Summer is the peak time of car mystique and mythology. Americans in every state tune and polish their collector vehicles. Their destinations include car events, cruise-ins at local parking lots, weddings, Memorial Day and Independence Day parades, and even drive-in theaters. The automotive industry group SEMA (Specialty Market Equipment Association) helped create National Collector Car Appreciation Day to give car hobbyists another opportunity to get collector vehicles outside for others to appreciate during the summer.

Insurance is essential for every car hobbyist. The collector-car hobby gives every independent insurance agent the chance to combine work and pleasure. A specialty policy provides property and liability coverage for car owners, but unlike standard auto policies it offers agreed-value coverage rather than actual cash value. This reflects the fact that many collector cars appreciate in value over time, rather than depreciate in value as do most “daily driver” vehicles.

Here's a visual look at 10 of the most popular cars that evoke memories of summertime fun. It's hard to choose just 10 given the broad range of collector-car categories, including antiques, exotics, muscle cars and modern classics. We limited the list to American cars to make the selection job a bit easier (and not because there aren't great summer cars that are imports).

Ford Thunderbird

Few things scream “summer” like a convertible T-bird. Especially popular in parades for their classic and big look, the Ford Thunderbird was built from 1955 until 2005. It was aimed for the luxurious buyer and the first model was a two-seat convertible. Total production was more than 4.4 million vehicles.

The Beach Boys declared in 1964's hit song “Fun, Fun, Fun” that “She'll have fun, fun, fun til her daddy takes the T-bird away.” While many Beach Boys tunes captured the essence of California summer, this song actually was written about the daughter of a radio station owner in Salt Lake City, Utah, whom the Beach Boys were visiting.

Woodie Station Wagon

Any car or truck that can fit a surfboard on its roof or out the back window would qualify as a great summer car. The Volkswagen Beetle and Volkswagen van have been popular on the coasts and are prized for their longevity. But probably the most American of beach vehicles is the “woodie” station wagon. Generations ago, a teen might borrow one from Dad or Mom to cruise down to the beach, catch some waves and make the scene at the drive-in.

Woodies weren't always about style. Prior to World War II, many cars, especially station wagons, had bodies constructed partly of wood. Even when manufacturers began using steel, some continued to use wood because the classic look was popular. Old woodie wagons became vintage and remained popular for decades. Buick, Ford, Chrysler and Nash were among the carmakers that built them.

Having a station wagon on our top 10 list of summer cars is a reminder that car collecting is often a family effort, even if today's families tend to favor sport utility vehicles for their daily drivers. Many collectors find it a way for Mom, Dad and the kids to bond and spend time together.

Many car collectors love tradition, and they love their cars. So they'll do most anything to keep them on the street. Car lovers helped defeat the 2009 federal attempt to sweep older cars off streets in favor of newer models (see: SEMA and SAN Members Help Defeat 'Cash for Clunkers').

Photo credit: Richard Thornton/Shutterstock.com

Chevrolet Corvette

Hardtop, T-roof, or convertible? Fewer cars are more widely popular as collector cars than the Corvette. Since its introduction in 1953, multiple generations have developed a love for this American classic.

The Corvette is still in production, and there are more than 160 Corvette clubs in the U.S., according to Hemmings Motor News. In 2005, Chevrolet introduced the sixth generation Corvette, the C6.

The Corvette shows that a car doesn't have to be old to be collectible. Some collectors buy a brand-new Corvette or other car for collector purposes. If the intent of the owner is to keep a car for hobby purposes, that car can be insured on a collector policy.

Ford Mustang

The Mustang made its debut with model year 1964. It's still produced, now its fifth generation of design. It's long been a popular car with teenagers and young drivers.

Many collectors like to buy the car they drove (or wanted to drive) in high school. For many high school-age teens, peeling out of the parking lot in his or her own car meant freedom, independence and/or rebellion. When they hit their 30s, 40s or 50s, those same drivers may prize that high school car because it represents financial independence. And cars aren't just for men: A growing number of women are involved in the car hobby.

Just as Americans look at cars as a sign of freedom and wanderlust, summer is a symbol of freedom for millions of school-age Americans. For many, there's no feeling like pulling out of the school parking lot one last time and heading off for summer vacation.

Chevrolet Impala 409

The 409 debuted in 1961 and got its name from a huge 409 cubic-inch engine. This full-size family car 409 was a precursor of the muscle cars of the 1970s: big engines with lots of horsepower to make a big impression on onlookers.

“409” also was the name of a big hit song for the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys not only put cars front and center in their music, they gave a boost to car clubs– as much a part of Americana as cars themselves. The Hemmings Motor News classic car club directory lists thousands of clubs for dozens of car brands. The Beach Boys' “Our Car Club,” a song released in 1963 on the album “Surfer Girl,” included these lyrics:

I've been cruisin' round the town now with the guys for quite a while

We been thinkin' 'bout starting up a club that shows some class and style

And we'll get the finest cars

We got a Deuce Coupe, a Stingray, a rail job and an XKE

(We'll start a car club)

We'll be the fastest at the drags, man, we'll really cut some low ETs

(We'll start a car club)

And wipe out the other clubs

Cadillac Fleetwood

What's even more American than driving a car in the summer? Driving it with the windows down and the radio blaring. Music, romance and cars are intertwined in American culture.

Elvis Presley popularized the 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood 60, repainted pink, featuring a pink Cadillac in the song “Baby, Let's Play House.” The song hit No. 5 on Billboard magazine's country singles chart in 1955 and was Elvis's first song to appear on a national music chart.

Bruce Springsteen immortalized a “'69 Chevy with 396” in the 1978 song “Racing in the Street,” probably referring to a Chevelle. Cars also played a starring role in Springsteen songs “Thunder Road” and “Backstreets.” But “Pink Cadillac” was among Springsteen's fun-loving songs, and seemed a thinly-veiled metaphor for the temptations of romance.

The New Jersey-born songwriter told Rolling Stone magazine that the inspiration for some of his songs came from the Jersey Shore town of Asbury Park: The “… local culture of Asbury in the '70s … was still deeply enmeshed in car culture. If you went to the Stone Pony [a bar and music club], it was a constant circle of souped-up muscle cars on Saturday and Sunday.”

Photo credit: skphotography/Shutterstock.com

Pontiac GTO

Muscle cars are American cars with two doors, a big engine and lots of horsepower. The first muscle cars were family-style mid-size or full-size cars with a larger engine packed in by the manufacturer. The Pontiac GTO is a leading muscle car. It became its own model series in 1966 after beginning life as an optional package on a Pontiac LeMans in 1963.

Other popular muscle car models are the Chevrolet Chevelle, Dodge Charger, Plymouth Road Runner and Ford Torino GT. These American classics are often seen at summer parades and car shows. Some of today's collectors modify an existing car to add a bigger engine and create a customized muscle car.

Ford T Bucket

The “T bucket” is a heavily modified version of a Ford Model T. The T bucket's open roof makes it a popular car for warm-weather locations and summer cruising. T buckets have an open engine compartment, chrome manifold and exhaust pipes, huge rear tires and a big engine–making them a classic hot rod. The two-seat body with no top gives the T bucket a look of a bucket, hence the name.

Since there are so few original Model T vehicles left, most T buckets now are built from replica components. The actual Ford Model T was built from September 1908 through October 1927. It was the first car that was mass produced on assembly lines and marketed to the middle class. Its first models had no roof, although not out of a sense of style.

Henry Ford wrote about his vision in his 1922 book “My Life and Work”:

I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one – and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces.

Chevrolet Camaro

Originating in the 1967 model year, the Camaro was dubbed a “pony car” as it aimed to compete with the Ford Mustang introduced in 1964. Other pony cars were the Plymouth Barracuda and AMC Javelin. This class of cars was marketed to be affordable and compact but also styled and sporty.

Like the Ford Mustang, the Camaro is favored by many young drivers longing for the freedom of the open road–a freedom that's often more available to them during the summertime, when they can head to the local hangout.

Pontiac Trans Am

Some consider the 1970s a lull in the development of American cars, given the popularity of imports and the rising costs of producing cars in America. One car that stands out from the era is the Pontiac Trans Am, which was a specialty package of the Pontiac Firebird produced from 1969 to 2002. Pontiac paid $5 to the Sports Car Club of America for every car sold to pay for the use of “Trans Am” as a registered trademark.

The pace car for the 1980 Indianapolis 500 was a turbo Trans Am–the car that literally led the parade toward summer during the world-famous Memorial Day race.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laura Packard

Laura Packard is vice president of sales and marketing of American Collectors Insurance, Inc., (www.AmericanCollectors.com/Agents), a national provider of specialty insurance for collectibles and collector vehicles. She can be reached at (856) 382-3207 or [email protected].