The Avoidable Contact in the R&T Supercar issue (it’s the one with the yellow Macca P1 on the cover) was, I thought, pretty good. Well, I wrote it, so of course I’d think that. But in this case I think I was particularly right.
I was alone in this.
You can read it online, without the original and funny title of “Sic Transit Exotica” that I didn’t come up with but that I seriously wish I had. The Facebook comments are of the universal opinion that I am a complete idiot. However, I don’t see a lot of actual supercar owners or people who are likely to ever have one posting. Maybe I’m right, maybe they are. Maybe we’re both wrong. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to save for a 599 Fiorano.
Meh. I liked it … but the only thing I’m more jaded to than “supercars” is “supercar sycophants”, so take that how you will, and remember that only assholes buy Lambos.
70% of those decrying the death of Mitsubishi’s turbocharged, AWD vehicles have never purchased a new Mitsubishi and seem oblivious to the fact that, as they’re not Mitsubishi customers, should probably get back to work repairing their cobbled-together-with-Ebay-knockoffs slags so they don’t miss another day at Sbarro’s.
One empathizes.
Jack, I do own some “supercars”, and I am certainly around them all day long, and have had considerable seat time in many of them.
You know that I’m a huge fan of your writing, and I actually do agree with the point of your post. Supercars have ephemeral attractiveness.
However, I do believe there comes a point where they do become “relevant” again, and even desirable, not only to the “car geeks”, but to those of general means. Cars like the Testarossa are starting to come back into favor; the cheesy 80s look has now transcended into classic status. Same for the Countach. I have a Countach right now in the garage, an 83 5000S (carbureted, red/tan), and there just has never been anything made before or after that draws as much attention as that car.
Michael,
While I don’t deny that you have a point, if you look at Testarossa values in particular you’ll see that it has occasionally been possible to buy them for $35,000, which is about fifteen percent of their inflation-adjusted MSRP.
You can argue that the smart money would buy them when they’re cheap and ride them up instead of buying new and holding.
I just got done, um, acquiring, James May’s 3-part cars of the people. He features a Silver Shadow and an old Countach. In the third episode, he traces the arc of the Roller and Lambo and tells a story similar to this column in greater detail. Definitely worth the time if Labor Day weather fails to cooperate.
So at what point does a “used” car become a “classic” car?
When the teenagers who wanted them become middle aged
Perfectly stated.
It seems the commenters protest too much about not caring about the attention an old super car may or may not bring.
“Some guy on the net
Thinks I suck, and he should know
He’s got his own Facebook”
I liked the article, though I selfishly hope that some dreamers keep a Testarossa or two on the road for me to pick up much, much later in my life. Preferably in white.
People’s pants getting tight over present day supercars is a hell of a lot less annoying than people giving holy grail supercar status to cars like the E30 M3, Cosworth Benz, 240SX or the like.
My God, you’re not wrong.
They were a lot cooler when you could pick one up for $3500 to beat the shit out of.
Most exotics are, as you noted, of their time and place and do not age well. The Diablo always will be ugly, the F50 uglier still, and even the Veyron never stirred my soul. There are rare exceptions — Hello 959. Yes, you are still sexy in your evil way, F40. And the F1 always will be lustworthy. But is anyone getting wood over, say, a Gallardo?
Nothing highlights how ephermal supercars are quite like the Countach beater that I saw in Berkeley about 10 years ago. THE definitive supercar of my youth, and I saw a guy at Kragen pouring a quart of house brand oil into it while holding the engine cover up with a 2×4.
Fuck the haters, Jack. Most of them are, as the man noted above, driving excessively accessorized Evos and Soobies and Civics to food service jobs that pay an hourly wage.
Jack,
A logical crescendo to your valid theme on the ephemeral nature of luxury. Wired Chuck gave you great advice ….”Fuck the haters” !
starts to get into the question of “super” vs “hyper” cars or whatever, and who’s going to keep buying them. based on quantity of vehicles alone, I don’t think the P1/LaFerrari are going to end up below their original selling price anytime soon, if ever. the market for that sort of car isn’t large, but it’s big enough. Porsche doesn’t seem quite get it based on how things turned out on the CGT and I’m not sure that selling 918 918s is going to be that easy. I suspect that Lamborghini’s refusal to dip into the volume-production $1M car range is driven by cold-hearted German economics. build a few one/3/5-off specials for people with really serious money and crank out as many $300-$500k “volume” models as you can. McLaren and Ferrari aren’t going to be making big profits on P1/LF, but they sure do down the range (McL if they can get the volumes they want, eventually).
time has shown that Ferrari has done it right with their limited stuff (and time has done in enough of the “limited” F40s that they’re well into stupid money now), but anything not rather limited in production isn’t going every be more than a really expensive used car eventually. we’ll never see Gallardos at sub-$10k Phaetons, but I’m sure there will be sub $50k examples. I’m not exactly sure how to explain the Ford GTs continued rise in price as compared to how many were built, but I think part of it is down to the buyer demographic being a bit different than the typical buyer of such things.
the chance to buy a Countach at anything less than $100k appear to be long gone. the early examples are over $1M and even the spoilers and flares era are pushing into the quarter mil range. the early cars are so pure in their design, not a Miura, but definitely something.
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21916/lot/388/
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21906/lot/337/
http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20994/lot/179/
http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1065074
I may need to re-buy the LP400 Tamiya which I built as a kid, looks like the price of admission is less than a couple of tanks of fuel for the Fiesta ST or a shiny hoodie 🙂
Read down the R&T comments section. Never thought I’d see the day when The Best and the Brightest (TM) would sound downright reasonable. Geeze loueeze, talk about getting one’s panties in a wad!
Then again, what would I know. I own a Pontiac Solstice because: a. I can afford it, and, b. I have the driving skills to play with it without hurting myself or anyone else. I’d like a 911 (would really, really like a 928S4), and while I might make a., I seriously doubt if I’ll ever reach b.
spot on, I agree
I would never buy a new Lamborghini
I do like the old ones, pre-90’s. And you just can’t top a Miura for styling
although I have always liked the 512BB, the 365GTB.
I would be happy with a 911