CLASS: The Antique Automobile Club of America is welcoming the Class of 2000 as antiques.
Really. The club defines antique as a vehicle 25 years of age or older.
With a list of ten vehicles, the club stated, “Here is a sampling of some recognized examples that now enjoy antique automobile status and are welcomed on AACA show fields and tours across America and around the world.”
Some are everyday vehicles, like the Ford Excursion, Honda Insight hybrid, Nissan XTerra and the Saturn L-Series. And then there were some higher end vehicles, like Lincoln LS, BMW X5, and the BMW Z8.
And some that the average folks might not drive in a lifetime — Morgan Aero 8, Qvale Mangusta and the Rolls-Royce Corniche V.
Morgan Aero 8 — “Old-school English sports car maker Morgan shifted gears with the arrival of the new Millennium with the introduction of its Aero 8. It was the legendary Malvern Link company’s first new entry since the 1964 Plus 4 Plus, with a nod toward aerodynamic efficiency. A BMW-sourced V8 engine was featured, along with a first-ever Morgan aluminum chassis.”
Qvale Mangusta — “Kjell Qvale was a San Francisco-based automobile importer. Ultimately, he assumed an ownership stake in Jensen, and the Jensen-Healey soon followed. As a result of his acquaintance with De Tomaso, he went on to reconfigure their Bigua concept car and turned it into the Qvale Mangusta. It was a Marcello Gandini-designed, two-seater RTM plastic-paneled sports car that utilized Ford V8 mechanicals with rear-wheel drive.”
Rolls-Royce Corniche V — “The second new Rolls-Royce to carry the prestigious moniker after four previous, reengineered Silver Shadow derivatives. The two-door, four-passenger convertible was styled like a Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph sedan, though it was built off the Bentley Azure. In fact, it’s the only Rolls on a Bentley platform.
