Overhaulin'

How old must a car be until it falls into the antique, or collectible classification?

I have a black 1999 Toyota Solara SLE coupe, garage kept, with 31000 miles on it in good condition. It will be 10 years old soon. When could it be considered a classic or collectable car--or will it at all? Would antique or collectable status increase its value? Although it is still a very fine fine car, it is now nearing ten years old and is presently worth little at the present time, compared to new vehicle prices, and I would like a newer car soon. Should I sell it now and buy a new one, or keep it as an antique? I could really use what ever trade in allowence I got from it towards a new car but I don't want to throw it away either! It's present blue book value on trade is about $6500 to $7000 Thanks...

Public Comments

1. Hahaha!
2. I think it is about 35 years depending on your state. I doubt a 99' Toyota will be an antique, especially in the volume they were made in.
3. When it's 15 years old you can keep it as a second car and get classic insurance for almost nothing. Full coverage to boot.
4. no cars are only considered classic after 20 years
5. The car has to be 25 years or older to be considered an antique. Some car clubs don't consider a car a "classic" unless it was made between 1925 and 1948. There are also definitions for vintage, milestone, or collectible. Your Toyota is not consider to be any of these.....at least not yet. Keep it pristine and it may end up being one of those great classic cars that we love.
6. Generally, a car needs to be 25-30 years or older to be considered as an antique or collectible car. Since your Solara was made in 1999, it's still considered as a modern car. For a car to be considered an antique, it would just have to be old. On the other hand, for a car to be labeled a classic, it needs to have some kind of demand and value on the collector's market. The definitions for antiques differ from state to state. The best place to check is at your DMV. And if you would want to register it, you would need to bring some title work and insurance. Hope that helped.
7. If you are a PA resident, go to my web site and check out the answers for Classics, Antiques, Street Rods, and Collectibles. rumbaughinsurance.net Value is in the eyes of the beholder. Calling my 1978 GMC PU an antique or a classic does absolutely nothing to the value. Fix it up with new paint, interior, seats, and radio and it will be worth more to the buyer than a title. But if a vehicle is limited production or has some age to it, you might get lucky no matter what the condition since a buyer may be looking for that model to rehab or use for a parts vehicle.
8. My dad had a 66 mustang and when it went classic he found out that he couldn't get as much cause of the fact that he didn't keep the original paint or something. Don't paint and if you have to use the original manufacturers color. And its 30yrs here. So it will probably go down in value and possibly never go up. It probably won't be in our life that it should go antique. Most cars go down soon as you drive it off the lot. Talk to someone that restores cars. Its real involved but lucrative if your into it. They spend their money restoring an older car to new and then they don't just sell it they enter into contests sometimes magazines show their pics. Well any way hope you find yourself a great car/chariot. Looking for a new car can be quite fustrating. Don't buy until your sure that your sure. Ten years just is not that old so whats the rush? Gas? Whats your mechanic say?
9. Greetings ! It depends on what you are asking for, titling and licensing purposes or insurance purposes... here's the scoop on both: As licensing is a state by state issue, it all depends where you live, or by insurance company if you plan to have it insured. For example, I live in Ohio, and for licensing and regisistration purposes, any car 25 years old can be considered an "antique" and qualifies for "historical" plates, or you can even use the same plates from the year your car is made as your actual plates (I bought a set of 1966 Ohio plates on eBay and they are now the official plates on my 1966 Galaxie 500 XL). There are limitations though, typically that it isn't regular transportation and drive to/from car shows and the occasional sunday drive. Here in OH, you pay $10 for historical plates and they are good forever. For "classic" status, your plates say "classic" at the bottom and you can only drive 2500 miles per year. For insurance companies, it all depends. I am insured with Hagerty (www.hagerty.com) and I even have my 1985 LeSabre insured through them. Insurance is ultra cheap (typically $150/year with a $0 deductible for comp/coll), but the car must be kept in a locked garage when not in use, and there are restrictions on drivers (nobody under 25). Newer cars are typically required to be strictly stock. There are other companies out there too, but I can say I had a claim with hagerty and have been very impressed. If your Solara is low production, you may want to inquire. I know there are clubs dedicated to the Pontiac Fieros of the 1980s and like my 1985 LeSabre Collector Edition. Selling now or holding on to it... The prices of many muscle cars of the 1960s that were fairly cheap in the 1980s now fetch $50K-$100K now. Most of us have old cars simply for the joy of owning a classic. A general rule of thumb is don't buy a car solely as an investment. If it is popular with your generation now, it will likely be popular with that same generation 20 to 25 years later when everyone has a little more disposable income after raising kids, etc. Many of us in our 40s-50s would like to recapture a little lost youth. When I was a kid (70s and 80s) the 1957 chevys and 1960s muscle cars were popular and the new cars were Monte Carlos, Cutlasses, and Regals, as well as Trans-Ams and Mustangs. Now I see those 80s cars starting to get popular again as vintage. You are likely a good 15-20 years away from having your Solara really hit the vintage market. You may want to check out publications like www.autotraderonline.com to get an idea of worth. Make sure you check Kelly Blue Book as a specialty vehicle (www.kbb.com). There is section on collector cars, but I suspect you are in the general car category. At nine years old and 31K works out to be under 3500 mi per year, but with a specialty car like that it may not be unusual. I see many 2000-2003 two-seater Thunderbirds with ultra low milage as they are rarely daily drivers. You'll gain a lot going to car shows for your car of interest. I belong to the Ford Galaxie Club of America. There are lots for camaros, mustangs, fairlanes, etc. There are car clubs at the national, state, and local levels, some general like all fords (www.lovefords.org), and some specific like ford galaxie (www.galaxieclub.com), and some regional like central Ohio (www.unitedfordowners.com). Google Solara Club or even Toyota Club and see if anything turns up. You are usually in the best position to determine its value to you. If you really like it, keep it. If your situation is such that you really need a different vehicle, shop around and see. The internet opens up a national/international market for your Solara. Just be careful of those shipping scams where someone from Africa asks you to hold a cashier's check while you wire $$$ to cover international shipping somewhere... Hope this helps out. Have a great day !! John