Re: What is an Antique?

[steeleman]

So some food for thought here.

I am a new member as of last October and I am 24 years old. I have grown up around outboards and have always had a fascination with them. My parents owned a 1968 Rinkerbuilt with original ’68 Merc 650 that I now own and I spent every summer on a rowboat powered by a ’76 Evinrude 2hp.

I remember the lake we camped at every year there was a local kid with a 55 Evinrude 7.5 and I used to be green with jealousy at how cool that motor looked, especially when I was only pushing with 2hp.

I since have started a collection of my own, consisting of those motors above, as well as a few other additions including a ’62 5.5 Johnson and ’63 10hp.

That being said, call them classic, vintage, antique or otherwise; it is the motors I’m attracted too. I appreciate a newer​ outboard as much as the next guy, but I don’t spend hours on Craigslist looking for them, I don’t spend time looking at upcoming auctions to see if there is that prized ’85 Johnson. That motor would be well older than I am, but it does not carry the significance that an older model carries.

To me, for what it’s worth, in 50 years I will not be seeking out a 2017 Mercury as a classic. They just do not have the personality that a classic outboard has. Motors that you can take apart in your garage with a screwdriver and a crescent wrench are the important ones.

If I had to put a date on it, I would say maybe ’79 was the last classic outboard. That date of course is subjective. They represent a different place in time. A new Mercury will never turn a head at the launch like a ’55 Evinrude 7.5 did even when I was a kid in the early 2000’s. A 2017 Mercury will never be as cool from my perspective.

Thank you for allowing my input. I hope it is informative from a different perspective on a young, new member. Y’all have an awesome club here, let’s keep it awesome for years to come. Classic, vintage, or otherwise.