Future Classics
Are there true future classics being manufactured today? I mean other than Mustangs and the Ford GT? Sure, the Bowtie boys have the Camaro and Corvette, and Dodge has their Challenger (and to a lesser extent, the Charger). But since we’re a Blue Oval crowd, let’s concentrate on our brand.
Do you think, like I do, that future classics have slowly slipped away over the past few decades? It’s been gradual, for sure. It seems like the advent of front-wheel drive spelled the beginning of the end (for me, anyways). How about the demise of the traditional 2-door hardtop? Forget the true hardtop (with the rear side windows that rolled down, creating a pillar-less “coupe”), how about just the 2-door without frames around the side glass? I’m going from my sometimes cloudy memory here, but wasn’t it the late ’70s Thunderbird? That car line faded to black after the 1979 model year, only to be replaced with the boxy, frame-around-the-windows next gen T-Bird. Fortunately, the “then ahead of its time” Thunderbird Turbo Coupe made the scene. And yes, I can’t forget the last generation ’Bird– the one that disappeared after 2005. At least it was a stylish 2-door. Nowadays? 4-doors, like it or not!
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Remember stick-shifts? You know– manual transmissions? There were plenty of them “back in the day”. In fact, in many cases, these are one of the most desirable features for classic car shoppers. Maybe not in a ’56 Fairlane, but in a ’66 Fairlane? You bet!
How about convertibles? Once always considered an instant classic, who’s making them now? We’re not including the Mustang here. Let’s look at the rest of Ford’s current line-up for a moment. Are today’s Fusion and Taurus going to be viewed with the same sense of awe as we heap on the 1960s mid-size and full-size Fords? Now don’t get me wrong here. Today’s Fords are probably the finest and safest cars ever to roll off an assembly line. Reliability, comfort, technology, power and refinement in spades. But will we be at shows gathering around these cars 30 or 40 years from now? Well, maybe not us, but will the car enthusiasts of the future? I don’t think so, but again, that’s my thought. Sometimes it just hits me: I get a look at a big, wonderful mid-’60s Galaxie, all windows down, beautifully-sculpted sheetmetal, tastefully adorned in glistening brightwork, and think wow, will we ever see such style, grace and road presence again? Am I a daydreamer or what? Let me snap back to reality here… but please, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject! Feel free to comment in the section below…
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