Classic Cars

Can someone remind me please how old a car has to be before it is termed Classic?

I have a 1980 Mitsi Mirage GLS and although it isn't mint, it is in very good order. I refuse to get rid of it, I've owned it for something like 20 years and it never once let me down. I only stopped driving it because getting 13ft gates home in it was problematic[^] I'm thinking of getting it back to WOF standard because I still like to drive it but it also occurred to me that it is possibly coming up to being a Classic car?

Cheers,
Ronnie

That will depend on the local car clubs definition. it's definately a "Veteran" in most rallies and Targas, but "Classic" has different cut-off dates. I think over 30 to 35 years are the generally accepted ages for classics, over 20 for veteran, and under 20 is modern. over 60 is a Vintage.

Thats with a little google work.

30 years, I am pretty sure, is when you start getting cheaper reg/licensing of your 'classic' cars.

Ronney;198839 wrote: Can someone remind me please how old a car has to be before it is termed Classic?

I have a 1980 Mitsi Mirage GLS and although it isn't mint, it is in very good order. I refuse to get rid of it, I've owned it for something like 20 years and it never once let me down. I only stopped driving it because getting 13ft gates home in it was problematic[^] I'm thinking of getting it back to WOF standard because I still like to drive it but it also occurred to me that it is possibly coming up to being a Classic car?

Cheers,
Ronnie

excuse me but a mitsi can never become a classic car,,my opinion

Hestia I agree even though we have one .

If you mean for cheap rego it is I think 30 years as our old TK Bedford is that this year,dont think our mitzy will make it:rolleyes::rolleyes:its an 86

Sorry Prim yours came up first

I just checked with hubby, There are specific years for classes of cars. Here are the official years:
Veteran Vehicles
Motor Vehicles constructed before 31 December 1918.
Vintage Vehicles
Motor Vehicles constructed between 1 January 1919 and 31 December 1931.
Post Vintage Vehicles
Motor Vehicles constructed between 1st January 1932 and 31st December 1945 .
Post War Vehicles
Motor Vehicles constructed between 1 January 1946 and 31 December 1960
Post 60 Vehicles
Motor Vehicles which are at least in their thirtieth year since their year of original construction.

Classic cars have no specific cut off year or age. They are cars that are special or distinctive in some way. Certainly not a mass produced rice car.
Two of our Mustangs are over 30 years old and we don't get no rebate on rego.
Also, he said that Ronney's Mitsi is a classic,,, but I think I shouldn't tell you exactly what he said,,

OK, I will tell

A classic POS

A classic POS

Kiwi and Prim, thanks for the information. Kiwi, I had forgotten about the veteran part of it and I never thought to Google.

Hestia, maybe I'm tired but I'm not into unhelpful POS posts at the moment. I was after a little bit of information on what made for a classic car not your husbands thoughts on mass produced rice cars. This car has done 496,000kms, less than 100 of which has been done on a recon motor - original motor but Kevin did it up after it drove home one day on two cylinders! It has no rust in the pillars or body work, a bit on the inside bottom of both doors and a small bit in the spare tyre well. Apart from the motor it has cost me nothing in 20 years other than batteries, CV boots, brake pads and one new headlight. Not bad for a rice car clocking up that many ks and nearly 30 years old. As I said initially, I was considering get it roadworthy again because I liked to drive it, it's age is secondary to that.

Also, many cars that are now considered veteran, classic or otherwise were actually as common as muck in their day. It's the fact that their last owners decided they were POS and parked them up in the paddock that makes what's left of them today special and distinctive. I learnt to drive in a Morris 8, Series E and graduated to a Vauxhall Wyvern, both common cars. When did you last see either and how many people today would know what they were.

Cheers,
Ronnie

Hestia;199098 wrote:
Two of our Mustangs are over 30 years old and we don't get no rebate on rego.

Your rego ought to be cheaper on your ponies, Hestia; DH has two Aussie classics and an American classic, and all three are cheaper than your brand new one to licence annually (approx $90? annually vs $211; NOT sure on figures, but it is cheaper). It's not a rebate, it's just cheaper to do it in the first place.

There is no cheaper until the car is 40 years old.

Once a vehicle is 40 years or older it is no longer subject to Continuous Vehicle Licensing (CVL) and the licensing and registration fees are reduced.

A vehicle turns 40 years old on the first of January regardless of the month it was registered. For example, a 1960 vehicle would turn 40 years old on the first of January 2000.

Our system recognises the year a vehicle turns 40 and automatically adjusts any details as necessary (i.e. the licence fees are automatically amended to reflect the new fees).

Kind Regards

Senior Customer Service Representative
NZ Transport Agency

Oops. Forty years - I'll remember that Sorry to put you wrong, Hestia and Ronnie.

The original question was about when car is defined to being classic.Which I defined very good and did put some work behind the definition,,every one else was thanked for their reply and me not just because I had the "bad taste" of joking about a mitsi,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Prim, no worry :)I just had to check since I did't get any rebate last time my car was on the road.So now we know that rebate is given when car is 40 years old.

Hestia, you are quite correct, I didn't acknowledge your information and realised as soon as I'd hit the Submit button that I hadn't. I was too tired and upset to do it then and the intention was to come back the following day and edit the post but lambing, calving and a bout of good weather dictated otherwise. So... to that end, thankyou for the information which clarified what generally makes up what age a car, irrespective of it's breed, fits into.

That part of your post was not ignored because of the "bad taste" humour - and the fact that you used the phrase indicates that you also know that it was in bad taste. It is never clever to be amusing as somebody else's expense and even less so when you don't know the person or their circumstances. You don't know why I had the car in the first place or why I had to hang on to it for what would be considered well past it's Use By Date. I can assure you that they were not happy reasons.

Cheers,
Ronnie

There are several mitsubishis that are classics and will be highly collectable in the future. (in fact some are in demand now)
Mitsubishi 500 (hard to find esp the grand prix winning model.)
The original mitz GTO
Mitsubishi jeep-more deserving of the jeep name than any americn made model currently made
Mitz evo 1 -simply revolutionary, future classic.

The funny thing is that the Mustang was pretty much a sporty little cheap car for the US market in 1964, aimed alot at women or people on a budget, much like the mirage/colt was everywhere else. The mirage/colt worldwide has outsold the mustang, came out with more unique features such as a 1400cc turbo and supershift gearbox. The big difference is that the mustang made a good model only a few years in every 15-20 of production. while the mirage/colt has been consistantly a good car with only a few bad eggs.

The only japanese car in my opinion that came close to being a classic car was datsun 240z.

the numbers of cars selling has nothing to do with if it is or can be a classic or not.
vw has been sold in heaps but will never be a classic car more than it is a cult car.

I have during my years in NZ often got crap throwed my way from holden owners,,but that is crap thrown with love and with an interest of cars

This is nothing to get upset about and it is a matter of taste and wish of what car to own.
There has been happy and also very sad experiences connected to cars in my life but I would never get grumpy if someone did make a joke remark about my choice of car
never ever
I get remarks about my cars almost every day or remarks of my nationality or language or dialect.

was there ever any songs made about mitsis?
mitsi mandy?
my baby drove up in a brand new mitsubishi,,

be happy and smile and with a wish of a joyful day to all of you!
adding some more smilies for you all to have and share and give to others