The end of classic cars??

[eamo]

Lads

Are we entering an era where we will see the end of classic cars?
It's hard to envisage current modern cars been collectible in the future. And there are a few reasons for that

Too much electronics. Stuff needs to be coded. It's hard to see anything past an e46 or e39 been collectible in a few years. Like surely the e90 and e60 won't be collectible in a few years time?? Maybe the m cars might be?

Which gets me on to the next point. I have been scouring everywhere for a replacement for the e34. E30/36/39 M cars are practically out for the average joe soap. Even the standard versions are few and far between and when they do come up lads are looking for big money. And cars are only getting rustier with age not better!

So what are we supposed to do going forward? Is it time to get out of the classic car/enthusiast game and just buy a nice modern BMW change it a few years latter and start all over again?

Would love to hear people's opinions and thoughts on this

[Bayerische]

I think it's a fair point Eamo, but I can't see an end to classic cars.

Apart from investors, most classic car ownership is driven by nostalgia. There are 15 year olds now lusting after the current Porsche 911, M4 , 1m, and M2 that will finally get their hands on one when they are 40 years of age. The 1M is a definite future classic, all of the others are being built in much larger numbers than the first and second generation of M cars so there will be less exclusivity which will probably effect prices, but in 25 years only a very few will survive as minters and they will be the cars that will sought after by the current teenagers. There will always be a specialist with a laptop that can fix them in 25 years.

Agreed, prices for anything old with an M badge on it are crazy at the moment, but I think we are in a bubble with a lot of investors looking to make a return as classic cars have been out performing most other investments, prices could crash, who knows!!

[Smokey Bear]

I think it could go either way. Cars in the past few years are not built to to last, suspension requires more maintenance etc so there is a better chance of these cars being uneconomical repairs as they approach 20 years old. I thought it was just me but as Eamo said after e46/39 cars seem to just feel more disposable.

[eamo]

There is probably a certain group of 70s/80s and 90s cars that will always be classics and collectable. But going forward its hard to see the more modern cars been collectable and restorable

Nick your quite right in your summarisation that "The 1M is a definite future classic, all of the others are being built in much larger numbers than the first and second generation of M cars so there will be less exclusivity which will probably effect prices, but in 25 years only a very few will survive as minters and they will be the cars that will sought after by the current teenagers"

I think I might give up on the e30/e28/e34/e36/e46/e38/e39's and start looking at the newer M's before the young lads snap them up!

[318 iS Cosmos]

I reckon a low mileage, completely original manual E46 M3 will be a future classic in 15 years

[xworks]

Will you still be able to tax and drive a fossil fueled car in 25 years time?

[Bayerische]

Will you still be able to tax and drive a fossil fueled car in 25 years time?

A very valid point.....but I think exceptions will be made for cars over a certain age. That then creates another problem. How much will a litre of petrol cost if it is only being refined in small quantities for the classic car market??

[Curran]

With Germany voting to ban the internal combustion engine production by 2030....where does that leave the M Division??

Very uncertain times ahead, and kinda happy I decided to keep the E39. Might be worth feck all now, and not so desirable in the 525i guise, but could be a nice thing to have stashed away in the coming years!

[cableguy]

The 90's was the end of the modern classics IMO. Too much technology from the noughties and onwards, although limited production/ special edition sports cars will always have a place in investors classic collections.

eamo, you have PM.

C.

[318is-joe]

kinda happy I decided to keep the E39. Might be worth feck all now, and not so desirable in the 525i guise, but could be a nice thing to have stashed away in the coming years!

Exactly how I feel about my 530d Sport

Now if I could only source an S62......

The OP is correct though, very hard to see anything coming out that you'd say "I'm deffo going to have one of those" the more mainstay cars are getting, the more humdrum they are becoming in my opinion. Added to which the "performance" machines are so "sterile" to drive - fast yes, but so disconnected it's difficult to see how anyone would want to stick wth them instead of just trading up constantly.