Crap cars that one day we'll all want: Vol 2

I'm back with another list of cars that I reckon one day we might all be lusting after, but for the moment at least are just the automotive equivalent of a sea sponge. Now some may cry that the cars I'm about to list are not crap per say, maybe just more boring than anything else, however it can't be denied that they are deep into their respective depreciation curves and for most people out there cars that are so cheap are just not worth a second look.

 

Toyota Rav 4

I'm going to begin with something controversial, the original Toyota Rav 4, arguably the first mass market and commercially successful SUV. But can an old SUV ever be desirable? A body style mostly hated by enthusiasts for killing off the conventional hatch/sedan/wagon it seems hard to comprehend right now, but I think the original Rav won itself a lot of admirers, it drove like a car not a 4x4 and allowed a generation of 90's kids to venture off road. And one day some of them might want one for old times sake. Not to mention that from a design stand point the Rav looked pretty good, especially in short wheel base 3 door form with a dash of 2 tone paint. Undeniably Toyota's SUV was a trend setter and right now with them costing as little as $1500 it might be good time to pick one up.

Volkswagen Transporter T4

Car number two isn't technically a car at all, it's VW's 1990's Transporter van. Can history repeat for VW's watercooled offering? Could prices skyrocket like they have for the aircooled Kombi? Honestly probably not to the same degree, a Transporter will never be a $100k vehicle but they do have a intrinsically cool vibe to them, with active families and surfers still drawn to them much like they were to the Kombi in the 60's and 70's. Right now they may just be another abused and neglected van but one day the Transporter will be desired by the very people who mistreat them nowadays! Right now $5000 will get you a good one, I don't see the prices falling much more so it might be worth investing.

Holden Barina XC

The Holden Barina, currently sold as a rebadged Korean Chevy isn't a very good car at all. However back in 2001 when Holden had more money the European built and imported Holden Barina (Opel Corsa) scooped a Wheels Car Of The Year Award, a pretty fine achievement. However that was 18 years ago and the XC Barina is now one of the cheapest used cars you can buy. A little over $1000 will get you into one. While the Barina will never be a classic Mini in years to come I think as the numbers dwindle, as they are currently, a cult following might emerge for Holden's little slice of European class. Pick up a tasty manual 3 door SRI today and you might be onto a winner.

Ford Laser KF/KH

Lastly I give you the Ford KF/KH Laser, a car which from my time in Australia I've gathered Aussies have a lot of affection for. However despite the admiration the early 90's Lasers numbers are in steep decline and values are not exactly climbing either, thus the little Ford looks pretty crappy these days, but did you know the KF/KH was the last compact ford to be built in Australia? Don't you think that the styling is kinda aging gracefully? And need I mention the sporty TX3 and Turbo 4x4 variants? The little Laser has all the makings of a collectible Ford much like the Mk1 Escort and seriously who thought in the 1980's when those cars were a throw away commodity that we would ever lust after one? Right now you don't even need $1000 to get into a functioning Laser.

Rare as unicorn poo, TX3 Turbo 

There we have it, 4 more cars that right now might all seem pretty lackluster, but in my humble opinion might one day ignite nostalgia in people. If I am correct, best to get one now before they all disappear or become horrendously expensive. 
                              

Shit cars that one day we'll all want: Vol 1

The Volkswagen Kombi, the Volkswagen Beetle, the Ford Escort and the Holden Gemini. These are just a mere few of the cars from our motoring past which were once so common people couldn't give them away. However nowadays they command such ludicrous prices it borders on insanity. As to the reason why? It certainly isn't because they were good cars. The Vdubs asthmatic aircooled lumps couldn't peel the skin of a bowl of custard, the Ford rusted in places no one ever thought possible and the Gemini TE looked dated the second it left the showroom floor.

Why?

This beard definitely wants a Kombi 

The reason of course is our fickle sentimentality that screams out for us to relive a misspent youth. Or in the case of the VW's a culture dictating that owning these cars makes you cooler than the most overtly bearded hipsters out there. And of course bulging bank accounts of that one time youth help too, willing to pay whatever for a memory. Now don't chastise me for these comments, I too would own many a shit box from my teens; bloated sorry excuse for a GTI that was the MK4 Golf anyone? Pick me! This nostalgia got me to thinking though, what recent cars, that we currently view as awful throw away items will we one day throw piles of money at to own? Here are 4 to get you thinking.
     

AU Ford Falcon (98-02)

Hard to comprehend that one day the droopy frog faced excuse of the big Aussie sedan might one day be collectable isn't it? But I bet your parents or grandparents thought the same of 1969's XW generation and try finding a decent one of them for under $20k now. Just today I spotted a dozen AU's and only one was mint, the others resembled rolling ash trays with the occasional miss matched chromey and sun burnt paint. Give it 10 more years and all the AU's you can buy for loose change will be gone, it definitely isn't the prettiest Falcon but is it worth playing the long game and buying one now? Time will tell.

A face only a mother could love

 

Hyundai Excel X3 (94-00)

Nope, I've not lost my mind, I really do wonder if the Koreans first big hit might be a future classic. Could it be Hyundai's Beetle? With woeful build quality and interior plastics similar in feel to those tubs you buy mushrooms in from the supermarket the Excel really wasn't that great, however generous standard equipment and a bargain basement price when new saw some 200,000 sold Down Under. So not surprisingly, Excels are everywhere providing cheap mobility to at least 2 generations of P plater's and budget conscious motorists from Broome to Byron Bay. I'd bet their attrition rate is probably at an all time high right now. Much like the Beetle does now for the middle age generation will we one day long for a mint Excel GX 3 door that reminds us of times gone by?

Check out that spoiler, phwoar! 

   

Holden Cruze (09-16)

The rebadged Korean Chevy is similar in many ways to the Excel above, it's popularity can be largely put down to it's heavily discounted price when new, rather than it's actual abilities as a car. Deeply flawed when compared to European designed rivals like the Golf, Focus, 308 and even Holden's own Astra I cant help but feel the Cruze's of this world will drop and drop in price and numbers until there are very few left. If you've recently bought one of the last production run, keep it for a few decades and you might have an oddball collectors item on your hands.

Mazda 323 (98-03)

Blander than Tofu dunked in soy milk the 323 was thoroughly surpassed in all areas by its Mazda 3 successor in 2003. Does that mean they will disappear into the "also ran" category of our motoring history? I have a feeling that they might. Which is a shame given the SP20 variant was a semi decent steer. We might not know it now but the Mazda 323 SP20 could be the Escort RS2000 of the 2000's. Best hold onto one just in case.

 

Tell me how wrong I am...

Yes this whole article has been wild speculation, so if you feel like adding your own cars to the list feel free. Lets all check back in 40 years and see if my predictions came true, in the meantime I suspect there are many more volumes in this series so I'll get to compiling another list.

photo credit

What ever happened to 90's coupes: Toyota Supra

The Fast and Furious franchise has made stars of many cars, but perhaps none more so than a certain orange one driven in that first film, Toyota's top of the range 90's coupe, the Supra. Now of course if we get technical, a Supra badge has been glued to the boot of a Toyota since the late 70's, but back then it was merely a stretched Celica and although a bespoke Supra appeared in 1986 the curvy bewinged beast we all recognise didn't arrive until 1993.

From Zero to Hero

Sudden movie stardom for the Supra was a double edged sword though. A car that for a long time was only tuned by skinny Japanese men in cramped Tokyo workshops, suddenly had a cult following, thanks to Paul Walker everyone wanted one. This brought about an issue as in Australia at least Toyota hadn't bothered to sell the Supra. Turns out in the 90's nobody outside of the Japan really wanted a twin turbo Japanese coupe. So in order to buy one importing became the thing to do and for a tuning obsessed generation Y the Supra and its Nissan sparring partner the Skyline became the turbo whooshing, neon light sporting version of a good old Ford vs Holden fight. But let's take a step back for minute and forget installing boost gauges and huge sub woofers and appreciate what is an increasingly rare Japanese sports car.

Really?

Whats under the bonnet?

Ok, the headlines, 3 litres, straight 6, 2 turbo's, rear wheel drive. A claimed 206kw and up to 451Nm of torque however many reports suggest Toyota undersold themselves a bit with power actually nearer the 240kw mark. You also got a bewildering array of specs ranging from SZ to RZ over the cars 9 years in production, with some variants getting traction control, limited slip diff, pioneering active aero, trick dampers and later benefiting from variable valve timing or VVTI in Toyota speak. Your choice with a Supra really is endless, heck they even made a non turbo version without the big spoiler, but why you'd want one of them is beyond me.

Just leave it alone

Other reasons why I want to celebrate the standard Supra are an appreciation for the exterior and interior. While its Skyline rival went for a macho boxy look, the smooth surfaces of the Supra are hard to resist. That swooping roof line and iconic tail lights made the Supra look good straight out of the box and are too often spoilt by body kits and massive adjustable wings. Then there is the interior, not usually a highlight of Japanese cars of this era, the Supra's is actually full of 90's charm, like a tape deck, crazy patterned seats and a stubby gear knob. Check out the centre console in the picture below it's angled towards the driver, like a fighter jets cockpit! There is nothing in there you need to change, it's suitably epic as is. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate tasteful modifications but I think sometimes we need to take a step back and see how nice cars can actually look when they are just left alone.

Future classic 

Toyota's A80 Supra is one of those cars made famous by being modified but sometimes it can all get a little 2 fast 2 furious (sorry that was an awful pun), But seriously the Supra is rarely appreciated for actually just being a good looking, suitably fast 90's coupe with an interior to make you feel like a total top gun hero. Standard cars are increasingly hard to come by and quickly gaining value, a brief search throws up only a handful with prices well over $20k. It is a future classic for sure and with rumours of a new one coming I hope Toyota can regain their mojo while at the same time bring the name back for another generation to enjoy.