Hot take: All uncool cars become cool given enough time

It doesn’t matter how bad it originally was: even the least cool cars become cool with age.

You can see it happening everywhere. Beige people movers are proving popular 20 years after they launched. Cars that were once seen as daggy are fetching good prices to be kitted out as drift cars. Underwhelming ‘grandpa’ cars now feel a bit edgy. And even the puniest, most gutless wonder of a car model eventually has someone develop a soft spot for it.

Based on nothing more than vibes and observations, here are the reasons that all uncool cars eventually become cool.

Factor #1: A fondness for simpler times

In the same way that the ol’ brick-like Nokia 3210 has had a resurgence, older second-hand cars have the appeal of being simple and uncomplicated. Without power windows and climate control, you get to feel the warm breeze driving to the beach. Without screens everywhere, you can easily find the volume knob and pump up the jam. Sure, you might not be able to hear much through the tinny speakers, but that just takes you back to the good ol’ days of sweet analog life. These days, it seems everyone yearns for a time when algorithms didn’t rule the day – even those who weren’t alive yet.

Simple cars are easy to fix and as the world gets more complicated, they become easier to love. And that’s one big reason why some uncool cars see a resurgence.

Factor #2: Affection for the underdog

There’s something about the wholly unlovable car that makes it somehow endearing over time. Whether it’s poor build quality, ugly design or trim that falls off in your hands, some cars become adored just for the fact that they were kind of terrible from the start. Many of the worst ever cars have turned out to become cult classics. It turns out, there’s a blurry line between irredeemable and irresistible.

The DeLorean was known for being expensive, slow and badly built, but this didn’t stop it becoming highly collectible after featuring in Back to the Future. Marty McFly even expresses his skepticism about the use of a DeLorean in the movie.

The Morris Marina, which was ranked one of the worst cars ever built and became a running joke on Top Gear being destroyed by piano and fire, had a fervent fan club that defended its honour. Jeremy Clarkson also admitted to really liking the three-wheeled Reliant Robin that he rolled over again and again – which was once voted the 8th worst car ever.