Ford Model A Four-door

1948 Buick Eight convertible

1959 Chevrolet Impala

A 'yank tank' or 'maquina' in Havana, Cuba

A 1963 Buick Special, one of the first practical V6 automobiles in North America

1967 Ford Mustang Coupe

Classic car is a term frequently used to describe an older car, but the exact meaning is subject to differences in opinion. Some are very inclusive, considering any older car in fine condition a classic. Others, including the "Concours d'Elegance" and the Classic Car Club of America maintain that 1948 is the last year for the true classics. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... 1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible 1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible The Chevrolet Impala is an automobile built for the Chevrolet division by General Motors. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1136 × 852 pixel, file size: 142 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A so-called yank tank or maquina in Havana, Cuba. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1136 × 852 pixel, file size: 142 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A so-called yank tank or maquina in Havana, Cuba. ... Yank tank or máquina are the words used to describe classic cars in Cuba. ... This article is about the capital of Cuba. ... 1940 Buick Coupé Straight 8 Special 4. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Car redirects here. ... A Concours dElegance (con-coor del-eh-gance) (from French meaning a competition of elegance) is a competition between automobile owners to be judged on the appearance of their automobiles. ... The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) is an organization founded in 1952 to celebrate the grand automobiles of the prewar period. ...

Classic Car Club of America Definition

The Classic Car Club of America claims to have invented the term Classic car and thus it believes that the true definition of the term is its. According to the CCCA: The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) is an organization founded in 1952 to celebrate the grand automobiles of the prewar period. ...

A CCCA Classic is a fine or distinctive automobile, either American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and 1948. Generally, a Classic was high-priced when new and was built in limited quantities. Other factors, including engine displacement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and "one-shot" or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered to be a Classic.

The Club keeps an exhaustive list of the vehicles it considers Classics, and while any member may petition for a vehicle to join the list, such applications are carefully scrutinized and rarely is a new vehicle type admitted.

This rather exclusive definition of a classic car is not universally followed, however, and this is acknowledged by the CCCA: while it still maintains the true definition of 'classic car' is its, it generally uses terms such as CCCA Classic or the trademarked Full Classic to avoid confusion.

Other Definitions

United States Legal Definition

Legally, most states have time-based rules for the definition of "classic" for purposes such as antique vehicle registration; for example, Pennsylvania defines it as "A motor vehicle, but not a reproduction thereof, manufactured at least 15 years prior to the current year which has been maintained in or restored to a condition which is substantially in conformity with manufacturer specifications and appearance." Classic cars do hold value. If the car is garaged or taken care of then the appreciation value will go up. Also if the specific car is rare, then it will be worth a large amount. It all depends on the car make and model. Classic cars usually hold onto their value if not more. Antique vehicle registration is a special form of motor vehicle registration for vehicles that are considered antique, classic, vintage, or historic. ...

Antique Automobile Club of America

The Antique Automobile Club of America defines an Antique car as over 25 years old.

United Kingdom

There is no fixed definition of a Classic car. Two taxation issues do impact however, leading to some people using them as cutoff dates. All cars built before 1 January 1973 are exempted from paying the annual road tax vehicle excise duty - this is then entered on the license disc displayed on the windscreen as "historic vehicle" (if a car built before this date has been first registered in 1973 or later, then its build date would have to be verified by a recognized body such as British Motor Heritage Foundation to claim tax free status). The government Revenue and Customs define a classic car for company taxation purposes as being over 15 years old and having a value in excess of £15,000. [1] A UK vehicle licence (tax disc) In the United Kingdom, Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) (often known as road tax, although it is not hypothecated for spending on roads, and before 1936 as road fund licence) is an annual tax on the use of motor vehicles on the public roads. ...

The Porsche 944 is considered by many auto enthusiasts to be a Modern Classic

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The 944 was a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. ...

Modern Classics

Another division of classic cars is Modern Classics. These vehicles are generally older, anywhere from 15-25 years, but are not accepted as classics according to The Antique Automobile Club of America. These cars are rather enjoyed as classics by auto enthusiasts, and are generally rare, and out of production.

Classic Car Styling

There was a worldwide change in styling trends in the immediate years after the end of World War II. The 1946 Crosley, Kaiser and Frazer, for example, changed the traditional discrete replaceable-fender treatment. From this point on, automobiles of all kinds became envelope bodies in basic plan. The CCCA term, "Classic Car" has been confined to "the functionally traditional designs of the earlier period" (mostly pre-war). They tended to have removable fenders, trunk, headlights, and a usual vertical grill treatment. In a large vehicle, such as a Duesenberg or Pierce Arrow or in a smaller form, the MG TC, with traditional lines, might typify the CCCA term. Thus, it may be a classic example of a later period, but not a car from the "Classic period of Design", in the opinion of the traditionalist CCCA faction.

The French 1948 Delahaye is a good example of a final year of "Classic Era Design". Delahaye Type 32 1909 Delahaye Type 32 2-Seater 1910 Delahaye Tourer 1925 Delahaye 135 M Coupé 1939 A 1939 Delahaye roadster at the Scarsdale Concours. ...

1948 Delahaye

Among the marques of cars that are usually considered Classic are: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (685x1026, 210 KB)1948 DelaHaye from France is an example of the final look of classic Period Motorcars. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (685x1026, 210 KB)1948 DelaHaye from France is an example of the final look of classic Period Motorcars. ...

Alfa Romeo - Auburn - Bentley - BMW - Buick - Cadillac - Cord - Datsun - Delahaye - Duesenberg - Graham - Hispano-Suiza - Jaguar (car) - LaSalle - Lincoln (automobile) - Mercedes-Benz - MG (car) - Morgan - NSU - Packard - Pierce-Arrow - Renault - Rolls-Royce - Stutz - Volvo Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturing company, founded as Darracq Italiana by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. ... Auburn was a brand name of United States automobiles from 1900 through 1937. ... Bentleys winged B badge and hood ornament Bentley Motors Limited is a British based manufacturer of luxury automobiles and Grand Tourers. ... For other uses, see BMW (disambiguation). ... Buick is a brand of automobile built in the United States, Canada, China and in Spain by General Motors Corporation. ... For other uses, see Cadillac (disambiguation). ... A 1929 Cord L-29 Phaeton on display at the 2005 United States Grand Prix Cord L-29. ... The Datsun is a car you own if you want no performance or speed wat so ever. ... Delahaye Type 32 1909 Delahaye Type 32 2-Seater 1910 Delahaye Tourer 1925 Delahaye 135 M Coupé 1939 A 1939 Delahaye roadster at the Scarsdale Concours. ... 1931 Duesenberg J Duesenberg was a United States-based luxury automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for their extremely high-quality, record-breakingly fast roadsters. ... Graham is a surname meaning grey house, grey armour and well health. ... Hispano-Suiza is a French engineering firm best known for their engine and weapon designs in the pre-World War II period, work that developed out of their earliest work in luxury automobile design. ... Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer, originally with headquarters in Browns Lane, Coventry, England but now at Whitley, Coventry. ... 1936 LaSalle 5019 - see additional photos below For other uses of the name, see the LaSalle/La Salle disambiguation page. ... Lincoln is an American luxury automobile brand, operated under the Ford Motor Company. ... This page is about the Mercedes-Benz brand of automobiles and trucks from the DaimlerChrysler automobile manufacturer. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Morgan Motor Company is a British automobile manufacturer. ... Logo of the Company NSU, 1951 NSU Motorenwerke AG (normally just NSU) was a German manufacturer of cars and motorcycles which was founded in 1873, and was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969. ... For people named Packard, see Packard (surname). ... 1919 Pierce-Arrow advertisement The Pierce-Arrow was a Buffalo, New York (United States) based manufacturing company from 1901 to 1938. ... For the author, see Mary Renault. ... Rolls-Royce car may refer to vehicles produced by: Rolls-Royce Limited (1906-1973) Rolls-Royce Motors (1973-2003) Rolls-Royce Motor Cars (2003-present) // Rolls-Royce cars Rolls-Royce Limited vehicles 1904-1906 10 hp 1905-1905 15 hp 1905-1908 20 hp 1905-1906 30 hp 1905-1906... The Stutz Motor Company, later reborn as Stutz Motor Car of America, was a producer of luxury cars. ... Volvo Cars is the luxury car maker using the Volvo Trademark. ...

See also

• Automotive restoration
• Veteran car
• Vintage car
• Antique car

Automobile restoration is the process of returning a car to essentially the same condition that it was in when it left the factory at time of manufacture. ... The automotive Brass Era is the first period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such things as lights and radiators. ... A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930. ... An antique car is generally defined as a car over 25 years of age, this being the definition used by the Antique Automobile Club of America and many other organisations worldwide. ...

External links

• Old Classic Car - A UK based site containing articles, an extensive photograph archive, and free downloads for enthusiasts of classic and vintage cars. 10,000+ pages.
• Classic Car Forum - Part of oldclassiccar, discuss matters relating to vintage and classic vehicles.
• Classic Car Research - Classic car and truck research library for information, specs, resources and pictures of classic cars.
• Classic Car Resources - Collection of classic car resources includes automotive, restoration, tools and accessories for classic cars or trucks.
• About Classic and Vintage Cars - Resources and event information for classic car enthusiasts.
• Motor Marques - Website devoted to classic cars
• Old Cars Organization - Classic cars, muscle cars, sports cars.