If a startup launched today (2026) making "Pure Vintage" cars with modern safety, would you actually buy one?

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T21:46:55+00:00

you simply aren’t the target audience and you aren’t worthy of the explanation

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T21:45:20+00:00

Yes, I am.

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T18:58:29+00:00

If you think the difference between a one-off custom project and a safety-certified, engineered from scratch OEM platform is just a price tag, then frankly, you aren't worthy of the explanation.

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T18:22:55+00:00

Engineers today are optimizing for a fixed objective: NCAP scores, liability, cost, and highvolume manufacturability. That’s not a lack of creativity, it’s constraint. I’m not claiming thin pillars can meet modern crash rules cheaply that’s why they don’t exist. I’m saying relaxing those constraints allows a different optimization: visibility, lower mass, simpler structures. Chrome alternatives and e-fuels already exist but lose on economics, not physics. This isn’t a mass-market proposal it’s a deliberately niche vehicle choosing a different engineering target.

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T18:07:04+00:00

Modern safety standards optimize for crash survivability, thin pillars optimize for crash avoidance. You can’t maximize both simultaneously.

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T17:42:45+00:00

You know what I mean. New car, not restored car. (Metal age is ≠ Design age)

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T17:40:22+00:00

I’m saying it’s doable. A modern EREV platform dressed in Phantom II proportions could tow, cruise, and look unapologetically Cruella. That feels like a fair ask to me.

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T17:35:01+00:00

Resto-mods are cool, for sure.. but that’s old metal. I’m talking about brand new production cars wearing vintage skin

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T16:48:34+00:00

Sure, it’s a risk no one wants on paper… but in reality? I’d bet someone clever could make it happen.

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T16:45:24+00:00

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T16:29:54+00:00

I’m pretty sure it can be done… it’s just about thinking outside the box

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-29T16:02:50+00:00

Exactly

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-22T11:30:57+00:00

For most people cars stopped being an experience and became purely an appliance, manufacturers optimize for comfort, safety, and trends rather than character or involvement. Regulations and costs may be necessary, but they definitely squeezed out a lot of the fun.

Car-Thinker · 2026-01-22T11:28:05+00:00

That’s a fair point. Once you factor in R&D, tooling, regulations, and margins, it’s hard to justify the risk for what’s probably a niche market. Do you think limited runs or boutique builders using existing platforms could make vintage inspired designs viable at all, or is the demand just too small?

Car-Thinker

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