Here’s a topic we could probably write reams about, if we only could figure out terminology.

You see, the Germans have for many years now used a term, “Youngtimer,” to describe automobiles that aren’t really old but still generate interest as collector cars. As David LaChance pointed out a few years back, it generally refers to cars 20 to 30 years old, though there’s no hard and fast cutoff. To add some shading to the term, it also generally includes cars that were high-end or of special interest when new. “A lot of these cars had stickers that only the select few could read without needing smelling salts, and have now been put in the reach of the masses through our old friend depreciation,” David wrote.

Youngtimer is a great term. It’s succinct. It fills in the gap between used cars and classic cars. With the rolling cutoff, it doesn’t get tied to a certain era the way a term like “malaise” or “Radwood” does. It effectively gives older-but-not-yet-old cars a stepping stone into collectibility. (“It’s sort of the on-deck circle for classic status,” as David put it.)

So, what are your criteria for Youngtimer status?