Classic Automobile
While doing some surfing for Trans Am links for a previous blog, I was surprised to discover that my Trans Am is now considered a “Heritage Car” by Pontiac. This heritage designation means that Pontiac has finally made good on its threat to stop making the Firebird. I had heard the rumors. Now they are true. I must admit to thinking that it is a good thing.
The obvious reason is that my car has just became a bit more special. American muscle cars are a dying breed. The Chevrolet Camaro can likewise no longer be found. The Mustang is just a shadow of what it once was, with Ford just recently offering a standard one with any real power. Scarcity can be a good thing, provided you are one of the haves, not the have nots.
I could worry that mechanics may get harder to find but I doubt that the maintenance work for these beasts will dry up anytime soon. Besides, I always have an “in house” grease monkey (hi dad) for emergencies.
What I really wonder is how any potential change in value (real or imagined) in my car will effect any future vehicle purpose. I’ve told the wife that I’d love to hold onto my car when I purchase another one, provided it is financially feasible. With a more family oriented car on the distant horizon (very distant – I’m not anxious to take on another car payment), it would be nice to keep a fun car around for those warm spring nights. Yep, that’s my driveway sporting a vehicle under a plastic blanket.
Oddly, enough, I believe a boost in value makes me more likely to sell. I take good care of my car but I’d worry about exposure to the elements over the long haul. Rust is thine enemy, especially when preservation is suddenly found on my list of priorities. I already worry plenty about depreciation. I need no extra pressure.
But you never know. Maybe the lure of one day parading my car at a local classic car get together will hook me. Vroom, vroom.
