Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

Reading one of the weeklies, a feature suggests that perhaps the Mk1 Mondeo's entry into classic-dom is upon us.

Does anyone else here agree?

Personally, I wouldn't give one house-room at any classic show. To be honest, I still struggle with late-model Cortinas but that's probably just me

One day, yes possibly, as an example of once-common street furniture and family/rep transport, but not for another 20 years surely?

RJ
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[Minxy]

Definitely not, it will just be another old car.

[peter scott]

I tend to classify cars by their suitability to modern driving conditions. Pre-war stuff speaks for itself. Post war, the big dividing line is between cars capable of sustained motorway (high speed) running and those that are not. For me this transition is somewhere in the 1960s. Anything after the threshold is "modern".

So for me the Mondeo is in the same group as all the rest of the post threshold stuff.

There is a very well cared for 23 year old example a couple of hundred yards from my house. They are good cars to drive.

Peter
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1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[norustplease]

This really opens up that old chestnut about what is a classic.
Articles in the Classic motoring press increasingly rate as classics, cars which are, in my own eyes, older modern cars, and which, for me, hold limited interest. The oldest Mondeos are now over 20 years old, which is still a bit young for classic status.
However, if the older moderns are to eventually be accepted as classics, and not to simply disappear off the face of the earth in time, then someone has to be encouraged to start preserving them, so maybe there is some logic in starting to accept cars such as the Mondeo, which, at the end of the day will be viewed in years to come, as much a part of 90's culture, as its predecessors in previous decades.
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1953 Citroen Traction
1964 Volvo PV544
1957 Austin A55 Mk 1
Boring Tucson SUV

[ukdave2002]

I have always thought that the term " classic" is incorrectly used in relation to our interests. There has and always will be a load of mundane transport, just because it's old it can hardly be termed classic; they are just old but now have a nostalgic value. If one takes many of the 50/60's family saloons, when they were 10 or 15 year old cars, they were just old, if at that point someone had called them a classic they would have been locked up ! Or at least their sanity questioned.

So let's not make this an exclusive hobby, that starts to exclude a generation who may have a hankering to have a car like dad used to have in the 90's ...much in the same way that many others got into this hobby 20 , 30 or more years ago.

Dave

[D4B]

[Ellis]

Ford Prefect, Popular, Anglia, Consul Classic, Capri, Escort Mk 1 and 2, Cortina................. The list continues as you all know.
Any Ford or Consul appears sought after, the Mark 3 Escort is slowly gaining popularity. The sporty ones, XR3, XR3i, RS are already sought after.

What is it about old medium sized and small Fords that attract so much interest as opposed to a Vauxhall Chevette, a Chrysler Sunbeam or a Vauxhall Cavalier?

How sought after is a 1970's Hillman Avenger apart from the Tiger? Or a Hillman Hunter which is arguably a better car than a Mark 2 Cortina?

I really don't know but the Mondeo's day WILL come.
The Mondeo ST24's already has.

Ford is a small word but has a massive following.
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1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rick]

[ukdave2002]

[47Jag]

In the 80's some car clubs used 1963 as a cut-off date to qualify as a classic. I'm no longer involved with clubs so I don't know the current situation.

Art

[Rick]

[BigJohn]

About 6yrs ago I was at a small show when a 25yr old A plated Fiesta came in bearing L plates, the young driver was usually a passenger in the family Morris, his mother was now his passenger.
A doughty stalwart with an 1950's MG Magnette parked next to me nearly had a fit. I pointed out that at 17, the car was 8yrs older than the driver was, how much older was he to his MG when he bought it.
I went and spoke to the Fiesta driver and he said the kids in college thought his car was cool, but old. He thought it was both, easy to fix, insure, and a starter into the world of classics he could use daily. A good start that needs to be encouraged.

[badhuis]

The dividing age of cars being classic for me is around 1970. That is also when new cars gained ugly plastic switches and interiors.
There are not many 70s designs that I like. Citroën GS/ CX, Rover SD1, Alfasud and a couple more are good designs but do not have the classic feel I like. Most 60s designs however are nice, even the bread and butter models. Maybe it is about the details of the 70s cars which are not as nice as older cars.

Someone the other day asked for suggesting a classic for daily use. Many responded with 80s 'classics'. For me most 80s and surely 90s are just old modern cars.
I owned a 1993 Subaru Legacy which was already considered a classic on a local Suby forum. I would never have thought of that as a classic. Same for the Mondeo.

Classic or not? will be a never ending discussion. I respect all those who love their car, especially if it an endangered species, in which category the Mondeo Mk1 must be. But it will never be my choice calling it a classic.
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[Ellis]

The Mondeo may not be a classic in everybody's eyes yet but I suggest that one of it's variants in the sense that it shared the Mk 1 Mondeo underpinnings may well be :

[img]

The Ford Cougar especially with the Duratec 2.5 V6 engine.
It would appear that a very good example can be bought for less than £1000.

It is not a car I would buy but with less than 12,000 sold in the UK it must be worthy of status among Ford enthusiasts.
Better a Cougar than a Probe.

[/]
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1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Penguin45]

There are already divisions in the "classic" world. "Vintage", Post Vintage" and "Classic" are common ones. No doubt the newer classics will be given their own name in the fullness of time.

P45.
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'67 Wolseley MkI 18/85, '70 Austin MkII 1800 The Landcrab Forum.