Classic Cars

[Guest]

I am really new to this..but I want to make an investment! What differentiates a classic car from a car you may see for sale on the side of the road (1970). What is a hemi? Please educate me!

[Guest]

so glad u asked!!!!!! i've been wondering the same thing myself. Hopefully SOMEONE will respond real soon!!!

[Guest]

For CATLADY :<P>The term "hemi" refers to the concept of shaping a combustion chamber as a portion of a hemisphere. This makes for more efficient combustion.<P>Thanks to a very effective public relations campaign by Chrysler corp, car buffs use this terminolgy to to identify a series of Chrysler Corp. motors introduced for their 1951 models. With a hemispherical combustion chamber, these motors gave them more useable horse-power per cubic in. of displacement than competitors. (Oddly, just about ALL of the Chryslers equipped with these motors during the first years they were introduced, were also equipped with a rather odd semi-automatic transmission, which was so inefficient, those cars, which SHOULD have been fast....werent !)<P>These so called "hemi" motors became very popular amongst the hot rod set. <P>Incidentally, the "hemi" concept did NOT originate with Chrysler - they just knew how to "promote" the concept. It dates back to the first world war, and was adopted from time to time by various power-plant manufacturers. For example, my '36 American La France V-12 (an 800 cu. in. monster with over-head cam) has domed pistons and a "hemi" type combustion chamber...<P>The word "classic" ? It comes from the greek "classicus", and has, for many THOUSANDS of years, had two related meanings. TODAY, it means ANY old car you LIKE ! Back in the early 1950's, it was a word NOT in common use...as it had a more elegant meaning.<P>Dictionaries of THAT era would reflect its long-established meaning of "unique..of first rank..representing the HIGHEST standard of excellence". Thus only the finest, most luxurious, most powerful cars of any era, could be "classics".<P>As a "term of art" it meant a "school of design" by which the FUNCTION of an item determined its FORM. Thus it described the shape of cars as they were up to about 1940. After that year, cars were shaped "streamlined", which is a much later, more advanced, and entirely different design concept.<P>Thus when we say a design is "classic", we are referring to design, is where a car's fenders, headlights, hood, etc each are set apart, as they were up until the "streamlined" era, again, which began around 1940. If you look at the difference between late 1930's cars, which are from the "classic" school of design, you will see the obvious difference to the "stream lined" cars of 1941...where headlights, fenders, and hood are all blending together to make a "streamlined" blob.<P>In the early 1950's a group of car buffs, disgusted with how the finest and most elegant cars of the 1930's era were being destroyed, tried to come up with a name for a car club which would be devoted exlusively to that particular kind of car. THAT is why the club decided to select the word "CLASSIC". The Club was SO successful in making the idea of a "classic" attractive, it quickly fell into common useage. If you hear someone use the word "classic" today, it tells you NOTHING about the car they are describing...it merely tells you the user of the word "classic" is 1) alive 2) capable of uttering sounds....and 3) likes the car he is pointing at !<P>People have made a lot of money in the old car hobby. Well...SOME people do...most of us find the car hobby as a bottomless pit we continually throw money at...! Let me make a suggestion.... Before making an "investment" try going to car shows, and talking to people who own or operate old cars. Most of us will talk your ear off if given half a chance, about the various pleasures and pitfalls of getting involved in old cars.<P>AFTER you have had a chance to ride in, drive, and talk to people about old cars, when you have a clearer idea which cars from which eras meet your personal needs...THEN and only then should you consider getting involved personally.<P>"Making a small fortune" in old cars...is like trying to make a small fortune in aviation....! Typically...you start with a LARGE fortune...and quit in time..before your money is ALL gone....!<P>Good luck ! <P>Pete Hartmann<BR>Big Springs, AZ<P>[ 08-15-2002: Message edited by: pete hartmann ]<p>[ 08-15-2002: Message edited by: pete hartmann ]

[Guest J446]

Well put Peter. Cars should not be bought as an investment. They should be bought because you love them and will get enjoyment from owning and using them. In 1968 I tried to get my father to buy a Ferrari GTO for $6500. He passed. At the height of the bubble that car sold for 17 million dollars. <BR>When I pointed that out he replied that $6500 worth of Microsoft stock purchased at that time and sold at the same time that the GTO went for 17 million would have been worth<BR>somewhat more. (approx $650,000,000)<BR>Best<BR>Jim

[Guest]

MSFT in 1968????????

[Guest J446]

My dates and math were wrong but my Dad's point wasn't. <BR>On 3/86 Goldman sold 2.8M shares of Microsoft<BR>at a split ajusted price of .15c. (IPO date)<BR>If you had bought then and sold on 12/31/99 your $6500 would have grown to $5,200,000. On that date the GTO had "fallen" to about $3 Million.<BR>Best<BR>Jim