{"id":4439,"date":"2014-09-22T07:55:53","date_gmt":"2014-09-21T21:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.privatefleet.com.au\/?p=4439"},"modified":"2023-08-22T22:03:10","modified_gmt":"2023-08-22T12:03:10","slug":"classic-vintage-and-antique-how-can-you-tell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/home\/classic-vintage-and-antique-how-can-you-tell\/","title":{"rendered":"Classic, Vintage and Antique \u2013 How Can You Tell?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A decent slice of the driving population isn\u2019t into new cars so much. OK, they might drive newer models to get from A to B and for general bread-and-butter driving. But when they drive for pleasure, they look to the past: to classics, vintages and antiques.  Sometimes, you may hear the word \u201cveteran\u201d bandied about.<\/p>\n

When we hear the word \u201cvintage\u201d pop into our heads, we usually get mental pictures of something with big goggly headlamps, seriously sprung upholstery, a square top and big mudguards.  The Ford <\/a>Model T would be a prime example.  When \u201cclassic\u201d is mentioned, mental images get a bit more fluid, with some people thinking about traditional VW Beetles <\/a>and others picturing big old American numbers.  Mention an \u201cantique\u201d car to the person on the street and he or she would probably give you a funny look.<\/p>\n

So what makes a classic a classic?  What\u2019s the definition of a vintage car?  Is it the age or the styling?<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A Model T Ford from 1910: an antique or veteran car.<\/p><\/div>\n

Defining veteran, vintage and antique cars is the easy part.  Veteran and Antique cars are the same thing: anything that was made before the end of World War 1 (that\u2019s 1919 for those who don\u2019t remember history lessons from high school).  A veteran car is something that was made between the wars, more or less: between 1919 and either 1925 or 1930, depending on which authority you listen to.  This means that the classic Beetle just misses out on being a vintage car, as it was first made in 1938.  Model T Fords, however, can be veterans or vintages, as they were produced from 1908 to 1927.<\/p>\n

\"1926<\/a>

1926 Bentley: a vintage car<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Defining classics is much harder.  Exactly how old a classic has to be to count depends on where you are and who you listen to, with 15 years old, 20 years old, 30 years old and 27\u201365 years old all being given as the age for a classic by various authorities, clubs and insurance companies.  However, there\u2019s more to it than that.  A classic car has to have \u201ccollectible\u201d quality and to be a true classic, it has to be in original condition.<\/p>\n

\"1961<\/a>

1961 E-type Jaguar: definitely a classic<\/p><\/div>\n

Of course, the idea of what is considered \u201ccollectible\u201d or desirable will vary from person to person.  This is where personal preferences kick in.  Obviously, luxury vehicles tend to make the grade (e.g. the E-type Jaguar <\/a> pictured here).  So do a lot of the big American muscle cars of the 1950s.  But when it comes to cars that were once your typical family drive, things get a lot more fluid.  A classic has to have a lot of sentiment attached to it in some form.  It has to be \u201ciconic\u201d in some way.  And that\u2019s a quality that\u2019s hard to pin down.<\/p>\n

However, it would be fairly safe to list certain older family style vehicles as being sure-fire classics:  VW Beetles (as already mentioned), Minis <\/a>, Kombis, Holden <\/a>Kingswoods, Ford Cortinas and Fiat 500s <\/a>would be my picks.  I’m sure there are lots more!<\/p>\n

Picking what\u2019s going to be a classic in the future is harder, although some enthusiasts have a go at trying to buy up \u201csleepers\u201d and hanging onto them until they become classics.  This is a bit of a gamble, as they may never get that collectable quality to them.<\/p>\n

It is usual for articles of this type to suggest lists of future classics.  I am not going to attempt this, apart from guessing that the hot sports cars of the 1980s and 1990s (Porsche Boxters <\/a>, Nissan 350Z Roadsters <\/a>, Mazda MX-5 <\/a>, BMW Z4s<\/a> ) will probably make the grade.  However, I will propose a couple of rules of thumb:<\/p>\n