JUST THE FACTS
Te results of Hagerty’s annual hobby survey are in. More than 23,000 classic car owners weighed in on everything from the value of their cars to how and where they are purchasing—or not purchasing. Not surprisingly, the average age of classic car enthusiasts continues to climb, though nearly 50 percent of par- ents who own classic cars have kids who own classic cars, so nostalgia of one sort or another is making the leap from generation to generation.
The Concours d’Elegance of America benefitted from its new location for 2011, and Executive Director Jim McCarter sees no signs of slowing down in the years ahead.
all weekend,” he says. With increased sponsorship opportunities, McCarter sees serious growth potential.
Also making news last year was the partnership between Auctions America by RM and Carlisle Events. Auctions America has emerged since its first sale in September 2010 as a powerhouse purveyor of good low- and mid-market classic cars, and Carlisle represents one of the strongest brands in car and motorcycle events. Te pairing set the stage for four co-branded weekends—two in Carlisle, Penn- sylvania, and two in Auburn, Indiana—and the overall results were very positive, in terms of auction totals, vendor spaces and car corral sales. “Ultimately,” says Lance Miller, co-owner of Carlilse Events, “you’ve got two players who know their fields very well, and it’s just a natural fit.” Expect more great things from the duo in 2012. Finally, a major metric of the hobby is the annual Antique Auto Club of America (AACA) Hershey Swap Meet in October. For 2011, AACA Executive Director Steve Moskowitz said attendance may have been down slightly, but the event remained a huge suc- cess. “All the 9,000-plus spaces were sold, over 900 car corral spaces sold and 1,250 cars registered for the show on Saturday. We felt good about the year, as it seemed we saw a younger crowd at Her- shey, and the crowd seemed serious about finding items.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
Te classic car hobby comes down to this: Nobody needs a ’Cuda or an MGB or a Ponton Mercedes. Nobody needs an eight-figure Fer- rari. Nobody needs the rallies, concours and rotisserie restorations all aimed at supporting such cars.
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HAGERTY.COM
But we do love these old cars of ours, and that’s a currency that can’t be measured on any auction block or dealer stand. It’s a cur- rency that will hold value in the face of the world’s financial woes. And that bodes well for 2012 and beyond.
53% 14% 56 52
23% 51%
Own more than one vehicle
Own classic trucks
Average age of collectors in 2011
Average age of collectors in 2006
Of collectors under 35 are in an online car club, nearly twice the number of collectors over 35
Of all collectors belong to no clubs or organizations
COURTESY OF CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE OF AMERICA
PHOTO: © JAY TEXTER
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