"Instagram is awash with Asian firms showing how they can remake old Broncos, Defenders, and other whole classic cars-better and much cheaper than in the US. It's hardly surprising that, in an electric world where Jell-O-mold cars are designed for creating the least drag, so many motorheads are yearning for the auto aesthetics of yesteryear. After all, classic cars from the 1970s and earlier undeniably had style-trouble is, auto companies don't make them anymore."
"Equipped with the latest technology, today's cars are safer and easier to drive than vintage ones, and thanks to AI-infused software stacks and smartphone hook-ups, more personalized, too. Still, they can be dull to drive, and, as if designed in a wind tunnel by committee, often lack individuality. Squint and the Nissan Rogue looks like the Kia Sorento; ditto for the Porsche Cayenne and its Volkswagen Group stablemate, the Audi Q5."
"Voluptuous vintage cars may creak, but those that have achieved classic status ooze personality. (To collectors, "vintage" and "classic" refer to cars from specific eras, but in this article the terms are used in their general sense.) Hagerty estimates that there are 45 million such vehicles in the US, worth $1 trillion. Selling to affluent collectors (almost all of whom are men), there are automotive ateliers in the US and Europe which make "replicars" aping classic outlines from the past."
Asian workshops and factories are recreating classic cars such as Broncos, Defenders and 1950s Mercedes 300SL Gullwing at lower cost than US restorations. Indonesian ateliers handcraft faithful Gullwing copies in a legal gray area, while Chinese plants produce 3D‑scanned body shells for 1960s–70s Broncos and 1980s–90s Defenders. Modern cars offer greater safety, AI features and connectivity but often lack individuality and aesthetic appeal. Many collectors prize the personality of vintage vehicles. Hagerty estimates about 45 million classic or vintage vehicles in the US, with collective value near $1 trillion. Replicar makers in the US and Europe sell to affluent collectors.
Read at WIRED
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