Of the millions of cars produced, how can you select which ones to buy and hang on to for fifteen to thirty years? I’ve had cars that I now kick myself for getting rid of as they have substantially increased in value over the last few years. A 1929 Studebaker and a Cadillac Allard are just two of the autos that would have sold for thousands at auction if I’d had the foresight to put them in a garage, cover them up and maintain them. Of course, there is always the pressure of finances, space, and most significant, harping from the spouse about my “junk”.

Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

It was with great interest that I read an article by Andy Reid, an editor with Classic Motorsports Magazine on “Collectibles of the Future”. Mr. Reid attends most of the minor auctions and vintage cars shows and has owned everything from Fiats to Ferraris. He has a few suggestions: Sports cars and performance cars are preferred, especially if they are of the “Limited Edition” variety. The Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 in red or yellow is a good bet, as is any limited edition model of the fifth and sixth generation Corvette, which covers 1997 and newer. Some of the recent Ford Mustang Shelby or Roush models are also contenders for the collectable market. On the higher end, Mr. Reid likes the new Aston-Martin One-77, the new Porsche Boxster Spyder, and the special edition Porsche 911 that was recently introduced – who wouldn’t like those cars?

Mercedes Gullwing 2010

On the more affordable side (getting down to me and you), the discontinued Cadillac SLR sports car is underrated and could be a desirable collectable. Also of interest are special edition Mazda MX-5 Miata’s, like the R or M models, the recently terminated Saturn and Pontiac Brands (such as the high performance version of the Australia built Pontiac G8), and possibly the Solstice and its new twin the Saturn Sky.

In my humble judgment, any production gull wing car is also worth a strong look such as the new Mercedes, when and if it ever comes out and the Delorean stainless steel “back to the future car” of which only 8,000 were produced in 1981-82. Or, you can look for any other automobile with an interesting or exotic history to collect.

The neat thing about the cars mentioned above is that they can be used as daily drivers, as long as you are conscious of the mileage and maintenance. So, start looking around my friends, cars like these are cheaper than investing in gold and you can actually get some use out of them, not to mention the fun!

-Citizen Wayne

I recently had to have an air conditioning repair on my truck. The entire dash had to come out at a cost of $4,500.00 to replace an $18.00 circuit board that was part of the dash module. I’m sure glad I also have a couple of "senior citizen" autos that are totally reliable and repairable at a reasonable cost.

On top of repairs at great expense, we are faced with massive quality problems. The Associated Press reports that 20 million vehicles were recalled in 2010. 20 Million! Of course, the manufacturer pays for the repair. What they don’t pay for is the inconvenience and the time lost or the accident that may have been caused by the problem. A large number of the recalls deal with electrical problems and, you guessed it, are modular in nature. The majority of the recalls were with Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, Honda and Nissan.

New cars are pretty, and in some cases innovative, but we the consumer must insist that they be easily and economically repairable. We can and will live with less "stuff" in the vehicle if safety and cost (reparability) are considered major design goals. I recommend that you contact the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) http://www.nhtsa.gov/ and suggest that they insist on economical and accessible repairs as a requirement in new car and truck design.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep on "truckin" and driving my senior vehicles by keeping them in shape with regular visits to the Pomona Swap Meet and Classic Car Show, where I can purchase replacement old or new parts and install them on or in my car – without a mechanic standing by.

-Citizen Wayne