Time to buy Rapide or Continental GT (classics in an EV world)?

No.

 

No times two.......

 

Sunshine - I am going to say YES. Personally I have no intention to ever owning an EV anything in my driving life. They are absolutely of zero interest to me. Despite the entire infrastructure argument, I am not interested in having something that doesn't give me the engagement and satisfaction (particularly in manual transmission mode).
Nonetheless, the arguments and debates will continue.

I believe getting something now, even several of what you like, would ease the use on just one car. Depending on your driving level, this spreads out use and wear and tear. To me, it is hard to beat the pinnacle of a particular make/model. Yes, now prices are inflated for all used models but having and keeping something preserved is hard to ever fault.

 

Well if you truly beleive they will just become dinosaurs then what's that say about much older ICE classics? The Rapide at least is attractive and while it's useless for anyone except a paraplegic in the rear seats it's still a comfortable and nice look car. I've never driven one though.

 

If you are ready, now is the time, opportunities to get the car you want in the best condition seems to be sooner than later. The current forecast is for fewer and fewer new ICE models, at least for the next 10 years, not to mention the incredible amount of nannies being forced via regulation (depending on where in the world you are) that will be a nuisance at best, crippling at worst.

 

I fear that a time will come when all ICE powered cars will become unusable, due to a combination of legislation and lack of availability of fuel. In that event, very few will retain the value they have now. I don't really care about the value, but I do care about being able to drive my ICE powered cars.

Happily, however, that time is unlikely to come while I am still in a fit condition to drive, so it won't be my problem. In the unlikely event that it does, I shall have my E-type converted to electric power and put my Bentleys in a glass box in my garden where I can admire them as reminders of "the good old days".

 

Very difficult to say and it will vary from one country to another. Here in the UK, sales of ICE powered cars will cease in 2030 and hybrids in 2035. The average life expectancy of a run of the mill car is around 12 years. So demand for petrol should be in serious decline after 2040 and eventually it will become uneconomical to service a petrol station network. Diesel may be around for a bit longer, as sales of ICE powered commercial vehicles is not due to cease until between 2035 and 2040 and diesel powered cars tend to have a longer life than petrol powered ones.

Depressing, isn't it?

My own life expectancy is due to run out in 2040, so I don't give a toss!