Interest in obsolete motorcars is a function of age. I (and many others) am
(are) interested in those cars that were new and desirable when I was an
adolescent. This phenomenon can be observed in the market for all antique
cars, but it's perhaps easiest to see in the demand for Model T and Model A
Fords. In that market, prices -relative to the general purchasing power of
the dollar- have fallen. In the LBC market, though, that phenomenon may
well be mitigated for two reasons.
First, post-war LBCs are largely useful, practical automobiles. The cars
are useful on a daily basis and useful in competition as well. The SCCA has
classes in which MGs and Triumphs routinely compete and require only
moderate racing budgets.
Second, the acquisition of Rover by BMW bodes well for the future of British
cars. An example of the salutary effect that BMW will probably have on
Rover, including MG and Triumph, can be seen in the effect that Ford has had
on Jaguar. BMW intends to make money and will by adopting a strategy for
specialty cars that General Motors adopted for mainstream cars when Alfred
P. Sloan was at the helm of GM.
The effect for enthusiasts of LBCs is that new customers will be attracted
to the marques we enjoy. A young lawyer in the year 2020 may buy a new MG-H
for him(her?)self and a 1977 MGB for a child to drive to high school.
I wish BMW/Rover well. Nothing ensures survival like economic success.
Cheers.
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