[leadf00t]

Originally Posted by Dippy

My list would read: (only cars sold in India)

Maruti Zen MH410
OHC
The Esteem
Hindustan Contessa
Old Lancer perhaps?
W124 Mercedes E Class

Bang on Dippy Bang on...

Exactly the same list in my mind.
As far as the old Lancer perhaps? no i would Old lancer most definitely..

These are cars that are iconic and have stood the test of reliability and appeal to the heart.

Lets see what happens say 20 years down the line. I will probably come back and look at this list to see which cars turned out to be classics.

All today's age classic have been sold in very decent number in their peak days and be reliable to stay out from the crowd and live a long operational life.

[beejay]

Originally Posted by Nitronium

OHC Vtecs, vRSs, Zen MPFI, W124s, Palio GTX 1.6s, Balenos are merely some of the cars that we will look back upon fondly in decades to come. Cars that defined an era, and changed the Indian motoring scene in their own small/big ways.

Nice thread. Your list is almost bang on. I am glad the GTX made it there.

Can we add the CJ340/CL340 and Classic. These SWB's changed the way people look at Jeeps. The style quotient also read bling started off with these vehicles.
.

[McLaren Rulez]

Remember Top Gear's criteria? Rare, interesting and beautiful. At least two of those. Esteems, OHCs, Zens and Ikons will never be classics in India because of the following reasons.

1) They're too common. Rarity is important and these cars sold very well. You will always see these cars in the used car market until the point when they become completely obsolete and there are very few examples left in the market. In other words, any 1930s car on the roads today is a classic. But we're looking for cars that become classics sooner than that.

2) Second, they are interesting, but not interesting enough to make them classics. I'll give you an example of an interesting car in classic car sense. The Amby. Or the 800. Those cars defined history. Even the Swift is interesting because it changed the way we looked at small cars. The Lancer is interesting because of its rally heritage. And so on.

3) Beautiful. Well this is a beholder thing, but again, how many think an Ikon or an OHC or even a Zen is beautiful? They simply are not! A beatiful car in the market today? The Linea. Or maybe the just phased out E-Class. Remember, you may think a car is beautiful but to be a classic, the majority have to agree with you.

So which are the classics in the making running on our roads today? I'd give it to cars like the Ambassador and Contessa. They are the true classics. Of course there are more, but trust me, classics are very hard to find. Many of the cars being discussed simply don't make the cut.

[sharanramesh]

i Second Mclaren that rarity, looks and differentiator is important.

Herez my pick in no particular order

1. Palio GTX
2. Swift DDiS (the first car with that incredible multijet fiat engine)
3. Chevy Forester
4. City VTEC (OHC)
5. Octavia VRS
6. I am Thinking Mitsubishi Cedia maybe... (its very rare, iffy looks, great engine)
7. Gypsy King

IMO, we cant include contessa and premier padmini or the Standard 2000 coz these are classics already rite?

[sharanramesh]

Oh im forgetting the Ikon 1.6 - it really was an affordable josh machine.

[Nitronium]

McLaren i agree with you on many counts, but:

The Indian car industry has never been friendly to niche cars. The three criteria are applicable to cars in the upper echelons of the price ladder. The cars on that list are there because they represent a rebellious streak amidst the economy melee. Not many of the cars are 'common' to the point they can be taken off the list. The Palio GTX is rarer than a 5 series if you ask me. You won't find too many VTEC owners putting their girls up for sale, so that makes them a rare breed. The Zen and Esteem MPFI purely because of the effect they had on the motoring public. Every car in there has had a PROFOUND effect on the car scene.

I doubt our markets are mature enough to have a forgotten treasure like a VW Corrado VR6 to include in that list

The Amby is a classic car and it's inclusion is fairly obvious, even the Fiat 1100.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by Nitronium

I doubt our markets are mature enough to have a forgotten treasure like a VW Corrado VR6 to include in that list

True, but if we don't have such future classics being sold in India in the first place, we simply won't have any classics in the future. Unfortunate, but true. Classics in India are much harder to find for precisely this reason. But on the bright side, the fewer such 'classics' there are, the more value each individual classic has.

[MileCruncher]

Oh another classic that is still available in teh market is the Mahindra Major. It is supposed to be the last production vehicle which still sports the original Jeep design

[JVH]

Mahindra Classic
Chevy Forester
Palio GTX/S10
Old Honda City VTEC
Skoda Octavia VRS
Baleno
Contessa

Classic or Forester if relaunched, I'm going to book either on day 1

[Nitronium]

MileCruncher: nice one! I think the Mahindra Major deserves to make it into the list. The CJ340/CL340 also deserves attention as mentioned by beejay

McLaren: So wouldn't it be fair to change the way we filter a classic? Maybe rarity can't be a primary parameter?

sharanramesh: Ikon 1.6. How could we forget

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by Nitronium

McLaren: So wouldn't it be fair to change the way we filter a classic? Maybe rarity can't be a primary parameter?

I'd love to say yes but unfortunately we still cannot. A classic is something that is rare by definition. I'm sure you agree that too much of a good thing ruins it. Same with classics. But let that not despair you in hunting down future classics on our roads. They do exist, and careful evalutation will tell you what is a classic and what's not

[Mi10]

My List of Future Classics;
Palio 1.6 GTX
Baleno
Octavia Vrs
Getz CRDI
Elantra CRDI
SRV (o)

They may be out of production, but forever etched in memories of those who've driven them

[Amartya]

Originally Posted by Mi10

My List of Future Classics;
Palio 1.6 GTX
Baleno
Octavia Vrs
Getz CRDI
Elantra CRDI
SRV (o)

They may be out of production, but forever etched in memories of those who've driven them

Perfect, I was about to say that the Baleno should be a definite mention for this thread (I really like that car, as you can see from my avatar) and here I see your post . I would perhaps add just one more candidate.

The Ford Fusion.

It kind of follows the Baleno's tradition. Sold even less than the Baleno but was such a great car for India. Both were initially overpriced and eventually could never attain the popularity they deserved.

[Nitronium]

Yeah, the Fusion is certainly rare, but I feel it lacks the flair that will make it remembered in years to come. I could be wrong. Opinions?

And I still maintain the SRV is a failure on many counts, apart from being blessed with stunning looks. It wont be remembered for much else i'm afraid.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by Nitronium

And I still maintain the SRV is a failure on many counts, apart from being blessed with stunning looks. It wont be remembered for much else i'm afraid.

Ah but I'd definitely give the SRV the mantle of a future classic. It looks incredible and is very rare. By that Top Gear criteria this is a future classic. But don't take their word for it. Think about twenty years ahead. A well maintained SRV against a bunch of modern ultra-cool designs. Oh it'd be a classic alright and get us all nostalgic.