by Gabrielle DeSantis

You’ll often hear the terms classic car, vintage car, or antique car interchanged, but there are differences. All antique cars are classic, but not every classic car is an antique. But the definitions of each all depend on who you’re asking, from car collectors to classic car insurance providers. So let’s dive into the differences between a vintage car, an antique car, and a classic car.

What is a classic car?

Most people point to any car that’s relatively old and say, “yep, that’s a classic.” But if you say that in front of the Classic Car Club of America, you’d likely be stabbed. According to them, only certain cars from 1915 to 1948 qualify as “Full Classics,” making it a highly exclusive club. However, the Antique Automobiles Club of America determines that any car over the age of 25 is a classic.

But the widely excepted rule is that cars from 1990 and earlier are considered classics. This brings into question whether cars from 1995, which fall under the AACA’s guidelines, are actually classics. Perhaps some people aren’t ready to accept the fact that they’re getting old. And the cars they once daily drove are turning into classics.

Depending on who you ask, cars like the 1996 Dodge Caravan, which won MotorTrend’s Car of the Year, will become a classic next year. But if you follow the typical standard, then cars from the 90s aren’t quite classic enough yet.

What is an antique car?

An antique car goes one step further than a classic car, and the rules are a bit more clear. An antique car is anything manufactured from 1975 or earlier according to American Car Collectors. Essentially, it’s anything older than 45 years old, which makes 1976 the cutoff year (for now).

Two things interest me about this particular time frame. For starters, 1975 is smack in the middle of the fuel crisis, when compacts like the first generation Honda Civic CVCC were gaining traction and muscle cars were dying out. Secondly, if you’re like me, then you feel as if antique things are older than vintage things. So the question remains: what makes a car a vintage car?

What is a vintage car?

Unlike classics and antiques, it’s agreed upon that vintage cars are of a certain period. Anything manufactured between 1919 and 1930 (again, according to American Car Collectors). What’s somewhat odd about this is that the first Ford Model T rolled off the production line in 1908, but wouldn’t quantify as an antique if you follow this certain standard.

But all these agreed-upon standards are chucked out the window in terms of classic car insurance. For example, a vehicle that’s 10 to 24 years old and is of “historical interest” is a classic in the eyes of State Farm. But once it turns 25, it’s an antique. Geico says any car made after 1995 is a classic. Nationwide only considers cars that are between 20 and 40 years old as classics. It’s a hot mess of data provided by CarInsurance.com, and goes to show how flimsy some of these standards are.

Yes, as much as people want to categorieze, it’s just impossible to. Someday soon, awide eyed child will look at something from the early 2000s and say “look at that classic.” Grey hairs will instantly grow on your head, and you’ll realize that there’s no great way to determine what’s classic, antique, or vintage. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and time is a cruel mistress.

RELATED: What Makes a Classic Car a Classic?

The post Do You Know the Difference Between Classic, Antique, and Vintage Cars? appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Chevy Camaro is one of the most iconic cars in American history, and it’s stuck around for a long time. Like any other car, Chevy ultimately cares about how well the Camaro sells, and it’s not selling well right now. Here’s a look at the Camaro’s steep and steady decline in sales that doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.

The Chevy Camaro has more than a pandemic problem

Like most automakers, the Camaro didn’t do well during the pandemic. The Camaro’s pandemic story was pretty similar to everyone else. In March and April, the economy crashed, and car sales took a steep dive. Not that long after, the Camaro saw some improvement after the initial crash in sales. However, the Camaro’s sales problems continue to persist. 

According to The Drive, the Camaro’s sales were “utterly collapsing” during the pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, Chevy sold a mere 6,675 Camaros. However, Chevy was unable to stop the bleeding, despite other cars selling very well during the recovery phase of the pandemic. The Drive wrote that, in the second quarter of 2021, Chevy only sold 2,792 Camaros. 

This is less than half of the Camaros that Chevy sold at the same time last year. GM Authority wrote that this was a 58.17% drop in sales compared to last year. The Camaro’s year-to-date numbers are a bit better, but they’re still not good. By this time in 2020, Chevy had sold about 13,860 Camaros. So far in 2021, Chevy’s only sold about 9,881 Camaros. This represents a 28.71% drop in year-to-date sales compared to 2020.

Why is the Chevy Camaro’s sales collapsing?

The Drive wrote it’s probably not an issue with the segment. Other muscle cars, such as the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger, have continued to sell well. The Drive said that, in the second quarter of 2021, both the Challenger and the Mustang had sold about 15,000 units each. Combined, they represent 91% of the segment. For comparison, the Camaro represented 21% of the segment last year.

There are many explanations for the Camaro’s decline, and one of the bigger factors was the chip shortage. Since the Camaro isn’t as popular as a truck or an SUV, the Drive wrote that Chevy might have prioritized chips for trucks and SUVs instead. According to GM Authority, the Camaro may not be popular because GM hasn’t advertised it as much. But, one other possible explanation has to do with the Camaro itself. 

GM Authority said that the Camaro’s sales might have suffered due to its “less-than-optimal cabin visibility, a lackluster dash, and instrument panel design, sub-par interior material quality.” Those weren’t the only issues with the Camaro. For instance, GM Authority said that the latest generation of the Camaro had “little differentiation” from the last generation. 

The Camaro’s future

When a car’s sales start dropping every quarter, that’s usually bad news. It almost always means that the automaker will kill the car. But, due to how iconic the Camaro is, that’s not extremely likely. Chevy will probably continue the Camaro, but changes will happen.

The Drive wrote that, according to rumors, Chevy would keep this generation of the Camaro going until 2026. As such, Chevy has a lot of time to improve on the Camaro. On the other hand, GM Authority thinks that Chevy may offer more incentives for the Camaro. GM Authority also said that Chevy might try advertising the Camaro more.

That said, the Camaro will still have a future in NASCAR. In fact, it’s currently one of the next-gen cars that NASCAR is testing.

RELATED: The NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro Is Ready to Race

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