986 as a future classic

[southernstar]

Whippy, while the title of the thread uses the word 'classic', I have never used that term in my posts in relation to the 986. IMO 'collectible' is the best status they will ever attain. Is the oval window Beetle truly a classic? In view of the numbers produced up until 1957, I doubt it (alhtough an argument may some day be made in relation to the split window). Of course, the low-light Ghia was made in even smaller numbers and I never referred to mine as a 'classic' (and I owned my 57 until four years ago when, in a spirit of misguided generosity, I gave it to my father-in-law)!

To me the original 986 is rapidly becoming a collectible car in the sense that it was and will continue to be recognized as a significant achievement in automotive design and one that will have a significant place in the history of a recognized marque. Not coincidentally, I also expect the prices for good examples to eventually start climbing from what is, or should be virtually the nadir for the model. To me that is a potentially 'collectible' car, although I am prepared to accept that other's definitions and opinions will vary.

Brad

[pothole]

All cars become classics given enough time. 100 years from now, any Boxster will be rare and it will be a classic.

Question is, what will they be thought of in 20 years?

By then, all Porsches for many years will have been auto and turbo and Boxster will probably have been four-cylinder for several years. They may even be electric by then.

The tricky bit is that it will take a really long time for Boxsters to be true classics. Is a regular late 70s or early 80s 911 a classic? Maybe a modern classic, but not a classic in the traditional sense.

My general feeling is that once new Boxsters are all turbo and auto and four-pot, that will begin to pull values of older manual flat-six Boxsters upwards, if only very gradually.

[Whippy]

Originally Posted by southernstar

Whippy, while the title of the thread uses the word 'classic', I have never used that term in my posts in relation to the 986. IMO 'collectible' is the best status they will ever attain. Is the oval window Beetle truly a classic? In view of the numbers produced up until 1957, I doubt it (alhtough an argument may some day be made in relation to the split window). Of course, the low-light Ghia was made in even smaller numbers and I never referred to mine as a 'classic' (and I owned my 57 until four years ago when, in a spirit of misguided generosity, I gave it to my father-in-law)!

To me the original 986 is rapidly becoming a collectible car in the sense that it was and will continue to be recognized as a significant achievement in automotive design and one that will have a significant place in the history of a recognized marque. Not coincidentally, I also expect the prices for good examples to eventually start climbing from what is, or should be virtually the nadir for the model. To me that is a potentially 'collectible' car, although I am prepared to accept that other's definitions and opinions will vary.

Brad

Good post, we agree!

[southernstar]

Speaking of collectible sports cars, do the MGB and Triumph TR6 qualify? I know, they made about 160,000 986 Boxsters. However, they made more than 3 times as many MGB's - approximately 500,000 - and yet excellent mid 60's models (pre the smog devices and safety bumpers which ruined the car) are typically fetching around $15,000.00, or more today. Compare that to their costs when new, let alone to their nadir in the 80's. They produced 91,850 Triumph TR6's (and many other TR4, TR4A, TR250 and TR5's that share the same basic structure) and yet excellent examples from the mid 70's now often fetch $30,000.00! Keep in mind that neither car was exactly state of the art even when new (relatively primitve suspension, ergonomics, etc.). Keep in mind that neither car has design roots in the history of their marque in the way that the 986 Boxster does (and neither marque has the cache of Porsche). Keep in mind also that neither car was the first in the line of a series of sports cars, such as the 911 and yes, the Boxster.

Particlewave, you see your Boxster as being an 'average car', nothing special. I could debate that point and, certainly contemporary reviews had it at the head of its class, rather than in the middle as you suggest. However, even if it is just an average sports car for the time, so too was the Triumph TR6 (in fact, in some reviews by the mid-70's it was considered worse than average). Once again, for those who do not consider their 986's to be future collectibles, so be it.
Even though they are already middle-aged (10 to 17 years old) drive them hard and often. Run them into the ground. Continue to reduce the supply of good examples. If history repeats itself, those of us who intend to keep ours will ultimately be the beneficiaries.

Brad