Market for survivors...

[cook_dw]

DISCLAIMER: This is my own personal opinion.


Here is my take on 3 levels of the term "Survivor Car".

Time Capsule - A vehicle that was been well preserved and still attains 95 - 100% of its original born with components.

Relic - A vehicle that has been discovered after a length of time that still has many of its original components but is in need of repair or refurbishing to make it safe and/or driveable.

Unrestored Original - A vehicle that has been maintained and enjoyed over the years and still has at least 80-95% of its original components.




One could break these down further but this is how I classify "survivor" cars.


EDIT:

I pulled this from Steve's Vintage Certification Form.

Vintage Certifications are divided into five award levels:
• Vintage Time Capsule -Vehicles that are 95+% unrestored in all areas
• Vintage Legend - Vehicles that are 85+% unrestored in all areas.
• Vintage Heritage - Vehicles that are 85+% unrestored in five areas
• Vintage Legacy - Vehicles that are 85+% unrestored in four areas.
• Vintage Reference - Vehicles that are 85+% unrestored in at least two Vintage Reference Area.

[Big Block Bill]

The trademarked name "Survivor" (as far as a Corvette was concerned) was done by David Burroughs I believe in 1989 for the sole purpose to identify Corvettes that were "Worn In but Not Worn Out" . A lot of knowledge was lost from original cars back then that were being restored to better than originally built by a lot of people going after the Gold certification.

I owned a 1967 Lynndale Blue L-79 roadster that passed all 4 sections of paint, interior, chassis, and engine compartment in the first year of Bloomington Gold Survivor judging back it the first year 1990 and was one of 3 cars to form the Benchmark award in 1991. We were all given a glass circular trophy that stated Survivor on it . I just donated this trophy to the National Corvette Museum (according to them they have never seen one before) this past May (Survivor winners after 1990 received a certificate like Gold or Benchmark awarded cars got) along with Benchmark photos and other items. The term "Survivor" has been loosely used in all brands, years, makes, and models of cars in the past 15-20 years. It's all personal opinion, but my belief is "Survivor" was (in the beginning) for Corvette only, hence the trade mark of the word. I hope I have not offended anyone here, this was not reason for posting.

Bill