Boy, are we getting old. Hagerty, the world’s largest insurer of classic and specialty vehicles, has announced a new definition for what makes a classic car. The company says, “Any collector or specialist vehicle produced prior to 2010 will now also qualify as an eligible classic vehicle.” The term “modern classic” is becoming very literal. This means electric vehicles could now be considered classic. That means the Nissan GT-R, which just concluded a single-generation, 18-year production run, can be a classic. Heck, even modern cars that are retro versions of their original classics, such as the Volkswagen Beetle and Ford Thunderbird, can now be considered classics themselves.
And so time creeps forward, inducting new cars every year into its hall of classics, a space which seemingly has no upper limit in capacity.
This new definition is emblematic of time marching forward and a newer, younger generation of car enthusiasts joining the fold. As such, Hagerty has also announced that, at least in the UK, it’s now willing to insure drivers of classic cars as young as 21 years of age. In addition, the company recognizes that many enthusiasts today aren’t keeping garage queens and instead use their classics as daily drivers, so it’s allowing that designation for classic cars now that will permit more mileage per year.
What Makes A New Modern Classic
This new definition of a classic has us going over the cars of the 2000s for what could be considered a new classic. We grant that the ’90s are now definitively an era of classics, but considering the first decade of the millennium as classical territory is new for us Gen X folk.
A couple of 200-mph cars come to mind, and they’re relatively affordable these days. The first is the Chevrolet C6 Corvette ZR-1 (2009-2013), a.k.a. the Blue Devil. With a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 producing 638 horsepower, it was the ultimate Corvette for a new generation. For us, though, the transparent polycarbonate engine cover is what puts it over the top. Many mid-engine cars flaunt their motor with a window, but we’d never seen a front-engine car flash its goods like that before this one.
The second car is the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (2001-2007), which is one of the most beautiful car designs of the last half-century. Powered by a naturally aspirated 5.9-liter V12 producing 460 horsepower, the V12 Vanquish was (and still is) the ultimate grand touring car. James Bond made it famous in Die Another Day, but it didn’t need the British spy’s help to get noticed.
Both of these cars can be bought on the used market these days for under $100K, with some examples having sold in the $50K range. And because they’re relatively modern cars that are still quite comfortable despite their performance potential, one could comfortably drive either of them daily and rack up thousands of worry-free miles.
TopSpeed’s Take
One thing we learn as we grow older is that time is relative. When you’re young, it passes too slowly and each unit of time seems immeasurably long. From an older person’s perspective, time flies by fast and years begin to feel like months, months like weeks, and weeks like days. The thought of calling a 2000-era car a classic just sounds wrong to some of us who are over 40. We have to remember, though, that when we were teenagers, 15 years prior, it was the ’70s, which felt ancient to us.
And so time creeps forward, inducting new cars every year into its hall of classics, a space which seemingly has no upper limit in capacity. One day, a Chevrolet C8 Corvette ZR1X will be parked in it alongside a 2025 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish. And next to them will be their progenitors, who’ve been waiting patiently for this time to come.
Read the full article here