15th Nov 2012, 23:06

A 1959 Malibu? I saw the crash comparison that you were referring to, and I hate to tell you, but the car from 1959 was a Bel Air v.s. a 2009 Malibu.

Also I wouldn't necessarily say that $40,000-$80,000 is cheap. That's how much a #'s matching 1955-1957 Chevrolet Bel Air is worth, depending on the way the car was equipped. 20 years ago they were worth a little less.

16th Nov 2012, 04:38

Way off the mark. 50s cars are extremely popular in car shows and cruise nights. The children that grew up with parents who are car enthusiasts are only limited by budget. I went with my friend to pick up a 57 Chevrolet at 27k recently. All the 50s Vettes are hot. The 55 to 57 Thunderbirds and 50 Mercs. At Carlisle they have huge shows on just the large fin models alone. 2 door models and even wagons are popular.

Recently I have seen 50s pick ups as being extremely hot with guys in their 20s and up. It's very hard to find 55 or 57 2 door Chevrolets, especially at affordable prices for young guys to buy; that's what I see as the main limitation, not because of the era. I see some that own and love these cars. There are quite a few going in the rat rod direction however. It's a lot cheaper if that's your thing to start out with. But even they can add up cost wise over time.

You left out cars earlier than the 50s. They will never lose popularity as well. I own newer cars as well. You will always have the Corvette, Camaro, Mopar, Mustang clubs as well. There are some amazing cars out today with blistering performance. There are cars for everyone and every era. I can jump in a 57 Chevrolet Corvette or a 2013 Corvette, and not see either one with any less popularity.

The safety point on the older cars was missed as well. Insurance is dirt cheap for classic insurance. The cars are garaged, limited typically to 2500 miles a year. The actual exposure to accidents is limited. If you even watch the news, how often do you see a vintage car shown or reported in a physical accident? There is so much work and time invested, and owners are careful. I see the same cars all year. The Hurricane Sandy in our area had more of an effect on cars stored than driven. I have one car that has never been driven in the rain or snow. Lots of us drive 500-600 miles a year per car on average. The limited accident exposure is very slim. The biggest investment is buying the car. You pay the small insurance and they are there. Once the cars are completed, I pull them out for fun. I feel safer in mine than the Mini Coopers, Fiats and other tiny models being driven today out next to the tractor trailers during the week, exposed to danger every day. I would rather ride in a large 1959 2 door Cadillac Eldorado and feel safe.