The LEAF a cult or collectible car?

[eHelmholtz]

Do you reckon that the first generation 2011/2012 LEAF will become a cult or collectible car?

 

[Herm]

I bet the iMiev will become a collectible

 

[TickTock]

Do you reckon that the first generation 2011/2012 LEAF will become a cult or collectible car?

I hope not - because that would mean EV's failed to go mainstream.

 

[TomT]

No, there is way too many of them for that I suspect.

Do you reckon that the first generation 2011/2012 LEAF will become a cult or collectible car?

 

[ebill3]

Do you reckon that the first generation 2011/2012 LEAF will become a cult or collectible car?

Certainly not collectible - too many world wide. A cult? I don't know, guess it depends on how you define that. Are air cooled VW Beetle drivers a cult?

Bill

 

[AP1]

Ford claims that about 15,000,000 Model T's were made. Are they collectible classics? Numbers produced have nothing to do whether a car becomes a classic or not.

 

[TRONZ]

The first car of any kind always has collectible potential but the real factor is how many examples survive in the coming decades. I guess you could look at the original Honda Insight and first gen Prius for a clue. How many of those are surviving to become rare?

 

[adric22]

Do you reckon that the first generation 2011/2012 LEAF will become a cult or collectible car?

I would definitely say collectible. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will be worth anything as a collectible. Take the Commodore 64. It is a collectible computer because of its place in computer history. But because there were so many made and are easily obtainable they aren't really worth a lot. Take the Apple Lisa, however, and that is a different story. They are worth much more because they were an important piece of history too yet there are few available.

So I guess a lot will depend on how many first generation Leafs are available years down the road.

 

[TomT]

I guess then, we'll have to wait until I an long ago dead to see if the Leaf become a collectible. :lol: Of course, almost any car from prior to 1940 is now a collectible simply because of its age...
I wonder how the battery will be 70 years from now...

Ford claims that about 15,000,000 Model T's were made. Are they collectible classics? Numbers produced have nothing to do whether a car becomes a classic or not.

 

[smkettner]

Mustang sold somewhere close to 1,000,000 during the first 18 months and has been collectable for quite some time already.
Otherwise no, I have serious doubts that there will be widespread demand for a 2011 Leaf in 15+ years.
If it was 90% SV sold and only 10% SL I could see the SL having some interest but I don't see the lower end SV having much interest even though far fewer were produced.

 

[Desertstraw]

I own one of the first Prius cars in this country and as far as I know it is not a collectible. How many decades must go by before an old car becomes a collectible?

 

[cdherman]

I own one of the Prius cars in this country and as far as I know it is not a collectible. How many decades must go by before an old car becomes a collectible?

In the short run, almost certainly 2011-12 etc Leafs will not have collector value. Perhaps someday when the Smithstonian wants to do an exhibit of radical changes in transportation technology in 2161, they might pay a pretty penny for the last surviving example, but don't count on it.

I follow collectable car markets some -- VERY VERY few ever make it, and predicting the future is hard. Moreover, as someone who has restored a 60's era vehicle, working on and restoring old ICE vehciles with basic electronics is a piece of cake compared to what it will be like dealing with modern electronics in 40 years.

My hunch is that few or NONE of the modern vehicles being produced today, with perhaps the exception of things a Boss Mustang or high end performance cars, will be this side of the crusher in 25 years. Many MUCH sooner.

Now -- an unwrecked Leaf may linger on for decades in grandma's garage, plugged in for days at a time and just barely still capable of a trip to church on Sunday, Coffee on Tuesday, Grocery on Thu and Hair dresser on Sat, each 5 mile trip followed by a charge!!!! But it won't be a collectable.....

That is the one nice aspect of an EV -- once the kinks are out of the electroncs, they should be expected to pass into old age gently, so long as fading batter life can be accepted.

And who knows, the market for replacement batteries might exist. Though, again, akin to ICE vehicles of today -- usually once the engine is shot (or battery) the relative value of the rest of the vehcile is so low that investing in a new engine (battery) will not make sense financially.....

 

[davewill]

... I wonder how the battery will be 70 years from now...

It won't matter. You'll just pick up a 100kWh storage unit at the local Pep Boys that fits in half a cubic foot and charges wirelessly and plug it in.

 

[Herm]

That Pep Boys unit charges with the special blue Pep Boys Fusion Fluid.. but lots of cheapos use distilled water..

 

[Nubo]

... I wonder how the battery will be 70 years from now...

It won't matter. You'll just pick up a 100kWh storage unit at the local Pep Boys that fits in half a cubic foot and charges wirelessly and plug it in.

A Warp Engine the size of a walnut. :ugeek:

 

[Nubo]

The first car of any kind always has collectible potential but the real factor is how many examples survive in the coming decades. I guess you could look at the original Honda Insight and first gen Prius for a clue. How many of those are surviving to become rare?

If someone has an EV1 squirreled away......

 

[eHelmholtz]

Another car guy friend thinks that the Tesla Roadsters are more likely to become cult or collectible but the price is so high I should think that they're more likely a niche market.

 

[TRONZ]

Watched the bidding on an original Apple Macintosh box last week. Someone saved the box with all the original packing material inside and forgot about it in their attic. Sold for $545! Just because it's original, rare and from a product with an interesting story. They made a fair number of these boxes I bet.

Who knew?

 

[TomT]

The Apple I went for 6 figures recently however...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/12/apple-i-auction-historic-_n_782846.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Watched the bidding on an original Apple Macintosh box last week. Someone saved the box with all the original packing material inside and forgot about it in their attic. Sold for $545! Just because it's original, rare and from a product with an interesting story. They made a fair number of these boxes I bet. Who knew?

 

[eHelmholtz]

Do you reckon that the first generation 2011/2012 LEAF will become a cult or collectible car?

With all the worries about the LEAF battery in hot weather, I wonder whether it might become more collectible sooner than we all want :-(