Future Collectibles

Over the years, I’ve had many of my friends ask me what late model cars I thought might be the future collectibles. I tell them that there are several factors that go into such a determination.

First of all, a car doesn’t necessarily have to have been a popular car in its day to be a collectible…look at the Edsel.

Almost any car will appreciate in value as time goes on, if it’s well cared for. However, vehicles like early Thunderbirds and Corvettes, appreciated faster because of their popularity and the mystique surrounding them.

Production numbers and the passage of time, also have a hand in a collectible car’s value. A general rule of thumb dictates that, like anything else, the fewer there are…the more they’re worth. After all, when was the last time you saw an AMC Pacer ??

As is the case with all collectible cars, the ones that look their best, have the most options, are as original as possible and have low miles, will appreciate faster.

If I had the money and the garage space, these are some cars I would seriously consider purchasing right now:

2002 – 2005 Thunderbird - Production numbers were low for all years of this model with only 9,548 vehicles being sold in 2005.

1988 Pontiac Fiero GT - The 1988 Fiero is considered by many to be the best model produced. Earlier models were plagued with mechanical issues and were underpowered. I also feel this was the best looking version of Fiero's 4 year run.

1962 Cadillac Eldorado – IMHO…the best looking of the ’61 to ‘64 year model run. Although these cars are already fetching high prices in mint condition, there are still some bargains to be found.

1960 - 1967 Ford Country Squire - This is a good looking and reliable vehicle that’s appreciating as the collectible station wagon market grows. The 1960 model is very rare and in mint condition, commands the highest prices of any year.

In a future installment I will give tips on how to purchase a collectible car.

Our First Station Wagon

If you’re like me, cars played a big part of your “growing up years.”

One of my earliest childhood memories was car related and goes back to when I was just three years old. My parents were trading in their 1955 Ford Victoria for a brand new 1960 Dodge Dart Pioneer wagon. Our family was growing and Mom and Dad surmised that with child number four on the way, fitting the four of us plus themselves comfortably into that Ford sedan, was no longer possible.

My earliest memory involves peering over the front seat as a mechanic with slightly greasy fingers showed my Mom how to operate our new Dodge’s push button transmission. As we pulled away from Nanuet Dodge, on that rainy November evening in 1959, I spotted, our ’55 Ford over in the corner of the lot minus its license plates, looking forlorn and abandoned.

The Dodge was our first family station wagon and was by all accounts, a pretty basic, no frills wagon. The exterior was light blue with a white roof. The interior was dark gray and the upholstery was white and black vinyl. There was no carpet, but instead heavy duty rubber. There were two things that I distinctly remember about that car. One was a red bowtie type badge in the center of the steering wheel that indicated that this car was equipped with power steering. The other was the radio dial that had a red ball as a tuning indicator instead of the usual red bar.

That Dodge was with us for seven years and really earned its keep. It also became in a way, a member of the family. It took us to Cape Cod in the summer, hauling not only 6 kids, a dog, my parents and our luggage, but also a 15 foot boat and trailer on that four and a half hour trek. It also took us to visit our grandparents during the Thanksgiving and Easter holidays and was the vehicle chosen to bring home two more new members of the family from the hospital after their birth.

Our trustworthy Dodge was also there in the spring of 1964 when we picked up our first family dog, a playful beagle puppy we named Princess. Two years later it was the Dodge that transported Princess on her final ride to the veterinarian after she was hit by a car. In the fall of 1967 that same Dodge would help us bring a new puppy home.

By the fall of 1967, our faithful wagon was starting to show its age both physically and mechanically and my Dad didn’t feel as secure as he once did about us arriving to our appointed destinations.

So, almost eight years to the day it left Nanuet Dodge, our reliable friend left our driveway for the last time. My Dad had sold it for $350.00 to a house painter who appreciated its cavernous interior. The Dodge was replaced with another Chrysler product, a brand new 1968 Plymouth Custom Suburban station wagon.

I saw the Dodge one more time several years later in a junkyard atop several other cars. It was truly a sad sight and a less then befitting ending for such a loyal friend