3rd Oct 2019, 21:20

I very distinctly recall American luxury cars from that era. My Aunt had a 1985 Cadillac Brougham, my grandmother had a 1988 Crown Vic with a 5.0 V8, and my other grandmother had a Buick Electra. Notice something? They were ALL owned by old people. By then all of those brands including Oldsmobile, Lincoln, and so on had already damaged their brands by insisting on marketing them to elderly buyers. Whereas by then many upper class Americans had moved on to the likes of BMW, Mercedes and so on which featured FWD, stiffer handling and firmer rides; the Big 3 were churning out big floaty cars with awful, cheap interiors and outdated drivetrains. The peak of American luxury was probably in the 50's-early 70's when that kind of luxury car was most in demand.

And again - some of you guys simply don't get it. People collect everything. And as time goes on, what people collect and what the values of those said goods are will fluctuate with the age of those collecting.

Let me give you a real life example. I've spent years working on and restoring antique radios. Back when I started the most desirable and highly valued pieces were things like mid 20's to early 30's Atwater Kent radios or Philco Cathedral sets (the iconic old radio shape). But these days? You can't GIVE those away. OTOH you want to know what is the most smokin' hot radio? It's those huge stereo systems from the 50's and 60's - the ones that everyone had in their living room back then with a flip-up top, a record player and housed in a big wooden slab of a cabinet. 10 years ago you could not give those away. But now? One in a nice mid-century modern cabinet can easily fetch between $1500-$3000.

So what happened there? The people who collected the 1920's radios more or less died off. Hardly anyone is alive today who was around when those sets were made. There is zero nostalgia per collectors as a result and thus the values have cratered. But those big mid century modern stereos? Everyone's grandma or even parents had them. Hence the nostalgia.

And this is why, as much as you guys refuse to believe it, why 1980's Toyota trucks are now selling for an arm and a leg. The same goes for vintage Supras, Celicas, and even some of the lesser models. That and a lot of those rusted to bits in the rust belt, hence they're sort of rare. That or people just wore them out.

4th Oct 2019, 10:44

I really try to stay entirely away from mid 70s to 2000 models from USA or Japan. I bought a very low production number black Harley Davidson pick up in show condition. Wish I could post a pic. Not a single flaw. As far as a truck, it may have future interest to different crossover segments including Harley Davidson riders. Maybe a 90-93 454 SS black Chevrolet pick up. I once owned a red Splash. Terrible ride due to the wide wheels on a short wheel base. But looked good. Only trucks newer that caught my eye. But I do not love trucks at all. No matter what you do, they are still a truck. Some of the early pick ups don’t look bad at shows. But driving one is another story.