What makes a classic car? Is it a term that applies only to vehicles of a certain age? Or from a specific decade? Must they be mass manufactures and known to all? Could you count a one-off or a track day car? These are the questions car collectors ask every day as they assess vehicles as they hit the market. Jaguar recently made new editions of an old race car from the 1960s, made exactly the same way as the originals. Are these cars classics, or just curiosities?

Taste plays a major role in car collecting, and in assessing what a classic car is, and taste varies based on the age of the individual. From the car one drives to what one thinks of the undisputed classic cars, age becomes apparent. Aesthetic tastes play a role of course, and we are all swayed by the value of a collectible, but the biggest influence on people is age.

Growing up in a specific time and place means you will have a natural affinity for certain automotive styling, performance, and exhaust characteristics. It means that specific car names will naturally evoke feelings and sway you to like them more for irrational reasons. We love cars not with the head, but with the heart. Embrace your feelings, rate these classic cars, and we will tell you your mental age.