QotW: What makes a good car company heritage collection?

On January 18, 2009 General Motors, auctioned off about 200 cars from its heritage collection, desperate for cash during the throes of the global financial crisis. Enthusiasts expressed dismay, but many of the cars were SEMA builds or movie cars that didn’t seem to add much to the collection. Others, however, were more valuable, like a 1969 COPO Camaro ZL-1 (a top-spec performance model and one of 69 built). Realistically, it’d be close to impossible for a company to store everything, so what should it keep? One of every model made? Just the important ones? Pivotal concept cars? If you were in charge, how would you call the shots?

What makes a good car company heritage collection?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What’s the best Japanese car not made in Japan?

We got answers from all over the world for this one, some expected and some surprising. From the US we had nominations like Lupus‘s Indiana-built Subarus, Blitzpig‘s Ohio-built Honda Accords, Hector‘s Illinois-built DSM cars, Daniel‘s Indiana-built Isuzu Rodeo, theJWT‘s Tennessee-built B13 Sentra SE-R, and Lee L‘s California-built Toyota Voltz.

From the UK we had suggestions like Banpei‘s P10 Primera, Crank_case‘s CH1 Honda Accord Type R, and Kieron‘s multiple Civic Type Rs. Australia gave us mel‘s Mitsubishi Diamante, and Alexander‘s Toyota Aurion, while Asia offered up harshith‘s Toyota Qualis and Negishi no Keibajo‘s Suzuki Samurai.

However, after much deliberation, the crown of very best goes to the J70 Toyota Land Cruiser, made in many countries including Portugal, submitted by Vitor David.:

Toyota in Ovar Portugal builds the land cruiser.
Nothing speacial right?
well its the j70 version with v6 petrol and V diesel engines only for african markets
The same company that builds the j200 still produces the j70

Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!

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11 Responses to QotW: What makes a good car company heritage collection?

  1. Lupus says:

    Of course in the perfect car world every car-maker should store one example of each model, plus at least one works-car from every disciplne they participated with factory supported team. Influentail concepts should also be kept.

  2. Speedie says:

    A good heritage collection should contain a mix of cars that exemplify the marque’s engineering and styling expertise as well as examples of more mundane models that brought in all the profits the company needed to stay in business. A few years ago at a local Japanese Car Day there was a low mileage, all original 1972 Subaru DL wagon parked next to a fairly new GT-R (there were four GT-Rs at the show). While the GT-R got looks there was always a small crowd around the DL with many people sharing stories of how their parents owned one or it was their high school car. The DL ending up winning a trophy for peoples favorite. A good heritage collection has to hit upon both the desires models created and the memories.

  3. Tim Mings says:

    A proper heritage collection should include their very first race car in the country that gave them true international success. Are you listening AMERICAN HONDA? #BajaN600

  4. MikeRL411 says:

    The manufacturer should install cameras in their visitor parking lot. Any car of their brands in the visitor lot that draws onlookers should be in their museum.

  5. エーイダン says:

    Examples of the company’s finest, both assembled and broken down for the next generation of mechanical students to learn and draw inspiration from. Say a Nissan Collection, it ought to include every generation of Skyline and GT-R both in full and disassembled form. These vehicles all had their unique features and what makes a car great is the machine’s inner workings. Engines, brakes, suspension. a comprehensive breakdown of all the crucial vehicles from a company’s history. Because what makes a machine great is the mechanicals.

  6. Jukka Narkko says:

    Isuzu bellett gt r

  7. RX626 says:

    I believe that an ordinary car like the Corolla, and an ordinary trim level of such a car, is what is needed for the best collection.
    These cars don’t have the glory or popularity of a GT-R or Supra. Many gearheads won’t even be interested in these cars.
    That’s why I think it’s important for manufacturers to display and preserve these cars for the future.

    The GT-R, the AE86, the Supra… these cars have a lot of enthusiasts. I’m sure they will still be cherished somewhere on this earth 100 years from now.
    However, cars like the Corolla, Sunny, and Estima may already be extinct. This is because these cars were commonplace and did not have speed, beauty, and glory.

    In order to avoid this future, I think the companies that created these cars should protect these cars that might otherwise become extinct.

  8. potato says:

    i like how Honda put the wheels on the stands so they won’t topple.

  9. Hachi_Rouge says:

    A good company heritage collection would include all the fan favorites, the pioneers with cutting edge technology of its time, the best sellers and record breakers in speed or towing capacity or comfort or whatever, but it should also include some of the mistakes, flops, and cars that were downright hated. We must learn from our mistakes and our past, or we are doomed to repeat them. Plus, sometimes it’s nice to have a good laugh.

  10. F31Roger says:

    It’s so interesting to think about how many cars have been made and how they would be kept.
    I’ve been in love with museums that have stock cars and gives me great appreciation for cars in general.

    Personally, when I see a car I have in a museum or some kind of official display, I do feel a sense of pride.

    The Japanese Automotive Invitational has been held the last few years, with of course 2020 being cancelled.

    While people want to go to see the rare and race cars (pretty damn awesome honestly), the reason I went was to see an M30.

    It’s stupid and nobody cars about the car… but just seeing one in great condition is cool.

    https://www.f31club.com/2018/08/29/wandering-leopard-at-japanese-automotive-invitational-2018/

    The M30 came back the following year, brought my kids.
    https://www.f31club.com/2019/08/19/japanese-automotive-invitational-2019/

    While I’ve seen the coupe twice, I want to see their convertible.
    https://www.f31club.com/2017/03/26/nissan-north-americas-m30-convertible/
    ——————————–

    In 2017, I went to the Toyota Automobile Museum and the main reason was to see their TCR Estima, which is the exact color and mirror image of my Previa.
    https://www.f31club.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/20170524_164425.jpg

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