Qatar classic cars, a topic that never have I thought would be researching, or writing about. When I left Qatar seven years ago, there were no signs that there ever would be high demand in the market for classic cars, Qatar specifically and the region in general.

A couple of months ago I received an international call at three in the morning. Don't be very deceived by the timing; the conversation could have waited a couple more hours, however due to miss calculations on the caller's behalf. By all means, I do not regret waking up to take the call. The subject was of great importance and forced me not to go back to sleep, rather jump right to research. The first thing I heard when I picked up the phone is an old friend saying "how much have you dealt with classic cars?", "there is a very high demand for classic cars in the region, and the supply is very low". On the ending note of the call, I promised I will have a preliminary research completed within a week.

As always, I started by certifying the facts I was told in regards to supply and demand, and the overall economic situation of the country. I found many articles and press releases discussing the fact that car manufacturers are taking advantage of the increasing demand for personalized, classic and antique cars in the region. The underlying reasons for the change in demand of the past seven years was explained by Bufori (a modern brand of rare automobiles resembling 1930s coupes), the high demand is a reflection of the booming population, and economics of the region in general, and more specifically Dubai and Qatar. Hence, that Crude Oil was discovered in Qatar back in the 1940s; however the wealth of the nation gradually increased over the next sixty years, till Natural Gas was discovered. Its people now have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

The research journey has not stopped, rather the more research I make, the more I am interested to learn about the differences in tastes and markets. I will dedicate an article for the amazing finding in the market differences. To get up-to-date research results, visit the section I dedicated to Qatar classic cars

I often drive from Fergus Falls, MN to Wadena, MN, a distance of about 55 miles. Between and inside these two towns, it seems that nearly all 1980s cars that are still being driven are Toyota vehicles. From the automobiles that I see being driven on the highways between, and on the streets within, these two communities, I might venture the guess that Toyota Motor Corporation had 80% to 95% of the U.S. new car market in the 1980s. However, back then, Toyota's share of the U.S. car market was in the single digits. This suggests that 1980s Toyota automobiles have remarkable durability, relative to the products of other auto makers.

I have a fascination with car durability, as I own a 1984 Toyota Corolla hatchback, presently with more than 545,000 miles. I bought this car new in 1984 because of its Consumer Reports' reliability history, but I had no idea that I would enjoy owning it longer than the 4 years that I owned my 1976 and 1980 General Motors cars, both with multiple problems and speedy dilapidation, and the latter with large rust spots within the first year and a half, cracks in the dashboard, and a sweating steering wheel, not to mention the mechanism failures.

So, my personal experiences have strongly suggested that Toyota vehicles have both a reliability and a durability that far exceeds the products of most automobile manufacturers. However, the question arises: Are these experiences anomalies without any guide for others as to what they might anticipate?

Most likely, they are not anomalies. The available data suggest that Toyota products are very long lasting, lasting much longer than those of most other motor vehicle manufacturers.

Here is some of that data.

From 2001 to 2009, visitors to a leading automotive website specializing in auto reliability and durability information were given an opportunity to submit information regarding their high mileage automobiles for inclusion in one or more of the site's high mileage rosters that were then available. From the information provided, Toyota Motor Corporation accounted for more than 63% of the cars and trucks with 400,000 or more miles and 15 or more years and 60% of the Top 25 highest mileage vehicles.

Also from 2001 to 2009, owners of Toyota cars and trucks were asked, by one of the site's online surveys, to estimate when their vehicle would be akin to a typical Big Three vehicle at 50,000 miles, taking account of "repair needs, unpleasant noises, surges, knocks, structural integrity, body-accessory integrity, proper component functioning, and interior esthetics." The median estimate was 250,000 miles, suggesting that Big Three vehicles age about 5 times more rapidly than Toyota vehicles.

Similar aging results were obtained by detailed computations using the reliability information available in several years of Consumer Reports' reliability tables. By these computations, the estimated age at which a typical 1999 Toyota model will be as troublesome as a typical 1999 General Motors model was at age 3 years was found to be 19 years. Corresponding estimated Toyota age equivalents for a 3-year-old typical 1999 model by Chrysler and Ford were 17 years and 15 years, respectively.

Consequently, the data indicate that 1980s and 1990s Toyota vehicles have been good prospects for long-term ownership. The question of interest today is: What 2000s vehicles are good prospects for 20-year to 35-year ownership?

For any vehicle to be a good long-term-ownership prospect, it must remain reliable as it ages, that is, it must have a low frequency of serious problems at all ages. The benchmark set here is that a good long-term-ownership candidate must have, at the very least, an overall 2010 Car Reliability Grade Point Average of 3.80 over a full 10-year data history. By this standard, the prospects, together with their 10-year-data-history GPA, are:

The V6 Toyota 4Runner, a midsize SUV with a perfect 4.00 GPA,
The 4-cylinder Toyota RAV4, a small SUV with a 3.88 GPA,
Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus RX, a midsize SUV with a 3.88 GPA,
Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus ES, a upscale sedan with a 3.81 GPA,
Toyota Motor Corporation's Lexus LS, a luxury sedan with a 3.81 GPA,

The Toyota Corolla, a small sedan with a 3.81 GPA,
The V6, 4-wheel-drive Toyota Tacoma, a small-to-midsize pickup truck with a 3.81 GPA,
The 4-cylinder Honda Accord, a midsize sedan with a 3.81 GPA.

Close to meeting the standard are the Honda Civic Sedan with a 3.75 10-year-data-history GPA, the 4-cylinder Toyota Camry with a 3.69 GPA, and the Honda CR-V with a 3.63 GPA.

A good candidate for meeting the standard next year is the Toyota Prius, with a 9-year-data-history GPA of a perfect 4.00.

James Benjamin Bleeker has a B.A. from Carleton College in mathematics, a J.D. from Northwestern University, and an M.S. from the University of Minnesota in mathematics. He has practiced law, and taught Introductory Statistics, Calculus III, Business Calculus, Finite Math, College Algebra, Introductory and Intermediate Algebra, and Foundations at various universities and colleges. He currently has two websites - Auto on Info at http://www.autooninfo.net/ and Cars on Info at http://carsoninfo.net/ - which provide detailed auto quality information for cars and trucks sold in North America. For much of the 2000s, AutoOnInfo.net has been the dominant provider of auto reliability and durability information, some of it gather from its own online surveys and questionnaires.

If you are extremely interested in popular models of vintage vehicles, restoring classic cars for fun and profit might be a hobby you want to consider. There are many models of antique cars to consider, but the parts can be difficult to find. For that reason, it seems that many people are restoring classic cars that are all-time favorites, but they are searching for those that still offer resources for original parts and enhancements. You might find some of the original American-made "muscle cars" a popular choice that fits the criteria you should consider. There are many different models to consider for your first restoration project.

The Ford Mustang is one of these automobiles and since the release of the newest models of this "muscle car," they have become highly collectible and popular restoration projects. For those that are just getting started with this fun and profitable hobby, restoring classic cars, like the Mustang, can be satisfying and original parts are still readily available. Since their introduction in the mid-60s, it seems their popularity has never waned, although they have undergone a number of changes through the decades.

You can get expert online advice about restoration, after-market parts, and all of the different collectible models, which are bought and sold through these ready-made online marketplaces. Most people that start restoring classic cars might have some mechanical ability, but you can start a restoration project and do some of the basic work on your own. While there might be more difficult mechanical or bodywork to be done by experts, there are many appearance enhancements that can be added to many vintage models and they are easily accomplished by the average person.

There are some people that will start restoring classic cars as a weekend pastime for fun, but once they have a fully restored vehicle, they might start getting offers to sell their prized accomplishment. Many of these hobbyist restorers are surprised to find that a fully restored vehicle can easily net a profit that might make it worth selling. This is especially true if it is one of the most popular models of Mustangs, such as the Mach 1, the Cobra, or the Shelby GT350, for example.

Over the decades, there have been many limited editions released. For collectors, these might be the most popular, but for the hobby restoration project, they can mean big profits, once they are completely restored. While you might start restoring classic cars for fun, it is possible to start making good profits on your vintage vehicles that have been restored, if you choose a popular model, to begin with. With the Internet, it is now easier than ever to learn about anything you need to know and restoring classic cars is no exception.

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