Javillac
We have just inaugurated the new year of 2025 and for many lovers of the most modern classic cars this means that a large number of models presented in 1995 will be reaching the necessary age to be able to be classified as historic vehicles under the new regulation presented in 2024.
To go back thirty years in time, we will recall some anniversaries that occurred in 1995, such as the presentation of the Windows 95 operating system, which opened the door to the use of computers for many users and started a true revolution on the newborn Internet. In terms of culture, Toy Story, the first Pixar film and also the first to be generated entirely by computer, was released in cinemas.
But returning to cars we are in full mid-nineties, and new designs increasingly reflect this shift towards more rounded designs that seemed to anticipate the imminent arrival of the new millennium in just a few years. This means that in many cases they still look like modern cars, even though they have been on the market for thirty years.
FERRARI F50
After the exclusive, yet popular Ferrari F40 ended production in 1992, the Maranello brand was working on its next supercar. The successor arrived in 1995, with a development that drew on the world of Formula 1, including the engine. 12-litre V4,7 with 512 hp of power which was created from the blocks of the Ferrari 641 cars that Alain Prost competed with in the 1990 season.
El Ferrari F50 had a much more limited production than its predecessor, with almost a thousand fewer units, since Only 349 of these cars were built. until 1997. It was the last supercar from the Italian firm during the 2002th century, as the successor did not arrive until XNUMX with the Enzo Ferrari.
BMW Z3
If there was a category of the automobile that experienced a Renaissance era during the nineties those were the convertible sports cars two-seater, which inspired, in large part, the success of the mazda miata, many manufacturers to try their hand at this fun car concept.
Thus BMW introduced the Z3 in September 1995, with an eye on the 1996 season. Originally the car only had four-cylinder engines, as the six-cylinder blocks did not arrive until 1996, the same year in which the Z3 M was presented. On the other hand, the shooting brake The BMW Z3 Coupé was not launched until 1998.
FIAT BARCHETTA
Coinciding with the same year of the launch of the BMW Z3, Fiat decides to present its own two-seater convertible; the Barchetta. The car It was based on the popular Fiat Punto, using the same engine configuration and front-wheel drive, using a 16-litre, 1,8 hp, 129-valve, double-overhead-cam four-cylinder block.
This model was in production until 2005, the same year in which the Maggiora coachbuilder declared bankruptcy. Also in 1995 Fiat introduced other models that were quite popular, such as: the Bravo and Brava.
RENAULT MEGANE
Perhaps one of the most popular models to come out of France during the 1990s was the Renault Mégane. This car It came to replace the successful Renault 19, and took over, inheriting all of its bodies; three, four and five doors in hatchback and family variants.
In 1997, the two-door convertible version made its debut, which definitely marked an era, especially in such striking colours as yellow. This first generation was manufactured until 2002 and given its high sales, it is a candidate to become a popular classic in the future.
CHEVROLET TAHOE
Beyond the convertibles that currently seem to be in danger of extinction, another segment that enjoyed increasing popularity during the nineties, especially in America, were the SUVs, which are omnipresent on any road today.
One of the models responsible for this success was the Chevrolet Tahoe, which came onto the market in early 1995 and gave American consumers a smaller SUV alternative to the SuburbanAlthough GMC had already been manufacturing its own version of the model since 1991, with the arrival of the Chevy the four-door body style was introduced for both brands.
MG F
Continuing with the rise of two-seater convertibles, MG, who for years manufactured some of the most iconic models in this segment, decided to reinterpret their version of the British roadster, with a twist that was the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive configurationIt was the first model of the brand launched on the market after being purchased by BMW.
Unfortunately, although the cars were a lot of fun, their engines were notorious for being unreliable, something that was not helped by the Hydragas suspension on some units. The model was manufactured until 2002, although it had a direct successor to the MG TF launched the same year.
Alfa Romeo GTV and Spider
In 1995 Alfa Romeo launched two New versions of two of its legendary modelsOne of these cars was a new GTV, bringing back the brand's traditional sports coupés that had been absent from its catalogue since the discontinuation of the previous GTV in 1987.
On the other hand, a new Alfa Romeo Spider was also presented, which finally provided a much-needed successor to the original model manufactured between 1966 and 1994. Both the new GTV and Spider used the same platform and They were designed by the same team at Pininfarina.
PEUGEOT 406
Peugeot said goodbye to the 20th century with A very traditional saloon with a design by Pininfarina, a formula that had brought them great success for years and which was no exception with the 406, a model that was manufactured until 2004.
It was not until 1996 when Peugeot decided to launch a coupé version of the model, recovering a tradition that had been lost with the 504. Curiously, Pininfarina originally offered this design to Fiat, but they discarded it since they opted to design the Fiat Coupé.
HONDA CIVIC (SIXTH GENERATION)
In 1972 Honda introduced the compact Civic model; a big bet for the Japanese company, since the car business was not going particularly well for them during that time, and if this car was not successful they probably would have limited themselves to manufacturing only motorcycles.
Fortunately the Civic turned out to be a world bestseller, and In 1995 Honda launched the sixth generation of the model having sold millions of units for more than two decades.
