Will Prius Ever Be Collectable?

Gen 1 was always rare, and the first (in the US) to be sold. The Japanese Gen 0 cars, even more so. So 1997 to 2000, then in the US 2001 to 2003.

Gen 2 (2004 to 2009) may become the VW micro bus of the future.

 

The iPhone is the VW microbus of the younger generation. And no, those won't be collectible either.

 

Isn't the plug-in already collectible? At least they're rare, being just 1 out of every 125 Priuses during their production years.

 

I've got the rims, now all I need...

 

I don't see the Prius attaining much in the way of collectible status.

The 2nd (and beyond) waves of VW vans were mostly because they were vans, and also because there was a nice window where they were cheap and easy to repair. The Prius doesn't have either of those things going for it.

If you have a nice 1st generation Prius, now's the time to figure out how to keep it going cheaply for about 10 more years. Right now the younger collectors are working through the early 1990s models, it'll be a while before they catch up to you.

 

I doubt it. Too small for comfortable camping - though I am 6'5". Collectibles tend to be higher in "cool" that "practical" I think. Not any sort of expert.

 

NO......................

 

I'm trying to remember and paraphrase a comment made by Jay Leno, who loves cars, and has a big collection.
It was something to the affect that he liked the Prius, because of how complicated it was, and all the engineering that went into it. He felt someday people would look back at them and marvel that so much was put into their design.

I think the original Prius, and Prius, being the most successful hybrid, I think it will be remembered very well. Toyota obviously is still building them and selling them. I don't think they become "collectible" overnight. But I think with the passage of time, they will become collectible, they are historic icon, as far as mass produced Hybrid.

The Gen 1 Prius with the sedan body design, I think it already desirable as a unique vehicle.

I don't think Hybrids are candidates for quick collectability, as when they age and do start breaking down, the economic cost of keeping them, usually eventually tilts towards end of life-scrapping. Their amazing engineering and HSD system isn't something cheaply or easily maintained over decades.

But they are a unique and representative automobile. Some will survive, and I think imagining them being represented in Auto Museums long after I'm dead and gone, isn't too much of a stretch.

That's maybe the difference. Given the complication and expense, I don't see them as collectible in the nearer future, garage mechanic, ownership way, like with a VW bus, or 60's, 70's muscle car.
But eventually, I think they will be desired as museum level collectible.
I'll be long gong by then.

 

I won't dispute that the total is low, but using a longitudinal metric like that only reinforces the point that the original owner and the collector need to be the same person for the value proposition to succeed.

If you want to see yours represented in a collection someday and you can't carry it there yourself then probably the best thing you can do is give it to a younger member of your family who is interested enough to take on the long term maintenance and won't be troubled by its dated safety & convenience features. That's how a lot of today's collectible cars got there.

 

I think it will be regarded much like the Corvair...

 

Not in the near term - they're too many of them. In fifty years? Sure, if the IT and electronics are still good. You will probably also have to replace the battery.

 

Corvairs got there by and large by the efforts of Clark's Corvair.

Somebody might similarly step up and start producing Prius parts as Toyota eventually end-of-lifes certain items, republishing manuals, writing new guides, and even producing modernized assemblies as required. There are a few such Prius-centric businesses already, time will tell if they have the commitment & customer base to keep it going.