If I were suitably loaded with lots of cash, below are some of the more modern machines that I'd be thinking about hoarding now whilst they are still affordable. Some cars, such as the BMW Z3 or Morgan +8 are viewed as classics by many as soon as they roll off the line. Others, such as Kia Perduas and Austin Maestro diesels are unlikely to be embraced as classics by all but the nuttiest of enthusiasts. Whatever the general concensus regarding what is and is not a classic, I feel that its important for all branches of motoring to be represented for future generations - after all whats the point of everyone hoarding the best of every type of car, when theres nothing to compare against? It wouldn't be very interesting to attend a classic car show when there are just rows and rows of MGBs, if there weren't rivals such as Fiat 124 Spiders and Jensen Healeys to compare against.
Similarly most Japanese cars of the 1970s should really have been put down at birth, but they are now rare and formed a vital part of 1970s motoring in the UK, when their introduction to the UK was largely ignored by the indigenous manufacturers. So although I personally wouldn't be investing in a Datsun 120Y, 100A or 160 Bluebird, its great to still see preserved examples around the shows. In the article below I've jotted down some of my (tongue in cheek!) personal opinions on which recent-ish motor cars might be seen as preservation-worthy in the future, and those that probably should be shoved off the nearest cliff. These are just my rambling thoughts on the subject, and no doubt you won't agree with much of it and probably disagree vehemently with the rest!
Sportscars
The last ten years in the UK at least has seen a resurgence of interest in affordable and not-so-affordable sports cars, catering for most budgets. Many of these are now super-affordable and could well be worth preserving for future generations. Go back a few years and who remembers the Reliant Scimitar SS1? produced with a number of engine sizes, these are now reasonably priced if you can find one - they weren't the best selling of 2 seater roadsters, probably due to their slightly gawky looks and panel fit measured in inches. But with fibreglass bodies at least the bodies aren't going to rot, and Reliant had long since got the hang of producing quality GRP bodyshells, witness the scary 3 wheeled Robins and Rialtos for example. Later SS1s had Nissan turbo motors installed, which made for a lively car, and the last incarnation of the SS1 line featured a much smoother body line and was very acceptable.
Mazda really rejuvenated the whole 2 seater softtop thing with their MX5, initially a 1600cc then enlarged to 1800cc. Reminiscent of the original 1960s Lotus Elan, upon which it was heavily based, it really does offer the best of both worlds in many ways, offering old car (ish) looks with modern car reliability, so much so that my other half has bought one and its a hoot. They have an excellent spares backup, a strong enthusiast following (how many modern day car owners still wave to other owners they see driving by?) and are already gaining classic status, especially the original Mk1s with the popup headlamps.
Still don't fancy an oriental car? then surely our own MGs will be around in classic shows of the future (and are already making appearances on MG club stands). The MGF has been around for a while now, and is in many ways the spiritual successor to the MG Midgets and MGBs of this world, the MG RV8 limited edition in the 1990s acting as a re-introduction of the MG marque to 2 seater sports cars, after years of dilution on the back of badge-engineered Maestros, Montegos and Metros, which while certainly worthy of preservation did little to further the appeal of the MG legend to most. Lotus also entered the fray with their Elan for the 1990s. Instead of doing a Mazda and going down the tried and tested front engine, rear drive, layout, they went all revolutionary and opted for front wheel drive and an Isuzu engine. The handling is very sharp, although died-in-the-wool open air motoring freaks baulked at having the front wheels both steering and laying the power to the tarmac.
If you fancy something slightly rarer, how about a FIAT Barchetta? Only sold in limited numbers here in the UK, the lefthanddrive (only) sports car certainly looks distinctive and has all the hallmarks of being a future classic, as has the 124 Spider and X1/9 proved before. Caterhams have been with us for many years, and have always been assured classic status, their roots of course going way back to Colin Chapman and the Lotus 7 of the 1960s, originally launched as the Lotus 6 with 1172 Ford sidevalve power (!).
Think TVR and the 1980s saw all manner of scarily quick wedge shaped projectiles leaving the labour intensive production line in Blackpool, available in numerous engine sizes, culminating in the 450SEAC if I remember correctly. Which was about the time that the TVR S model made an appearance, based heavily on the curvy sports cars of the 1970s such as the 3000M. This has lead more recently to some wild and lary machinery, originally using the legendary Rover (was Buick) V8 engine as a basis, and more recently their own engines. Ones to look out for in future classic car shows include the Chimaera, Griffith, Tuscan, Cerbera and Speed 6/12 models, the earlier wedgy Tasmin already having a select band of followers, despite reliability which at times can get you on first name terms with the AA patrol men, although to be fair they are probably little worse than comparable (also GRP) Lotuses of the time, witness the Esprit and Excel to name the worst offenders of late. If a TVR is a bit too 'in your face' then a modern day Lotus, assuming you can fit in it, would make a great long term buy, saddled as it is with all the heritage of the earlier models. The Elise for example is a great little car. And while on the subject of the Elise, how about its half sister, the little-seen Vauxhall VX220?? Vauxhall is hardly a name to conjur with when it comes to sports cars (does the Opel Manta count?), having made little impression in this market since the earliest days when their 30/98 did alarmingly well in prewar days, with the exception of the limited run Opel GT in the early 70s. The VX220 is in design very close to the Elise, being built by Lotus and having benefited from much of their handling expertise. If nothing else its rarity will make it an interesting alternative on the showgrounds of tomorrow, and in the meantime will offer an entertaining drive in something thats looks very, err, different.
American sportcar sales have never caused much of a ripple over here, and are largely the preserve of loudly shirted individuals who like the glitz that US cars usually possess, and don't hanker after pin sharp handling issues. I have to say there are next to no modernish American cars that I'd ever consider buying, bar one - the Chrysler (Dodge) Viper. This appeals to me in many ways, not least because its the nearest we have to a successor for the Shelby-created AC Cobra. Sadly the Viper doesn't have the same lean proportions of the early Cobras, and as such takes up quite a footprint on our tarmac. However all this can be excused thanks to its powerplant. Not satisfied with doing the usual and dropping in a breathed on V8, Chrysler took the unusual option of getting a V10 truck engine, all 8 litres of it, and enclosing it in a very swoopy plastic body, available in both open and closed forms. 8 litres in any car makes for an entertaining drive, and if you can live with its lack of subtlety, theres little to touch it, unless you consider a UK equivalent, in the swoopy shapely form of the Marcos.
Marcos have been making eyecatching cars since the 1960s, originally powered by engines lifted from Volvo Amazons/P1800s and fitted with wooden floors. Later the migrated to Ford V6 power and have been available until very recently in V8 powered form. Easily the match for a Viper in visual impact, the Marcos Mantis represents graphically the individuality of many cars that are constructed in the UK's cottage sports car industry. There are also many kit cars that are available from dinky UK manufacturers, and to go into them all here would take a lifetime, but if these cars are you thing, then hunt down details for the Nobel and other such cars.
Another limited producer of cars is Newport Pagnells own Aston Martin, still producing handcrafted gems from their humble looking workshops. Despite being now part of Fords automotive portfolio, Aston have not lost their ability to craft some of the finest looking heavyweight sportscars of all time. Once David Brown relinquished ownership of Aston, they did go through a period of some stagnation as they limped between financial crisis', their hefty V8 saloons and Volante dropheads keeping them afloat. For a bargain Aston, all things being relative of course, try and hunt down one of the original 6 cylinder DBSs of the early 1970s, launched as a stopgap til the V8 engine was sorted. Later models in Astons catalogue can be assured instant classic kudos, such as the DB7, Virage, Vanquish and so on, something that cannot be levelled at their 1980s attempt at building a high tech luxury barge, in the spectacularly wedgy form of the Aston Martin Lagonda, Lagonda itself once being an independent marque.
However if your budget doesn't quite stretch to running an Aston, theres always of course Jaguar, who can usually be relied upon to produce stylish yet affordable cars, often of questionable build quality until recent years. Fancy a big banger, then go for a V12, fantastic value for money and the only version of XJS available until the AJ series 6 cylinder 3.6 and 4.0 models came along later in the models life. Early ones are rare now, the first few hundred being fitted with surplus manual gearboxes left over from E Type production, which, if in good condition, can make a sounds purchase nowadays. The V12s are however a tad thirsty, especially pre-HE models, so maybe a more prudent bet may be a manual 3.6. If fuel consumption is not high on your list of concerns, and to you energy conservation means having a lie in every day, then hunt down an XJRS, fitted with the 6 litre V12 engine. Although fitted with a dodgy bodykit (as are many old XJSs - anyone remember the hideous Lister version?) , the TWR prepared RS moves very nicely, just don't buy a rusty one.
Ford of course now own Jaguar, and have themselves produced very few proper sportscars, concentrating more on performance saloons, which they do rather well. Not being one to miss a trick, BMW launched the weird Z1 in limited numbers, assuring its owners of an exclusive ride, with its unusual styling and drop down doors, find one of them and be sure to stand out at classic BMW shows wherever you go. Not feeling quite so flush?, then why not pick up a low mileage Z3 roadster (ideally the 2.8) or splash out on the M version, with its 'distinctive' fixed roof.
Similarly most Japanese cars of the 1970s should really have been put down at birth, but they are now rare and formed a vital part of 1970s motoring in the UK, when their introduction to the UK was largely ignored by the indigenous manufacturers. So although I personally wouldn't be investing in a Datsun 120Y, 100A or 160 Bluebird, its great to still see preserved examples around the shows. In the article below I've jotted down some of my (tongue in cheek!) personal opinions on which recent-ish motor cars might be seen as preservation-worthy in the future, and those that probably should be shoved off the nearest cliff. These are just my rambling thoughts on the subject, and no doubt you won't agree with much of it and probably disagree vehemently with the rest!
Sportscars
The last ten years in the UK at least has seen a resurgence of interest in affordable and not-so-affordable sports cars, catering for most budgets. Many of these are now super-affordable and could well be worth preserving for future generations. Go back a few years and who remembers the Reliant Scimitar SS1? produced with a number of engine sizes, these are now reasonably priced if you can find one - they weren't the best selling of 2 seater roadsters, probably due to their slightly gawky looks and panel fit measured in inches. But with fibreglass bodies at least the bodies aren't going to rot, and Reliant had long since got the hang of producing quality GRP bodyshells, witness the scary 3 wheeled Robins and Rialtos for example. Later SS1s had Nissan turbo motors installed, which made for a lively car, and the last incarnation of the SS1 line featured a much smoother body line and was very acceptable.
Mazda really rejuvenated the whole 2 seater softtop thing with their MX5, initially a 1600cc then enlarged to 1800cc. Reminiscent of the original 1960s Lotus Elan, upon which it was heavily based, it really does offer the best of both worlds in many ways, offering old car (ish) looks with modern car reliability, so much so that my other half has bought one and its a hoot. They have an excellent spares backup, a strong enthusiast following (how many modern day car owners still wave to other owners they see driving by?) and are already gaining classic status, especially the original Mk1s with the popup headlamps.
Still don't fancy an oriental car? then surely our own MGs will be around in classic shows of the future (and are already making appearances on MG club stands). The MGF has been around for a while now, and is in many ways the spiritual successor to the MG Midgets and MGBs of this world, the MG RV8 limited edition in the 1990s acting as a re-introduction of the MG marque to 2 seater sports cars, after years of dilution on the back of badge-engineered Maestros, Montegos and Metros, which while certainly worthy of preservation did little to further the appeal of the MG legend to most. Lotus also entered the fray with their Elan for the 1990s. Instead of doing a Mazda and going down the tried and tested front engine, rear drive, layout, they went all revolutionary and opted for front wheel drive and an Isuzu engine. The handling is very sharp, although died-in-the-wool open air motoring freaks baulked at having the front wheels both steering and laying the power to the tarmac.
If you fancy something slightly rarer, how about a FIAT Barchetta? Only sold in limited numbers here in the UK, the lefthanddrive (only) sports car certainly looks distinctive and has all the hallmarks of being a future classic, as has the 124 Spider and X1/9 proved before. Caterhams have been with us for many years, and have always been assured classic status, their roots of course going way back to Colin Chapman and the Lotus 7 of the 1960s, originally launched as the Lotus 6 with 1172 Ford sidevalve power (!).
Think TVR and the 1980s saw all manner of scarily quick wedge shaped projectiles leaving the labour intensive production line in Blackpool, available in numerous engine sizes, culminating in the 450SEAC if I remember correctly. Which was about the time that the TVR S model made an appearance, based heavily on the curvy sports cars of the 1970s such as the 3000M. This has lead more recently to some wild and lary machinery, originally using the legendary Rover (was Buick) V8 engine as a basis, and more recently their own engines. Ones to look out for in future classic car shows include the Chimaera, Griffith, Tuscan, Cerbera and Speed 6/12 models, the earlier wedgy Tasmin already having a select band of followers, despite reliability which at times can get you on first name terms with the AA patrol men, although to be fair they are probably little worse than comparable (also GRP) Lotuses of the time, witness the Esprit and Excel to name the worst offenders of late. If a TVR is a bit too 'in your face' then a modern day Lotus, assuming you can fit in it, would make a great long term buy, saddled as it is with all the heritage of the earlier models. The Elise for example is a great little car. And while on the subject of the Elise, how about its half sister, the little-seen Vauxhall VX220?? Vauxhall is hardly a name to conjur with when it comes to sports cars (does the Opel Manta count?), having made little impression in this market since the earliest days when their 30/98 did alarmingly well in prewar days, with the exception of the limited run Opel GT in the early 70s. The VX220 is in design very close to the Elise, being built by Lotus and having benefited from much of their handling expertise. If nothing else its rarity will make it an interesting alternative on the showgrounds of tomorrow, and in the meantime will offer an entertaining drive in something thats looks very, err, different.
American sportcar sales have never caused much of a ripple over here, and are largely the preserve of loudly shirted individuals who like the glitz that US cars usually possess, and don't hanker after pin sharp handling issues. I have to say there are next to no modernish American cars that I'd ever consider buying, bar one - the Chrysler (Dodge) Viper. This appeals to me in many ways, not least because its the nearest we have to a successor for the Shelby-created AC Cobra. Sadly the Viper doesn't have the same lean proportions of the early Cobras, and as such takes up quite a footprint on our tarmac. However all this can be excused thanks to its powerplant. Not satisfied with doing the usual and dropping in a breathed on V8, Chrysler took the unusual option of getting a V10 truck engine, all 8 litres of it, and enclosing it in a very swoopy plastic body, available in both open and closed forms. 8 litres in any car makes for an entertaining drive, and if you can live with its lack of subtlety, theres little to touch it, unless you consider a UK equivalent, in the swoopy shapely form of the Marcos.
Marcos have been making eyecatching cars since the 1960s, originally powered by engines lifted from Volvo Amazons/P1800s and fitted with wooden floors. Later the migrated to Ford V6 power and have been available until very recently in V8 powered form. Easily the match for a Viper in visual impact, the Marcos Mantis represents graphically the individuality of many cars that are constructed in the UK's cottage sports car industry. There are also many kit cars that are available from dinky UK manufacturers, and to go into them all here would take a lifetime, but if these cars are you thing, then hunt down details for the Nobel and other such cars.
Another limited producer of cars is Newport Pagnells own Aston Martin, still producing handcrafted gems from their humble looking workshops. Despite being now part of Fords automotive portfolio, Aston have not lost their ability to craft some of the finest looking heavyweight sportscars of all time. Once David Brown relinquished ownership of Aston, they did go through a period of some stagnation as they limped between financial crisis', their hefty V8 saloons and Volante dropheads keeping them afloat. For a bargain Aston, all things being relative of course, try and hunt down one of the original 6 cylinder DBSs of the early 1970s, launched as a stopgap til the V8 engine was sorted. Later models in Astons catalogue can be assured instant classic kudos, such as the DB7, Virage, Vanquish and so on, something that cannot be levelled at their 1980s attempt at building a high tech luxury barge, in the spectacularly wedgy form of the Aston Martin Lagonda, Lagonda itself once being an independent marque.
However if your budget doesn't quite stretch to running an Aston, theres always of course Jaguar, who can usually be relied upon to produce stylish yet affordable cars, often of questionable build quality until recent years. Fancy a big banger, then go for a V12, fantastic value for money and the only version of XJS available until the AJ series 6 cylinder 3.6 and 4.0 models came along later in the models life. Early ones are rare now, the first few hundred being fitted with surplus manual gearboxes left over from E Type production, which, if in good condition, can make a sounds purchase nowadays. The V12s are however a tad thirsty, especially pre-HE models, so maybe a more prudent bet may be a manual 3.6. If fuel consumption is not high on your list of concerns, and to you energy conservation means having a lie in every day, then hunt down an XJRS, fitted with the 6 litre V12 engine. Although fitted with a dodgy bodykit (as are many old XJSs - anyone remember the hideous Lister version?) , the TWR prepared RS moves very nicely, just don't buy a rusty one.
Ford of course now own Jaguar, and have themselves produced very few proper sportscars, concentrating more on performance saloons, which they do rather well. Not being one to miss a trick, BMW launched the weird Z1 in limited numbers, assuring its owners of an exclusive ride, with its unusual styling and drop down doors, find one of them and be sure to stand out at classic BMW shows wherever you go. Not feeling quite so flush?, then why not pick up a low mileage Z3 roadster (ideally the 2.8) or splash out on the M version, with its 'distinctive' fixed roof.
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