I was watching show called Chasing Classic Cars last night on HD theater and it got me thinking. Of all of the import cars we have available right now (let's say 2010 and older) which have the ability of being that timeless classic that everyone lusts after in 10-15 years? I thought I would make a list of my top 5 and then see what everyone else thought via the comments. Without further ado, here is my list:
Honda/Acura NSX – What can I say, I'm a pretty big Honda fanboy, so this had to be at the top. I tend to think that the Honda NSX revolutionized the sports car market and forced domestic auto manufacturers to respect their Japanese counterparts. Released in the US in 1990, this car was leaps and bounds ahead of its competition. Its 3.0 liter V6 and all aluminum chassis/suspension really took the industry to a whole other level. Its aesthetics and engine/transmission are still respectable. Its unique mid-engined layout made for an exciting car to drive and something exotic enough that it still makes uninformed people ask: "Is that a Ferrari?!". Of all of the import cars available, I believe that this car has the admiration of nearly every import car enthusiast.
Toyota Supra – Thank you, Fast and the Furious! When I watched this movie in 2001 (I was 16 at the time) I knew at some point in my life I had to have a Toyota Supra. Although I have yet to attain this goal, to this day, I continue to dream of owning a pristine turbo Supra. The sound, the looks, the insane power you can make on the bottom end (upwards of 1000 HP), and the respect that these cars demand is truly amazing. The amount of money that 18 year old Supras fetch is still astounding and shows just how well they hold their value. Of all of the cars to buy as a true investment, I believe the Supra will hold its value better than any other.
Nissan Skyline (R33 or R34) – When a friend and I were at our first official car show, I saw one of these for the first time. I wasn't very well versed in all of the cool Japanese cars at the time, so when I saw an R33 Skyline and my friend mentioned to me that they can be chipped and make nearly 400 HP completely stock, I was floored. The fact that Nissan de-tuned these from the factory to maintain the 280 HP gentlemen's agreement between manufacturers still amazes me to this day. While I personally would like a R33 at some point, I still admire and appreciate R34s. Both will go down as classics simply because of the rarity of the ones that were imported to America.
Mazda RX-7 (FD) – While the quality of the rotary engine may be questionable, the handling ability of the FD RX-7 cannot be questioned. Like all of the cars above, the RX-7 has aged very well. The seductive exterior and well-designed interior really keep the resale value high on this car. What may be interesting to see in the future is whether the ones with the original rotary or a swapped V8 will be more valuable. As parts become more difficult to source for the rotary engine, we may start to see a shift to even more V8-powered RX-7s.
Honda/Acura Integra Type R – I know another Honda on the list just shows how much of a fanboy I am, but who can deny that the Integra Type R will be sought after in 10-15 years? With the low number of clean title Type R Integras left on the market, the low mileage, clean versions of these cars will fetch a fortune in the coming years. Sold in the US from 1997-2001 (not 1999) these cars were fairly affordable for what they were at the time. These cars changed the way many people felt about FWD with their amazing performance at autocross and road course events. Like many cars on my list, I hope to someday own one of these and keep it within the safety of my garage at all times.
What's on your list? Put it in the comments and let's see what you come up with…
-Matt
3 Comments
I would say my list definitely maintains a few similarities to yours.
I’d have to agree with the NSX, while I’m not remotely into Hondas they definitely stick out, it’s a guaranteed head turner.
The Supra also is an iconic high-powered import. It’s one of those cars that everyone recognizes in an instant, even those people that aren’t really into cars.
When it comes to skylines personally I prefer the R33 over the R34 in terms of styling but I could see the R34 still always maintaining the slight edge in terms of the one that really stands out simply because even at the nissan meets they’re one of the most rare cars you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of.
Obviously on this next one my viewpoint is a bit biased but the S14 silvia/240sx I see growing as a classic. I see them almost as a cult car in the sense of the fact that they didn’t seem to do too well when first introduced, according to wikipedia there were nearly 215k s13’s sold but only 37k s14’s with over half of those being the ’95 model. They’re cars that have gained in popularity as drifting has become a bit more mainstream in the states and also as such more and more of them get destroyed by amateur drivers so finding ones with clean titles are tough, I know when I was looking for mine I swear at least a third of the ones I saw for sale would have a salvaged title.
And last but definitely not least I’ll go with the Evo8/9 models. It’s incredibly rare to see an imported evo older than the 8 and the 9 marked the last year of the traditional boxy styling that I used to view as sort of a standard in the rallying world.
Don’t forget the Nissan 300ZX/Z32. It’s styling was revolutionary in the 90’s and the design philosophy carried into successive models evolving into the current Z series. Very few sold in the final years , making it a possible collector car in the near future.
Agreed. The TT 300ZX were pretty sweet cars. I know I wanted one in high school and I’m sure many others did.
I also agree with Bishop in that the Evo 8 and 9 will both most likely hold their value especially if Mitsubishi does kill the Evo.