i watched the classic/vintage car auction yesterday on espn and i am blown away at how some prices are skyrocketing to the stratosphere now...i saw a '57 F thunderbird go for $200K and a '67 shelby end at $90K. it reminded me how most of these cars with humble origins were once affordable race machines straight from the factory with hardly any of the amenities we enjoy now. unbelievable to think they were at one time affordable to regular joes like me holding a decent wage at the time. but i think what makes a car special and more valuable is/was not only horspower and low production numbers, but more importantly what it did for the industry at that time. it has to serve some form of automotive guidepost that others would follow.

the entire episode had me thinking at how difficult it will be to truly prove the provenance of many ITRs down the road. ive already made the personal decision to purchase a second one in a few years, but i am one who is quite particular and i need a car's history before i pay it's worth. so many factors now involved and the popularity of the R has made, or will make documenting actual mileage, parts authentication, matching numbers and oem parts sourcing for a good migraine. i mean, just look at how many are for sale now. they are reaching affordability and accessiblity while more and more hands will pass the keys over time. gauge cluster swapping, engine swapping and all kinds of intermixing will one day be the job of ITR elite collectors to decipher. have some of you even thought about how hard it will be to prove without papers the mileage of an R or if its the correct year this and that part? can you guys imagine trying to restore or chase down parts for a '97 one day? in all amusement, the '97 i think will be the biggest headache of all to piece together for the true hardcores out there...its gonna pay off for those of us keen enough to have saved every original nut and bolt from the car.

of course there will be those of you that argue that i dont have to worry and the ITR will never reach such a hight, but i passionately believe that our cars carry all the necessary attributes that direct it to cult status. heritage, philosophy, concept, build, and success on and off the track has won it the hearts and minds of many around the world. seriously...the whole "type-r" moniker is now a universal stamp applied to even the most rediculous product you can find. icon status has reached an all time high if the "type-r" badge trickles down to even the most mundane thing like a keychain....for a FORD(ive seen it)

at any rate, i had visions while watching the show of seeing a mint unrestored 97 or 98, a black or a yellow or even the rarest canadian spec champ white 01 that came with the all red interior roll out on the auction block...it would be a feeding frenzy and a testament that what im driving now is yesterday's shelby and F t-bird.




Modified by Lucky-R at 12:19 PM 1/3/2007

 

the only thing that has prevented me from chasing down another 98 CW is that i live in the middle of freaking manhattan...

but should the right one come along, #349 will have a mate
i just have to find somewhere to store it

 

lol, I was thinking the same thing while watching the Barrett Jackson Auto Auction! I just couldnt imagine seeing a ITR roll out and watch a bunch of guys bid thousands and thousands of dollars for it

Only time will tell

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by walker111 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Barrett Jackson Auto Auction! </TD></TR></TABLE>

did you see the "Super Bee" roll out the other day

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the only thing that has prevented me from chasing down another 98 CW is that i live in the middle of freaking manhattan...

but should the right one come along, #349 will have a mate
i just have to find somewhere to store it </TD></TR></TABLE>

Just bring it down to Va, I'll take care of it for you

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

did you see the "Super Bee" roll out the other day </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes! What about the 2 mil hemi cuda!!! Or that 4 mil fukking bus!!!!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by walker111 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just bring it down to Va, I'll take care of it for you </TD></TR></TABLE>

i'd rather let arnold take care of it in paradise

 

15 more years and they Will fetch a very high amount (double if not triple the MSRP), that is if one is kept in prestine condition w/ extremely low miles.
I have No doubt.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i'd rather let arnold take care of it in paradise </TD></TR></TABLE>wait til i buy my house in the posh Hawaii Loa Ridge...far enough from the salty ocean breeze. but it wouldnt matter anyway in my climate controlled garage

 

CW &gt; ***

 

Japanese cars don't have much history of appreciating SIGNIFICANTLY in value as they age..... main problem is there's too many of them.

Type R is limited edition....

Just drive the thing - and treasure the memories instead.

In 20 years - you probably won't be allowed to drive a gasoline powered car on the roads unless they are zero emissions.....we'll all be driving hybrids, electrics and fuel cell vehicles.

BPR - who thinks he should buy a Z06 now because the days of 427 cu big blocks are numbered

 

The classic/collector car market is so fickle, there's no way to predict the future of a limited-edition "commodity" car like the Type R. Anyone know of a similar sequenced model from about 15-20 years ago, of an equivalent price? I'm drawing a blank - maybe that Shelby GLHS or whatnot?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Big Phat R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">In 20 years - you probably won't be allowed to drive a gasoline powered car on the roads unless they are zero emissions.....we'll all be driving hybrids, electrics and fuel cell vehicles.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I wonder how prophetic Rush's "Red Barchetta" will turn out to be.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
My uncle has a country place, that no one knows about
He says it used to be a farm, before the motor law
And on Sundays I elude the eyes and hop the turbine freight
To far outside the wire, where my white-haired uncle waits.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

with that being said about gasoline powered, than i guess people won't be needing to invest in those exotic cars at the auction, whether you want to drive the car or not, doesn't mean its a collector's item. its how the owner sees it.
sometimes people collect cars not only because of its historic value but could be other factors such as.
father and son working on the car and father passed away, son buys one to keep the fond memory of what brought

just an example or what not.

 

that's true

i guess i'm just one of those weirdos that likes to drive cars instead of turning them into 4 wheeled museum pieces.

that's why jay leno rocks - he drives all the cars he owns

speaking of which - anyone check out his new website?

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Lucky-R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">wait til i buy my house in the posh Hawaii Loa Ridge...far enough from the salty ocean breeze. but it wouldnt matter anyway in my climate controlled garage </TD></TR></TABLE>

hell, forget the ITR then...

i'll be knocking on your front door and hopping to store myself there

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Big Phat R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that's true

i guess i'm just one of those weirdos that likes to drive cars instead of turning them into 4 wheeled museum pieces.

that's why jay leno rocks - he drives all the cars he owns

speaking of which - anyone check out his new website?

http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/

</TD></TR></TABLE>

I dont think I'll ever have a car thats not driven...

 

If you're worried about every nut and bolt...

Knowing Honda, in 25 years 90% of the ITR parts will still be available from the dealership.

Guy I know buys parts for his 85 Civic S all of the time. Still in stock at the warehouse. Even S800 parts can be purchased.

I have a 85 Honda ATC. I can still get brand new oem Honda parts for that thing!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Todd00 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you're worried about every nut and bolt...

Knowing Honda, in 25 years 90% of the ITR parts will still be available from the dealership.

Guy I know buys parts for his 85 Civic S all of the time. Still in stock at the warehouse. Even S800 parts can be purchased.

I have a 85 Honda ATC. I can still get brand new oem Honda parts for that thing!</TD></TR></TABLE>i sure hope you are right todd...im crossing my fingers. but the only exception with the ITR that separates it from the other models in the honda lineup is EVERYONE AND THEIR GRANDMA wants anything and everything "ITR". just look at the oem optional "itr" body kits or the 98 checkered floormats...once people realize these parts have a shelf life and will no longer be produced, it will probably spawn a market of replicas...and its already happening now. you have to also consider the low production numbers of the car compared to say a civic DX or an RSX. parts for those cars take precedent because more people are gonna need them over the percentage of ITR owners.

i just have a gut feeling that more and more people over time will realize that you wont always be able to buy a brand-new red itr valve cover or brand-new set of gunmetals/champ whites, and the demand would soon enough eat-up the supply.

to best understand what im getting at is, dont look at the "market" or what " collector car experts" might project to be "of value" in due time. what you do is look at in the "grassroots" level, in the people around you, yourself and others here and see the passion and love that goes into ownership, and ask yourself if the same folks will carry it thru the years...i know i will and hope to pass it on to my kids. and YES, by all means folks, DRIVE THE CARS! i didnt mean to imply we all lock them up in time capsules(although a few should be kept for posterity). the ITR is our generation SHELBY and life is too short not too "experience" ownership on the road and track. my only point is it wouldnt hurt to remember to take an extra effort to take care of them....because you just never know

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Big Phat R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Japanese cars don't have much history of appreciating SIGNIFICANTLY in value as they age..... main problem is there's too many of them.

Type R is limited edition....

Just drive the thing - and treasure the memories instead.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Gota totally agree. U cant compare American made history to something that is now made world wide. Price might be stable, but never as high as an American classic.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by WickedKP &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Gota totally agree. U cant compare American made history to something that is now made world wide. Price might be stable, but never as high as an American classic.</TD></TR></TABLE>this is a brand-new phenomenon, and you cant apply the thinking and the culture of the "american classic" to today's current trends. doesnt make sense. its like looking at a current disease and treating it with decades old medicine and old world technology. you have to be lying or blind if you cant see how the "import" culture has permeated the masses. honestly, even your american made compact cars are now japanese inspired, lols. i hate to rehash cookie-cutter terms, but it reflects your "global economy" that wasnt the animal that it is today.

and last time i checked, my car along with other ITRs came from a plant in japan, and not "made world wide". i dont get that. if you were referring to the ep3-R, then maybe, but point of topic is the almighty DC2-ITR .

 

It's true that many of the big money getters at Barrett-Jackson are American. Look at it this way - look at the era of the cars that make up the majority of the auction lots, or at least the majority of the tv time - American muscle cars. You'll see the occasional Ferrari or other European car, like the neat Fiat convertible number last year.

As the years go on, the cars that will become hot at the auction will move on, as well, IMO. Before the muscle cars got to the crazy numbers they are today, I assume that older cars were more prominent. In 10 years, will we see 1971 Celicas and other 1970s Japanese models like the Datsun 240Z, 510, Mazda RX-3, Honda Civic CVCC, etc? I think it's possible.

The era of the muscle car was the era the baby boomers were in high school, and those fellas are in the position now to buy back a piece of their youth, taken to another level, in various forms from original & matching numbers, to resto-mods, to custom work. In 10 years time, I'm sure there will still be a large number of the muscle cars going for mega bucks at the auction, but I think we'll see products of the 1970s being featured. The '70s is when the Japanese cars started making their way in significant numbers to our shores. There were Increasing numbers of European imports, too, and cars such as the VW Golf.

Thirty years from now, will we see the Japanese sport compacts from the 90s at Barrett-Jackson? I don't see why not! Some of the cars may not seem so significant, but by 1966 there were hundreds of thousands of Mustangs on the streets, too. I agree with the person who said the DC2 ITR has the ingredients for a classic car: limited production, top of the heap in its segment, professional & amateur racing pedigree, devoted following, name recognition.. it's an icon, for better and for worse. ("Type-Rice" comments & all the knockoff products)

 

330R - couldn't have said it better myself.

 

http://www.kbb.com/kb/ki.dll/k...ticle