Posted on 11/04/2025 2:32:18 PM PST by nickcarraway
We don’t blame them: Pull into any parking lot and it’s a sea of grayscale SUVs with the same sweeping LED eyebrows and bloated body lines.
By any measure, modern cars are starting to look a little too much alike. A Honda CR-V looks like a Hyundai Tucson. A BMW X5 looks like an Alfa Romeo SUV. Maybe that’s why the next wave of car enthusiasts, Gen Z, is quietly falling for the classics instead.
According to Hagerty’s 2024 “Future of Driving” survey, 60% of Gen Z respondents said they’re interested in owning a classic car.
That’s nearly double the rate of Baby Boomers Hagerty, based in Traverse City, Michigan, commissioned the study through OnePoll, surveying over 2,000 Americans about their relationship with cars and driving.
The data hints at a cultural shift: young drivers are drawn to older cars because they feel more alive.
77% percent of Gen Zers said they love or like driving, and many already own “enthusiast” cars
They’re not just scrolling car content on YouTube or Instagram. They’re showing up at real-world car shows, wrenching, and learning to drive stick.
And honestly, who can blame them? My husband and I drive a 21-year-old BMW 325i, a compact, performance-minded manual that still feels connected in ways modern cars don’t.
Sure, we’ve recently replaced a fuel level sender and an AC compressor…two parts I’ve seen fail just as often on newer Hondas and F-150s. But otherwise, it’s been remarkably easy to live with.
It’s also sharper, better balanced, and infinitely more expressive than most of today’s small cars.
Hagerty’s data backs up this craving for personality The most popular classics Gen Z is insuring are 1990 to 1998 Mazda Miatas.
It’s the lightweight roadster that practically defined “pure” driving.
Millennials lean toward old-school Chevy GMT400 pickups (It’s me, Hi!) another era of honest, straightforward engineering. But hey, I’d hop into a 90s Miata or Honda Civic Del Sol any day.
This isn’t just nostalgia in reverse. It’s a quiet rebellion
Gen Z drivers are seeing through the sameness of new-car design and finding inspiration in vehicles that had character, color, and mechanical soul.
Half the survey’s respondents said driving makes them feel free. It’s a reminder that cars once symbolized individuality, not just commute duty.
In fact, 43% said classic cars are part of American heritage worth preserving. Despite some trends in some areas, maybe young people aren’t actually giving up on driving. Some are reclaiming it, one analog machine at a time.
Never heard of the Darrin before. Looks good.
“Fun of driving”. Nailed it.
People want cars they can drive and feel like it isn’t spying on them. They don’t want cars that do the driving and keeps track of their every move.
People tend to gravitate towards freedom.
Novel notion, isn’t it?
Every now and then I’d like a 60’s to 80’s spare vehicle but I admit I like being able to park both my Tacoma and the wife’s Camry in the garage.
We live in the burbs and couldn’t expand or build on if we wanted to.
Besides I really don’t have anywhere to go.
1:18 die cast models are enough for now.
My current stable:
DDs: 2016 MKC, 2015 MKC
Backup / loaner: 2005 Grand Prix
Utility: 1985 GMC 1500
Fun: 1966 Mustang
More fun: 1969 Cougar XR7
I’ve been able to fix most issues on the MKCs, but when the ‘puter gives up so do I.
This is why I like my 1982 Dodge W-150 utiline (stepside) 4WD pickup with slant six and 4speed manual. Slant sixes are practically indestructible and easy to work on when you absolutely have to. Just wish it had AC.
ND is shorthand among enthusiasts for the fourth generation MX-5, 2015 to present.
The whole episode is worth watching if you like offbeat comedy.
If we’re a cop, I’d probably act very similar.
Gabe Kaplan should have gotten a series based on that episode.
My friend has one. She loves it.
Harbor freight is what I buy when I think I will need to use a weird tool one time and then not care when it breaks.
There’s a place for such tools on occasion.
Looks like an ideal mountain vehicle.
We pick out driving times and places with care.
It is NOT a comfortable cross country vehicle nor would I drive it in inclement weather. Nix driving at night. (I’m old)
But, at sunrise on winding 35-45 mph roads when I pretend I know how to drive it well, it is a blast.
Yeah, gotta pay attention.
I feel the same way. Today’s crap is cow sh** compared to the 60s muscle cars. Today’s “cars” are crap. No wonder they read their texts while they drive. Driving is a total bore. Hit a frog on the road and you’re going to destroy your entire front end.
Jay Leno said all modern cars look like gum drops.
Gen Z should know that thinking like this means your much wealthier than the generations that came before them.
- drawn to older cars because they feel more alive.-
I can understand that. Our four vehicles are:
A 1949 Chevy truck my grandfather bought. I learned to drive in this one when I was 13. I restored this one from the frame up.
A 2002 Jeep Wrangler bought new. I need this one for the trails like in Moab. I am constantly modifying this one and I don’t see that stopping while I’m still alive.
A 2012 Toyota bought new. I must have a pickup truck. I have not have a single problem with this one so why get a new one.
A 2021 Jeep Cherokee my wife bought new. This one looks just like the rest of the SUVs on the road.
I’d like to buy an old Dodge Ramcharger or a long bed pick-up for a SHTF vehicle.
CAFE standards is also why you sea oil weights that are not conducive to engine longevity.
Also swapping a diesel engine into early 1990's Mercedes wagon along with performance upgrades.
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