fantastic music, a vibrant entertainment industry, and disposable incomes to enjoy it. And it makes sense, in a world decimated by globalist billionaires where the middle class has essentially been wiped out: if you were a young man or woman today, why wouldn’t you look back on the ‘80s and ‘90s as a better time? I’m not going to break out the economic charts and graphs, but this is not entirely subjective: by almost any metric, it WAS a better time!
So Let’s Review: What Makes a Car a Classic?
Again, in dealing with something as subjective as car enthusiasm it can be hard to pin down many objective criteria, but here’s my attempt at it: there are 3 primary categories that anyone looking at buying a car for any purpose-whether the potential buyer is a gearhead or a “normie”- is going to weigh in their decision: ENGINEERING, FUNCTIONALITY, and STYLE. Almost everything falls into one of these categories: safety and performance (whether that’s acceleration, cornering ability, or fuel economy) is covered by “engineering.” Reliability and cost of ownership is covered by “Functionality.” But “Style?” Well, obviously, that’s the most subjective. The first two categories are the ones that ALL car buyers care about to some degree, but the third is the one that grabs the attention of the true enthusiast: the gearhead cares at least as much-and often more-about “Style” than the other two: this covers the “statement” a car makes, the “attitude” it has: it’s how a car looks, how it feels, and how it makes you feel!
If we’re going to talk objectively about classic cars by era, lets cover those first 2 categories first: the cars of the era that I most love and that I honor on this blog-those built between roughly 1945 to 1972-were objectively better in terms of functionality than the cars of the 2 decades that followed: they were more solidly built with better, higher quality materials; they were simpler, and thus easier and cheaper to maintain. Whether or not they were more reliable is a trickier question; older cars certainly needed more frequent maintenance and could be less dependable if they were neglected, but the maintenance they needed was easy and basic enough for almost anyone to do themselves. In terms of Engineering: in the days before concerns about fuel shortages and emissions, they also performed better; they were faster, accelerated better, and were unhindered by complex fuel and electrical systems that both robbed them of horsepower and responsiveness, and introduced reliability problems.
All that changed in the ‘70’s, and we all know exactly who and what we have to thank for that: meddling by bureaucrats from a bloated federal government who had no business, in an allegedly “free society,” inserting themselves into the manufacturing of consumer products to the extent that they did in the car industry. We don’t refer to the period that gave us the clunkers of ‘70s as “the malaise era” for nothing. This was the era of the Japanese Invasion, and its not a surprise that today, worldwide, there’s a healthy enthusiast market for the “ricers” of the ‘70s, cars that are both easy to live with and, in many cases, good looking or-at the very least-“cute.”
In the ‘80s, the results of much of that government meddling were still being worked through by the car companies, who were trying-and often failing-to meet demands for fuel economy and safety demanded by law while still building cars people wanted. And that brings us to into the subjectivity of “Style,” for this is the area where the mid-century cars most outshine everything that came after them. I doubt I even need to expound on these issues; if you are a car enthusiast, you know what I mean. Even the most mundane cars of the era had more grace and beauty than most anything you could buy 30 years later.
By the ‘90s, things were getting noticeably better; advancements in computers allowed carmakers to finally begin to bring back some of the performance and driving excitement of the pre-malaise era while staying within the lines of safety and economy demanded by the government. But of course, there was a cost, both at the dealership, and after the sale: cars became more complex, more expensive to build and buy, harder to repair and maintain.
None of this comes as “news” to anyone reading this blog: the point that I’m making is that cars of the ‘50s and ‘60s are classics for more reasons than just nostalgia: they were not only beautiful, but most of them were also objectively good cars in terms of performance and quality.
Lastly, there’s another issue related to Style: the issue of customizability; how easy (or difficult) it is to personalize the car, to modify it to make it truly your own. Here again, this is easier with older cars due to their design simplicity.
However, there’s an elephant in the room when we’re talking about “classics,” and that is NOSTALGIA, probably the most subjective metric of all. Nostalgia drives the value of collectibles more than anything else; more than engineering, functionality, and perhaps more than even style; so while I can make the case that mid-century cars were objectively better than late-century models, that isn’t going to stop someone who was kid in the ‘80s and ‘90s from looking back through rose shaded glasses on their childhood memories, nor does it preclude their children, born in the 2000’s and 2010’s, from being fascinated by the world their parents knew, a world they can see and hear echoes of, but missed themselves. And that brings us to the market…
Popular When New, Popular Now!
While its true that the market for vehicles people need as transportation is a signal of a nation’s economic health, the collector car market is a little trickier. Certainly it, too, is affected by economic conditions, but its far less rational. What, then, explains the prices we are currently seeing for some of the cars from the “RADwood era” that, just a few years ago, could be had for 4-figure prices?
It’s no surprise for anyone who was around in that era-this includes yours truly-that it is the European cars that are getting the highest prices, followed by the Japanese brands, with the Americans lagging far behind. I’m not talking about extremely high-end cars like Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins, and the like; those cars tend to be in an orbit of their own. I’m talking about the much more mundane cars that were used as daily drivers when they were new. The European cars of the 1980s were-again, objectively-far better than their domestic counterparts, being of far higher quality and having much better performance and drivability (again, the question of reliability is a trickier matter). Subjectively, they also tended to be better looking, and of course there was the status their universally higher prices conferred upon ownership, something that appears to still echo through time; remember when everything had to be “Euro” to be cool??
Following close behind are the Japanese brands, and here it is the sportier cars that have really taken off in price. A wealthy society with plenty of disposable income will crave vehicles that are fun to drive and own, and the Japanese brands delivered in spades in the ‘80s with cars like the Toyota Celia and MR2, the Nissan Z, the Honda CR-X and Prelude, and the Mazda RX-7; all great cars that are fondly remembered today. Because of their lower prices when new, these cars suffered more abusive lives than many of their Euro counterparts and thus have lower survival rates even though more were made, which also tends to increase the value for the good clean low-mileage originals out there.
At the bottom of the pack we have our North American domestics, and we all know that the ‘80s were not a great time for the American/Canadian industry, as The Big 3 were still struggling to pull themselves out of the mess created by the government in the ’70s, but even so, the American brands still made some pretty nice cars in this era in addition to the dogs we love to hate. In particular, the swan song of the American “Land Yacht” was seen in the early 80’s, and although the big RWD Lincolns and Cadillacs of the era were mere shadows of their 1950’s and ‘60s forebears, they still have their fans today.
The GM “G-platform” RWD intermediates have long had their fans as well; these include cars like the Chevy Malibu, the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and the Buick Regal, all great cars that were well made and stylish. They weren’t great performers off the showroom floor, but it wasn’t too hard to make them go much faster than the factory made them, and hot rodders had a great time doing that, both then and now. And while the American brands were far behind the Asian and European counterparts in making sportier cars, there were a few good ones; there’s always going to be a market for the hatchback Camaros and Firebirds and the Fox Body Mustangs, but good clean examples of cars like the FWD Chrysler Laser and Dodge Daytona and special limited editions models like the Shelby-branded Chryslers are moving up-market fast!
Nostalgia VS Reality: It isn’t Automatically “GOOD” Just Because its OLD…or Even RARE!
No one knows better than your humble blogger here how much nostalgia can color-and discolor-how we perceive the things in our pasts! Lately, it’s starting to feel like every car built before the turn of the millennium is being talked about as a “classic.” Trust me, dear readers: this isn’t going to last!
We all know that “the money men” leave no stone unturned, and the moment there’s even the potential of a buck to be made, the “scene makers” start their usual routine, playing on people’s “FOMO” to drive the prices of anything and everything up to crazy levels before everyone can figure out they’ve been had. Its an old, old story that’s been going on for decades and the classic car market is more susceptible to it than most. You may think that that original low mileage Plymouth Reliant-K some dealer found at an estate sale in Escondido and is trying to unload for $12,000 is cool because it reminds you of the company car your dad had, but not everyone is going to share your memories! As for rarity: one of the best and most memorable quotes I’ve ever read by an old-timer Automotive journalist named Rich Taylor comes to mind:
“A ’57 Studebaker Scotsman is much more rare than a ’57 Chevy Bel-Air, but the Chevy was popular when it was new, and its popular today. The Studebaker wasn’t popular when new and is all but forgotten today.”
I wish I could have that conversation with whomever paid over $16,000 for this 1980 Pontiac Phoenix that showed up on “Bring A Trailer” a while ago!
Hey, I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade here: if you want that K-Car or that GM X-body because it’s a low-mileage virgin that reminds you of something in your past, I support that entirely; more power to you! I just hope you’re not buying something like that as an “investment!” Don’t be surprised if the quickly escalating prices you see on the market now for a lot of these cars comes crashing back to earth in a few years!
Market Distortion: The Effect of “The War on Cars”
Buuuuut, then again….While the cars of the 80’s and 90’s may have been more mechanically and electrically complex than the cars that came before them, there is still a lot of utility left in these vehicles. Lower mileage cars from these decades can provide reliable transportation with low running costs, if you are a half-decent backyard mechanic and can do a lot of your own maintenance and some repairs yourself. Their performance and economy may not be up to today’s standards, but that was true of the ‘50s cars we were still driving in the ‘80s; didn’t make them any less fun to drive!
One of the reasons why prices of these cars have gone up so much recently is likely because the prices of everything have gone up so much. When a new car costs upwards of $50,000, that’s going to have an affect on the value of a good running car that’s 30+ years old. This goes double for trucks! Beyond this, however, is something we’ve never have to contend with before….
There is an ill wind blowing that I have mentioned many times on this blog, most notably here, here, and here, that I think a lot of younger car enthusiasts-and some older ones too!-are picking up on. Remember that government meddling I mentioned that had such a profound affect back in the ‘70s? That may seem like child’s play compared to what’s coming; how much longer are we even going to be allowed to buy gas-powered cars?? Anyone who pays any attention to what’s been going on in the world for the last 10 years already knows without question who the next president of the USA is going to be-I certainly do!-so the policies we’ve seen over the last 4 years that have driven up gas and car prices to today’s stratospheric levels are not only going to continue, but accelerate.
This brings a new dimension to the market for old cars we’ve never had to deal with: once the ability to buy ANY new gas powered cars is gone, prepare for the prices on the remaining ones out there to go through the roof, and that goes double for anything that’s fun to drive and own, anything that can tow or haul, and anything that looks good and reminds people of better times! So while not everything “RADwood” is necessarily a good investment, the more dependable and longer lasting an older car has a reputation for being, the higher its future value is likely to be. My advice? I hate to sound like Scotty Kilmer, but start buying Hondas and Toyotas….and every VW or Mercedes diesel you can get your hands on!
OK, So What Does This Wordy Brain-Dump Have To Do With HO Slot Cars or 1:64 Die Casts?
Well, a lot! I’ll be exploring this topic a little more in coming posts to show you how the “RADwood” trend is affecting what we see on the model and toy market, and how its affecting the availability and prices of collectibles. Chances are, you already know the answer, dear readers, because if you’re out there collecting and watching the latest releases from the likes of Auto World, Johnny Lightning, and Hot Wheels, you can see the affect its having!
So, these kids today…the cars of the ’80s and ’90s may not have the performance or the economy of the cars that came before them or the cars of today, but there’s still a lot of life left in some of them, and let’s face it: Nostalgia is a powerful mover! So, you know what? I’m gonna go with it! I’m a child of the 80’s myself, and I think the RADwood thing is OK! I may never concede that the cars of the “Reagan era” have the style, panache, or charm of the ones that were on the road before The Deep State murdered Kennedy, but from “Malaise” to “Greed Is Good” to “The New World Order,” I was there, and for better or worse, those cars bring back big memories! I’m not going to pay any crazy “investor prices,” but I’m perfectly willing to put on my rose-shaded glasses and go car shopping! Grab your favorite mix tapes and let’s hit the road!
I’d say go with it as well and there is a kookie sort of charm to some of the cars. Like I mentioned before, mostly (for me) it’s not so much nostalgia for the cars themselves but the people I knew who drove them and things we did in them. Though, I’ve always had a fondness for the Oldsmobile Delta 88 and 98’s, (I always thought those were nice looking cars) but you know when it comes to cars, I like them big! I guess I’m not to surprised since it seems most guys who are into cars usually focus on either the cars they had when they were teenagers or the cars they wanted when they were teenagers and that tends to stay with them their whole lives. I saw there was a similar movement in Russia with Soviet era cars. While they were unattractive and not well built, some have a fondness for them and reliving the days of their youth.
Exactly! What you say here is my whole point: if these cars are now “classics” it must primarily be the result of rose-shaded nostalgia, because it can’t be a love for the cars themselves, the way enthusiasts love the much better cars of earlier decades; after all, you and I weren’t alive in the 50’s and 60’s; we love the cars from that era because of what they are rather than because of what they remind us of. But nostalgia is a powerful thing, and it makes things collectible. Your point about Oldsmobiles is also appreciated, and you can see I agree, since I pointed out several of them in this post as worthy of attention. Some people don’t realize that Olds and Buick had the best quality control of all of GM’s 6 divisions in the ‘80s (better than Cadillac, even!) and with the exception of the tragic “X-body” front-drivers, most of them held up pretty well and may deserve a look as “nostalgia classics.” Still, I’m pretty sure that no one is gonna pay thirty grand for that ’82 Delta 88 2-door I showed an ad for, even if it is a nice example of the era!