Stumbled on a Karmann Ghia's for Sale post...could not believe how much they can go for. Many in the mid 20K range.
Maybe if we just wait a (long) while, our SC's will be similar....
Haha. I never plan to sell mine. Just have to live long enough!

 

Note the mileage. How could it be?

 

Saw that. New engine?

 

By law, you can not roll the odometer back even though you replaced with the new engine.

 

Imagine the electronics after 50 years! So many more things to go wrong on these modern cars than say a 60's and older vehicle. Fixing mechanical issues, rust, interior...all doable. Let's see what fixing crapped out modules, ecu's, and other electronics will be like when these cars are that vintage. LS400's have a history of their ECU, instrument clusters, and other electronics failing. My C5 Corvette is an early model year and their ABS controller/block is known to fail and can't be rebuilt. Would have to plumb the ABS out of the car to fix when it goes bad. One of the reasons I am building a 1946 hotrod. A International Harvester pickup on air bagged Jaguar XJ suspension with a Chevy LS drivetrain. No smog laws to deal with, easy to work on..... Just the same, I love the interior of the SC and want one for myself. Can't help but want to do an LS swap in it though. haha

 

Imagine the current owners after 50 years. So many things will have gone wrong with "those" as well

 

At 52, I know I won't be around to find out! The 05 SC430 I bought is for my 19yo son. Hopefully he will still be around in 50 years to find out. Maybe he can update the thread. lol Assuming he keeps the car his whole life which doesn't happen too often. I know they(sons) will keep my 1946 hotrod in the family though. There will be a bunch of important things of mine that will be family heirlooms that the kids will keeping. As I did with my Grandpas stuff, like most of my tools. It's a way to spend time with lost family members. I kinda hope his SC becomes something like that to him that he can pass down. Hopefully the SC430 ages well.

 

$$ is probably not something I would care for when my SC430 reach 50 yrs old. No plan to get rid of it yet but don't think I will keep it that long. Will eventually sell it for something else.

 

yea a 2006-2010?

 

I sold my 1969 Karmann Ghia convertible in 1989 when I bought my first house. The Ghia sold for $3,500, but would be worth over $40K in today's market, darn it! 69 was the first year of the IRS and the last year of the component bumpers. Ghias went downhill after 69, as far as being collectible.

I agree with those above that our SC's will never be collectible, nor will anything produced since electronic fuel injection with complex electronic engine controls. Perhaps with an electric motor upgrade/swap our SC's could live 50 years?

 

i somewhat disagree. Extreme quality. Unique hardtop convertible. Small quantity. At least not depreciate much.

 

These are all great attributes for "holding value," but 50-year collectibility? I don't see any vehicles with complicated electronics becoming collectible like vehicles without complicated electronics. Unfortunately, most post-1980 vehicles are destined for the scrap heap!

By the time our SC's are too old to tango, they will have served us well and will be welcome into that great highway heaven in the sky!

 

Normally I would agree about electronics lasting very long times. Euro stuff in particular.

only know about our own 08 lexus’s but from the posts here and my personal experience is that these are basically bulletproof cars. 400,000 miles owners exist. Some sell from boredom others from fear of future repairs. So the 50 year idea being unlikely is maybe not what’s going to happen.

i think Lexus made almost scientific quality cars since day 1.

my 14 year old ls’s have never had a serious issue with the electronics.

they overbuilt. Company goal to build the best possible engineering product.

which they did.

The ls a large, stable big car. Lots of torque. Not revs.

brakes weak if aggressively driven.

Ahah. The factory built an FSport in 2010.

bigger brembo’s on the front.

bigger sway bars. All bolt on.

19” wheels needed to clear the Brembo’s caliper I understand.

my folks had a 61 caddy sedan de ville I got to drive in my young dating days.

couch. This is fast forward 50 years like my 1958 corvette to our 08 sc430.

Wow. Culture shock in a way.

You can marvel at the engineering and the build quality they produced.

these years Lexus like the older ones have experienced already may be extremely long time driveable.

they charged us up front to trust them to produce something extremely well made.

and produced it it seems.

i hope I live long enough to wear out our 08’s.

The idea is that these are in my case 14 years old. Everything works.....

so does everyone else’s here.

pretty amazing really.

 

My 09 PB SC is 12 yrs old. I doubt I'll be driving in say, 38 yrs. Who knows if I will still be alive driving or not.
But I do like that car; my intention is to keep her immaculate & keep her until I check out. So much can happen between now & then.
Who will get her then? Will anyone want her? I don't have kids, but there are extended family members (can't see them being interested) & lifelong friend's kids (maybe someone here).
Things one generation cherishes are often not what the next generation wants. I think of my great aunt's silver....
I realize whoever gets her may just turn her around for a quick buck. And that's ok, as I will have enjoyed her all this time.
Agreed that cars (like the Ghia) pre-electronics may fetch more as collectables.

Now if only I hadn't stored all my LPs in the uninsulated garage!

 

Maybe LC convertible or something similar