Is there a legal definition? Have recently seen folks trying to shift P38's on the bay as 'classics' lately. Wishful thinking me thinks.

What does make a classic? 405 AB exec seats Baltic and Cirrus
93 RR Classic efi

Remember it's easier to get forgiveness than permission!

Gone in order:
4.4 TDV8 SE - gone to a good home
93 Classic hard dash Plymouth Blue
03 L322 Oslo Blue
2000 Disco TD5 ES Epsom Green
98 P38 Rioja Red
89 Classic Cairngorm Brown

The p38 is a classic, a classic case of how not to make a Range Rover.

Desirability, and/or demand, and/or supply are what makes classics classics in my opinion.

rodp wrote:

The p38 is a classic, a classic case of how not to make a Range Rover.

Mine was hilariously bad. It meant my wife scorns Range Rovers even today.

I always thought a classic was an old car that commanded a price greater than it could objectively demand based on its age and performance.

An E-type Jag is a beautiful car. In its day, it’s performance was amazing. But now, for what a well sorted E costs, there are plenty of other used vehicles that will be cheaper and go around a track a lot faster.

Air cooled Beatles were always sold as cheap, reliable transportation. But now, a boring 8 year old Corolla will do everything that Beatle was meant to do and do it better.

That’s not to say Es and Bugs aren’t great, fun cars. But their prices reflect that a lot of folks would like to own one. Now days, people buy Bugs because they WANT them, not because they’re nice cheap first cars for when their kids learn to drive.

On a car sale website, try searching for a “1996 Range Rover”. That will bring in the very last of the Classics and the first P38s. The Classic tech is 25 years older, but they’ll be selling for a lot more $/£/€ than the newer ‘improved’ P38.

I really like Rover 800s. But I’m in a very small minority. So their not classics. If your brief is ‘comfy old car’, they’re still very competitive because they’re dirt cheap.

A legal def...? Older as 30 years, here in France and that's it.
But then there is passion and how rare it is. Cars that were new in my youth are old cars to me and rare classics to others. F.E. I would never buy a ford capri I drove them new when I was 18 but my E type from 1964 was my big passion when I was in my 40ies and early 50 ies. So rarety does count. The last 10 years i'ts only pre war that tickles me. A p38 is an ugly thing to me, but others are willing to pay 30k gbp and more... I think the big bubble is inflating. People rushing in to this market as investment are (thank god) getting out again. Telling me, while doing a vintage rally, that my car must be a great investment, in stead of admiring the car for it's condition, beautiful lines or daring speed, puts me of. The guy in this video understands what's it all about.



And I love that car!!