Confusion of terms in the classic/young car environment
08/18/2014
With the emergence of the classic car at the latest, the terminology surrounding the historic automobile has become difficult. A common definition is that youngtimers are 15- to 30-year-old vehicles, while classic cars must be at least 30 years old. However, this would mean that a youngtimer becomes an oldtimer on its 30th birthday, which is how legislators, for example, see it. But there are also people for whom classic cars always remain classic cars. So a VW Golf I from 1977 would still be a classic car after 37 years.
Because we like to categorize things, we quickly look for a simpler structure. The FIVA, for example, proposes the following "eras" (to be found in the "technical code 2010"):
- Class A(Ancestor) vehicles built up to December 31, 1904
- Class B(Veteran) vehicles built from Jan. 1, 1905 to Dec. 31, 1918
- Class C(Vintage) Vehicles built from Jan. 1, 1919 to Dec. 31, 1930
- Class D(Post Vintage) vehicles built from Jan 1, 1931 to Dec 31, 1945
- Class E(Post War) vehicles built from Jan 1, 1946 to Dec 31, 1960
- Class F vehicles built from Jan 1, 1961 to Dec 31, 1970
- Class G vehicles built from Jan 1, 1971 to the FIVA age limit (at least 30 years old).
The terms up to "E" were therefore suitable, but classes F and G were left unlabeled and, in the case of G, even defined with variable lengths. G would then probably be "classic cars".
How about this as an alternative?
We call class F "economic miracle" and restrict class G to 1980 and would call it "broad mobilization". In 2021, we would then add a Class I, which would run from 1 Jan 1981 to 31 December 1990 and could be called "Electronization". 10 years later, we can then add another class.
We could then continue to use the terms "Oldtimer" and "Youngtimer" as collective terms for vehicles over 30 years old and prospective classic cars.
