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How many of your car exist today?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by olds vroom, Aug 4, 2013.

  1. rld14
    Joined: Mar 30, 2011
    Posts: 1,609

    rld14
    Member

    I don't buy the 10% rule, I guess maybe you could use it as a VERY rough wild ass starting point.

    Look at my Lincolns:

    My 60 Lincoln Premiere coupe is one of 1,364 made.

    I highly doubt that 136 still exist; in years of looking I think I have seen perhaps 10 others like mine in roadworthy and decent shape. So maybe what, 25-30 are left? Maybe another 30 in junkyards? I have only ever seen two other base coupes, one was in a junkyard.

    On top of that, mine has factory air, so that's half or so of production, its an uncommon and then unpopular color (cloud silver) and it has factory cruise which is VERY rare on any 60 Lincoln.

    Meanwhile... My '60 Continental Convertible is one of 2,044 made. I don't know how many survived but I sure see a heck of a lot more Mark V ragtops than Premiere coupes.

    Meanwhile, look at cars that I refer to as "domestic exotics" like Eldorado Broughams, Continental Mark 2s, 53 Eldorados, Kaiser Darrins, etc... Those have HUGE survival rates.

    It's also estimated that 50% of Porsche 356s are still around and a pretty similar percentage of E-Type Jaguars.

    There's too many factors.... If the car was always considered special, people saved them. If people weren't into them, they got crushed.

    58-60 Lincolns weren't popular when new, had terrible resale value (my car listed for around $6,400 when new yet my January 1962 NADA book shows $3500 retail, $2,915 wholesale and $2,333 loan) and went out of fashion quickly. I've spoken to people who bought these cars in clean condition when 5 years old for $5-700. They were complex, prone to expensive repairs..etc... Few survived. Even today they're not terribly valuable except for Convertibles, a 59 Lincoln 2 door hardtop is worth 59 Cadillac sedan money.

    Meanwhile that same NADA book shows that a 56 Continental was worth a few bucks MORE than my car would have been! The same book shows wholesale and loan values of 56 Lincolns in the $4-500 range.

    Look at 55-57 Thunderbirds... More than 10% of those survived, way way more. My same NADA book shows that base list on a 56 Country Squire was 80% of a 56 Thunderbird but in Jan 62 that Thunderbird was worth roughly 2.5-3x as much.

    A bit long winded I know, but just my observations.

    And yeah, I know NADA books aren't accurate for appraisals, but they will ballpark ya.
     
  2. Since you said the "C" word and mentioned Camaros I remember an old article in Hot Rod a few years back that was very true. I think it went something like this... "out of the 20,000 Z/28s built in 1969 35,000 of them are still on the road. :eek:
     
  3. 36DodgeRam
    Joined: Dec 16, 2008
    Posts: 505

    36DodgeRam
    Member

    I wish I knew how many 1936 Dodge pickups were built. I have never found sales figures, they are usually lumped together as "commercial cars". But in over 30 years ownership, I haven't seen a half dozen, although there are a few here on the HAMB. I think they sold a lot more Ford & Chevy pickups in the thirties.
     
  4. I have seen at least 100 of those 1936 DB pickups.
     
  5. The "sitting and rotting" thread reminds us of the impossibility of knowing how many still exist in some condition. Some very rare vehicles have appeared in that thread.
     
  6. Crystal Blue
    Joined: Nov 18, 2008
    Posts: 609

    Crystal Blue
    Member

    As long as they keep making fiberglass, the production numbers on my
    coupe keep going up :D I guess I'm just 1 in a million :rolleyes:
     
  7. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    1 of 1. I have the only white on blue '66 chevy II 100 wagon with 14" steel wheels, dog-dish hubcaps, a column-shift 200r4, underhood ram-air, 4.11s, and a solid-lifter 331 out there.:rolleyes:
     
  8. As Bluto, our man on the "eastern front" once posted, building your own car gives you many things including the satisfaction of knowing there is not another one in the world like it.
     
  9. spooler41
    Joined: Feb 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,099

    spooler41
    Member

    In the early 60's I owned a '56 Chrysler "300 B", at the time I knew it was something
    special, because it had a manual transmission ,but not how special. It took another 35
    years before I became aware that was 1 of 8 produced in '56. It was a nice road car, I drove it from Seattle to Pamona California for the' 62 Winter Nationals. It was a great ride and good memories.

    ........................Jack
     
  10. falcongeorge
    Joined: Aug 26, 2010
    Posts: 18,341

    falcongeorge
    Member
    from BC

    NICE hog! Is that a Bates "saddle"??
    [​IMG]
     
  11. dynaflash
    Joined: Apr 1, 2008
    Posts: 506

    dynaflash
    Member
    from South

    I have a 1957 Chevrolet 210 sedan there are more now than there was in 1957. Haha. But not near as many as there are 32 Fords


    Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
     
  12. WQ59B
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,618

    WQ59B
    Member

    More detail on a fascinating period :: WPB was created in 1940 to regulate American industry in anticipation of WWII spreading. On 09-13-1941, the WPB established monthly production quotas for civilian vehicle production. On 10-24, Dec quotas were issued. Jan & Feb quotas were subsequently issued, but repeatedly reduced. On 12-24-41, spare tires were prohibited. On 01-01-42, vehicle sales were temporarily halted pending a rationing system, but production did continue with strictly monitored quotas. For EX; Pontiac's Jan/Feb limit was 14,358. On 01-06, the manufacture of anti-freeze was prohibited. On 01-14, retail tires sales were rationed.

    When Gov't set the final production date of 02-10, it was already a struggle to keep the lines going. Willys was the first to halt on 01-24, Dodge on 01-29, Lincoln, Chrysler & Studebaker on 01-31. Olds, Buick, Cadillac, Hudson & Nash lasted until 02-03. Cherolet quit on 02-06, Ford & Packard on 02-09. Pontiac apparently made the last civilian production pre-war car, their lines halting on 02-10.
     

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