A Great Car Today, A Classic Tomorrow?
July 5th, 2009
What makes a car classic? There is some debate over the question, and it can get quite heated from time to time. In fact, the same debate rages in areas other than the automobile industry. There are many people who will swear blind that nothing which has been created in the last few decades could possibly be a classic. Then again, there are others who will argue too hastily for something to gain classic status when it may merely be very good, or even a little unusual. Neither being too harsh nor too lenient can be good for our critical perceptions.
Trying to find what the classics of the future will be, then, is not an easy matter. There are cars that are widely loved and massively coveted, but will they be so adored twenty, thirty or more years down the line? It is hard to say. Certainly not all of them will be. The ones which make the cut will be the ones which have something unique about them, which drive forward the idea of what makes a great car, and which will be remembered not just fondly but with awe by car lovers in many countries.
It is not a technical matter, or at least it is not solely a technical matter. Aesthetics are important, too, as are concepts such as innovation and relevance to a period. As we do not yet know how this era will be seen by future generations, it is a debate that will rage for some time – what are the classics of tomorrow?
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