While the pandemic has had knock-on effects for the new car market across the globe, according to Car & Classic, it’s also seen a shift in trends for the classic car market.
Data from Q1 2020 and Q1 2021 points to enthusiasts warming to “young timers,” aka modern classics. There’s also a significant uptick in the number of searches for classics.
One theory attributes the shift in the sheer number of individuals stuck at home, spending more time dreaming about the possibility of owning the machines that they fell in love with during their youth.
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The website’s findings suggest that overall searches were up 39% over the top 200 cars, with European buyers sifting through the likes of the Porsche 911 (being the most searched), the Jaguar E-Type (second), and even old school muscle cars and Japanese classics such as Mustangs and Skylines.
The shift has seen formerly popular models such as the Ford Cortina, MGB GT, and Volkswagen Beetle slip down the rankings. This could point to buyers being interested in owning classics that are ‘dream cars’ rather than ones that are just obtainable.
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So what’s trending? At the moment, the BMW E30, the rotary-powered RX7s, and some of the sportier Toyotas like the MR2 and Supra — plus, the aforementioned Nissan Skyline, which has jumped 131 places to 27th place. Similarly, hot hatches from the ’80s, notably the XR2 (with a 25% rise in searches) and the Ford Escort XR3i (up 44% in searches), have their time in the spotlight. There’s also been interest in pre-war and post-war cars that are beginning to become more affordable.
According to Car & Classic’s head of editorial, Chris Pollitt, the sudden spike in interest highlights some fascinating thinking patterns in enthusiasts during this time. “For some, it has meant more time to start a new project, for others, money saved not going on holiday could mean now buying the dream car they always wanted to own.” Pollitt sees the classic car trend constantly evolving, with followers placing cars from the ’80s and ’90s as the new generation of sought-after classics. Others are just looking for a sense of nostalgia behind the wheel of a vehicle that preserves lifelong memories.
