A fairly objective piece on rising air-cooled prices
09-23-2014, 03:31 PM
#31
Nordschleife Master
09-23-2014, 03:41 PM
#33
Nordschleife Master
09-23-2014, 03:44 PM
#34
09-23-2014, 05:14 PM
#35
09-23-2014, 05:32 PM
#36
Rennlist Member
All very true how collector value is sometimes only relative to demographics but at the same time, they haven't made a Model T since 1927. They still make 911's and I think the lineage (even going back pre-911) makes the older models still relative to even recent owners. It could well be if the 911 stays an evolutionary design, there is a good chance that values could stay healthy for a while. Hopefully at least until I can't drive anymore-
09-23-2014, 05:43 PM
#37
Drifting
My thoughts exactly based on my son's demographic of college grads that are 10 years out now with substantial incomes. I just walked the pits at a vintage race with my nephew who has a degree in mechanical engineering and he thought all the "old stuff" was interesting but well..."old".
Restored Model T cars used to have a market years ago for the demographic that grew up with them and that market went to the grave, so to speak. A friend had difficulty selling one when her father died.
Restored Model T cars used to have a market years ago for the demographic that grew up with them and that market went to the grave, so to speak. A friend had difficulty selling one when her father died.
My formative years of becoming car-aware (i.e. high school), were in the late '90s to early '00s (yes, I'm that young) where the Porsche 993 was the hot, new thing being imported from Germany. If you take a look at the guys over on the Stancework forums and other similar sites that cater to the younger car enthusiast demographic, you'll see that the '90s imports are coming into vogue in general. I'm sure many of these guys would *love* to trade up from their e30 BMW 3-series to a Porsche 964/993 if and when they can afford it.
I certainly see the gas-powered car becoming a relic of a strange past for daily driving with hybrid/electric/hydrogen powered vehicles coming into their own. But just because you can be eco-friendly and hi-tech on your commute with a Nissan Leaf v5.0, doesn't mean you don't want to get dirty and analog on the weekends and carve some twisties in an iconic, vintage sports car.
Perhaps the interest in air-cooled Porsches will wane some from the frenzy we see now, but it wont go away entirely either. As time keeps marching, on the differences between well maintained examples and "parked for years in the direct sun" examples of these car will become more and more pronounced by how they are valued in the market. The next generation of buyers will recognize that value just as much so as the current generation of buyers do.
I'll also add that the generational trends observed in the US don't necessarily match the generational trends in other countries. Who knows, China/Brasil/South Africa/India might suddenly decide to buy up all of the worlds air-cooled Porsches. There certainly aren't enough to go around over there. We are certainly seeing a lot of these models being exported already. Porsche built these cars in numbers to meet 1990s market demands and in my view the potential ownership market is only expanding since then.
Here and now, as an oddity of my generation, I spent more on a 20-year-old car than most of my friends would seriously consider spending on a *new* car, and I still feel blessed each time I look at my 993, let alone get to take it to some back road and drive the **** out of it...
My dad would understand. My mom would still consider it an illness of the brain...
09-23-2014, 06:17 PM
#38
Burning Brakes
All very true how collector value is sometimes only relative to demographics but at the same time, they haven't made a Model T since 1927. They still make 911's and I think the lineage (even going back pre-911) makes the older models still relative to even recent owners.
09-23-2014, 06:29 PM
#39
Drifting
Porsche isn't just in the car business, they are in the brand image business. And their brand is based on vintage racing heritage.
When VW starts selling Porsches purely on fuel economy metrics and luxury features, that will be the day the marquee died.
When VW starts selling Porsches purely on fuel economy metrics and luxury features, that will be the day the marquee died.
09-23-2014, 06:45 PM
#40
Rennlist Member
This is a good point that current availability of a model probably drives values of cars of the same type if they are still popular.
09-23-2014, 06:46 PM
#41
electric steering (fuel economy)
auto start/stop (fuel economy)
PDK gearing (fuel economy)
etc., etc., etc.,
and then things like:
navigation (luxury)
heated/cooled seats (luxury)
cup holders (luxury)
etc., etc., etc.,
...and then crazy things like piping in fake artificial exhaust noises into the cabin, one could say they've already lost their way as a marque
09-23-2014, 06:48 PM
#42
Rennlist Member
