Are retro cars dead?

Looks like the VW New Beetle is just about done, and I believe the PT Cruiser isn't long for this world. On the other hand, we now have retro Camaros and Challengers. So, are retro cars done, still hot or something we'll have for a while?

I'm not really a big fan of the 'resurrect an old name plate' type of retro car like the New Beetle. While I'd classify the Miata as somewhat retro (after all, the NA paid homage to the early Elan), its point was that dragged the Elan into the 1990s. The point with some of the other cars mainly seemed to be along the lines of making them 'cute' while retaining rather bland underpinnings.

I think the retro idea has somewhat run its course - there isn't that much left that you can resurrect. I think they might still be with us for a while simply because the manufacturers don't really seem to have any better ideas at the moment and it gives them a breather to develop new models.

Oddly enough I do like the current Mustang, and that's also retro...

To me, the problem with retro-looking cars is that the redesign has about a 6-year life span before it needs a major update. How do you update a retro design without starting over again?

For cars like the new Beetle you're in a really tough spot. From 100 feet, all Beetles, new and old, look pretty similar.

Mustangs and Camaros have a more diverse collection of cars to borrow their retro cues from, but eventually they'll be using elements from the new cars for the new cars. And who wants a retro version of the 1978 Mustang, anyway?

Don't count the MINI out just yet.

Funny but I never looked at the Mini or Beatle as retro cars. I suppose they are. Like the Mini, hate the Beatle. Don't agree that the Miata is a retro at all. It was just a nice idea to make a small 2 seat roadster again. More drawn from MG than Lotus, but not really retro. I suppose any 2 seat roadster like S2000 or Boxter or Bmw is also retro ? Don't think so.

Don't like Chargers or Challengers or Cameros or Mustangs at all. Didn't care much for the originals can't stand the retros.

I don't think it's done.

For some strange reason, new car designers can't seem to make anything pretty.

I've complained about this before. New cars are ugly.

I've always liked my old cars to look old and my new cars to look new.

Retro will be here till the hover cars take over.

Easy way to determine? Consumers speak with their wallets. First you get the sentimentalists or the ones that wished they were there then or were there then and missed it. Then you get some residual sales. What will determine if they're dead or not will be can the makers keep it fresh enough to maintain a level of interest or "buzz". I think Ford did the new Mustang right a few years ago by drawing on the history of the car. Unfortunately, like the 60's everyone else looked like "Me Too"s.

Well you have Mercedes making a new gullwing and Porsche making a sport classic with a whale tail and fuchs so I don't think that retro is going away anytime soon. I would love to see BMW make a 2002 style retro out of the ugly 1 series.

The people with all the money are the people who buy new cars. Those people are typically in their 50-60s and they wont to reclaim some of their youth by buying cars that they either had or wanted when they were rebelling when they were kids. That being said, I hope we dont have to drive around brand new cars in 30 years that look like a mid 90s honda civic.

I agree that some of the nostalgia has been driven by people my age (57) who can afford a toy, but there are many people much younger , who have dicovered the fun that some of these cars can be. The local MINI board is full of people much younger than me. The Miata club is middle aged, but you see lots of young people driving Miatas. While I love both, it's really the fun of driving a light car that get's me going. The MINI is about as heavy as I want to go for a fun car. The designers need to be set free to come up with entertaining ,light cars. They don't have to be optioned to the hilt, just fun to drive. Unfortunately, domestic manufacturers seem intent on keeping light cars as economy cars. They don't have to be. If they tend to keep the cars light and fun, the styling will tend to hark back to an earlier era. Just lose the trend to high window sills and gunslit windows. Someone design a modern equivalent to an Alfa Romeo Guilia and I'll be first in line, especially if they reverted to rear wheel drive. On Craigslist, I've been looking at a 1963 Volvo PV544 (now that's retro! ). Rear drive,2100 lb.,imagine one with a 2 litre Miata motor and suspension. I'm tired of the concept that every successive car I buy has to be better equipped and quieter than the last one.

I see nothing wrong with a car that has the timeless style of a classic, but all the modern drivetrain and safety features of a new car. Old cars can be beautiful, but most of them aren't as nice/practical to daily drive (no matter what the hardcore among us say) as new cars, and definitely aren't as safe, or as emissions friendly. New cars are often of a style that we simply don't like (and as people are fond of saying, "new cars are all starting to look alike.") So why not make a run of cars that gives us classic style and modern convenience/safety/emissions/performance?

I was one of the multitude that wrote in to VW to make them produce the Concept 1, which became the New Beetle. And I owned a PT for 5 years. Loved it. I'd love to have a new Plum Crazy Challenger R/T Classic or a new Fiat 500. AND I like a lot of new car designs, from the Fiesta to the new Astons.

Why can't we just have all of them?

am I only person who liked the looks of the ford thunderbird from a few years ago...?

plance1 wrote: am I only person who liked the looks of the ford thunderbird from a few years ago...?

I liked it in the right color

plance1 wrote: am I only person who liked the looks of the ford thunderbird from a few years ago...?

My wife & me actually went as far as test driving one (for her). I think we both decided we'd rather have an original if we can afford it but it wasn't a bad car.

My sister wanted a retro Thunderbird, then she test drove one and decided to buy an Audi TT roadster.