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age does not a classic make — A GENTLEMAN'S PURSUIT
australian grand prix '13 - pit lane
australian grand prix '13 - classics
1999 Mini Cooper Sport
age does not a classic make
This week, it came to light that only two manual Ferrari Californias were sold this year. Two. This means that all of a sudden, there are two owners out there with very rare, very desirable, very collectible cars on their hands.
But apart from rarity, what else defines a (future) classic?
The car pictured is a magnificent 1999 Mini Cooper Sport. The driver of that particular machine says people are always asking what year it is, and usually lacking the energy to give the Mini's full 40-year production story, he simply tells people it's whatever year they've guessed it to be. So, is it it a classic? "According to its age alone? Probably not" says its owner, "But by association? By provenance of the brand as a whole? Sure".
So although rarity doesn't play a part here (considering the 5,000,000 plus Minis sold), nor age, in this case the car's iconic status tells its own story.
As far as icons go, you could say the same of the Lamborghini Miura, Ferrari's Daytona, or a Mercedes 300SL 'Gullwing'. Though they're altogether different vehicles from the Mini, and in a whole different league of design (and pedigree, and intention, the list goes on...), their iconic status, never mind their beauty and rarity, brings them to the top of the heap as far as 'classics' are concerned.
And what of age? Is an Aston Martin Vanquish a classic yet? A Bugatti Veyron? Climbing prices, and the correlation to buyer demand, are a good indication here. Again, different cars following similar rules.
Finally, fame - the simple result of good old fashioned marketing - can play its part too. A fictional spy called James Bond once drove an Aston Martin DB5 in a film back in 1964. Arguably, as a result, DB5's now demand the highest price of all Astons of the era, despite the DB4 being rather prettier (so we think), and the more refined DB6's technical superiority.
Status, fame, rarity, beauty, age, market value... what have we missed? What do you think makes a classic? We'd be keen to hear; A Gentleman's Pursuit will surely be revisiting this topic in the future.
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