This Saturday, July 14, is officially Collector Car Appreciation Day, by proclamation of the province of British Columbia.
Actually, the whole month of July is so-dubbed, and if you live in North Vancouver, some of the best celebrations are happening on that weekend. As mentioned here a couple of weeks back, RX Autoworks is holding their annual open house on July 15 from 8 a.m. until noon on the 200 block of East First Street.
Get there early enough and doughnuts are on the menu. No, not the smoking tire kind, you hooligans out there.
So what does a collector car look like? Well, RX has certainly rolled a few impressive pieces out the door. Prewar Alfa Romeos worth millions of dollars, V-12 Lagondas and sparkling Rolls-Royces. That sort of thing.
All these glittering machines were worth enough money to spend months restoring, and pretty much all of them have either retained their value, or reached stratospheric levels. In fact, the same could be said of most of the usual suspects in the classic car world, whether it’s the original BMW M3 now fetching close to six figures, or the staggering price you’d have to pay to get even a mid-grade example of an air-cooled Porsche 911.
In Germany, Suedwestbank’s president has gone so far as to advise his more well-heeled clients that they might as well pour some of that investment money into a four-wheeled asset. There are guides to doing so, with carefully plotted trajectories, forecasts of increasing values, pitfalls to look out for. But, for the most part, cars are now pegged as a new and interesting way to speculate and grow your cash.
To my mind, this is absolute nonsense. On the plus side, the growing value of cars like, for instance, the fourth generation Toyota Supra Turbo mean preservation is likely. Supras still get modified into oblivion, but they also get carefully taken care of, and basket cases get rescued from the wrecking yard. They’re neat cars, and who wouldn’t want to see that?
But let me tell you a brief story involving a neighbour I’ve never met. When we first moved in, I would occasionally see this gorgeous Seal Grey 911 Turbo cruising around on sunny summer days. It was obviously well cared for and, as a 993-generation car, just one of the best blends of classic air-cooled character and modern performance. The owner seemed to be having the time of his life, and often would be seen rolling around with his son in the passenger seat.
Then air-cooled cars started getting popular, and the value of the 993 started going up.
Suddenly, instead of seeing that car out every weekend, it was every other weekend. Then once a month. Then, for a long time, you’d see it parked when the garage was open, but never out and about. Next, one day, the space was empty. The car was gone, replaced, no doubt, by a filling of a bank account, or the paying down of a mortgage.
And who would blame him? Life is pretty expensive, and if that 911-riding son is enrolled in hockey, hello bills. Even so, it made me a bit sad. A 911 Turbo is the kind of car you grow up dreaming about, but if your dreams get too expensive to insure, or too risky to drive, then where’s the fun in that?
So, on Collector Car Day, we should set aside the financial aspect of car collecting, and ignore German banker bigwigs who want to turn a hobby into yet another way to amass capital. I have an appreciation for museum-quality machines too, but otherwise a car is only as interesting as the distance you can drive it. If you can’t drive it, then it’s not really a car anymore.
And, happily, the rules for what constitutes a collector-plated vehicle are pretty flexible in this province. Sure, it can be tricky to jump through the various hoops to get approval, but ICBC is pretty cut and dried about things. Do you have a car from 1985 that’s got all the correct parts, no rust, and is in good shape? Doesn’t matter if it’s a Hyundai Pony or a whale-tailed 911, you can get collector plates for it.
If your car happens to be a bit on the rare side, with fewer than 1500 produced in a model year, or from a discontinued marque, it’s possible to get a collector plate for a 15-year-old car. Otherwise, a build date that’s 25 years old or older is the gateway to inexpensive insurance.
It being 2018, that means you can put collector plates on anything from 1993, if it’s well-kept, or up to 2003 if it’s a rarity. For anyone with gasoline in their veins, this shifting timeline should fill you with excitement.
When people think of a collector car, they might think of a big-dollar outlay like that 911 Turbo, or a classic ‘57 Chevy, or perhaps a rickety old British machine. However, we’re moving into a time when collector cars can be completely reliable and usable.
A late 1980s BMW is simple enough to work on, but parts are still relatively available. Japanese sports cars like the Toyota MR2 or Mazda RX-7 are still accessible and inexpensive to run. Heck, you could even put collector plates on an original Miata these days, and have one of the most fun dollar-per-smile rides around.
Then there are all the oddballs even I’m not thinking about. Honda Accord Hatchbacks. Boxy Alfa Romeos from the 1980s. Citroëns! Even as the potential for an autonomously-driven future approaches, we’re entering a new golden age for collector cars, one that will last at least a couple of decades.
So, if having a fun project car has been on your list for a while, start perusing the classifieds. The interest in the obvious choices always pushes prices up everywhere, so you might as well jump on now.
And, whatever you choose to wrench on, make sure you take some time to get out there for a drive this weekend. Cars aren’t just for collecting dust; they’re for collecting memories.
Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and automotive enthusiast. If you have a suggestion for a column, or would be interested in having your car club featured, please contact him at mcaleeronwheels@gmail.com. Follow Brendan on Twitter: @brendan_mcaleer.
