Join The Club! Younger generations embrace classic cars
- According to recent data, Gen Xers as well as millennials have a greater interest in classic vehicles.
- The Camaro Corvette and Mustang are among the most desired muscle cars.
- Even though autonomous vehicles are on the rise, younger generations still enjoy going for a ride.
In The Art of Mopar, Tom Glatch writes: “There is an adage that Detroiters live by.” You can sell an older man’s vehicle to a younger man, but never vice versa.
Glatch describes Dodge as an old man’s brand that was sinking under a wave of young baby boomers during the 1960s. A vibrant spokeswoman and brilliant designer would change the tides, but it took a powerful car to do so. In the 2015 film A Faster Horse, Lee Iacocca, his team, and Ford’s Mustang were often working in secret. The car industry needed to adopt a bold, unconventional design in order to survive the new era that was on the horizon.
It is well known that the muscle car era began in America, but its beginnings were rather modest. John Z. DeLorean was Pontiac’s Chief Engineer. He, along with Bill Collins, and Russ Gee bolted the 389 ci engine onto a Tempest prototype chassis for the GTO. They took 20 minutes. The muscle car era began. The rest is history.
History lives on.
Welcome to the Club
The muscle and performance vehicles that were popularized by the baby boomers have now gained popularity among younger generations. Hagerty data shows that for the first ever, a greater number of Gen Xers are seeking insurance quotes and classic car values via . This is the company’s vehicle valuation tool. Hagerty reports that Gen Xers, millennials and baby boomers are outpacing each other in this field by a margin of 53 to 47 percent. According to current trends, the millennials will be the largest group in the hobby within five years. They are the nation’s most populous generation.
McKeel Hagerty is the CEO of Hagerty. It’s wonderful to see that younger generations love cars just as much as their parents and grandparent. “Welcome to the Club!” We say. ‘”
Ray Guarino is the Co-Host for MotorMouth Radio, WHPC 90.3, FM in Garden City, New York. It’s nostalgia, the family ties with a particular car or brand and the cool factor that the cars had in the past.
Most Popular Models: Trucks Find Favor Too
The data from Hagerty reveals that while 1960s American Iron (read: Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes) are popular with all generations, there are also distinct and interesting differences. Ford Model A is, for example, the most popular vehicle among pre-boomers who were born before 1946. The car Edsel himself favored, however, falls to 38th position among millennials.
Guarino stated that “history has shown us that different generations embrace different cars, but also reject certain older ones.” “I remember when I was a teen, I did not want a Model A, a Packard, or a Cord. Those were the old cars for guys. “But today, I could imagine myself cruising around in a Packard.”
Especially among younger enthusiasts, trucks and SUVs are still popular. C/K Series Chevrolet trucks from the 1970s/80s are the most sought-after. Gen Xers, millennials and pre-boomers are more likely than boomers or pre-boomers to choose a classic pickup truck.
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Vintage pickups are a great way to get into the hobby. John Wiley is a Valuation Analyst at Hagerty. He said that it makes sense to see pickups rise in popularity as the older enthusiasts pass on. “Vehicles such as the first-generation Ford Bronco are popular because they’re easy to maintain and can be customized by those who want to make them their own.”
Guarino said, “I believe we should definitely talk more about the appeal of vintage vehicles.” You’re seeing more and more vintage trucks at auctions and cruise nights.
Video Games Influence the Trend
Like the Model A, European and Japanese classics also have a certain appeal, but they are also subject to generational preferences. Pre-boomers, for example, are three times as likely to search information about British cars than millennials. German cars remain popular among all generations. Japanese cars are more popular with millennials than with any other generation.
Wiley says that this is due to the fact that millennials have seen more cars on the road.
He explained that they also saw Japanese cars in video games such as Gran Turismo from 1997. “The games that were more familiar to Gen-Xers, like Pong in 1972, Pac-Man in 1980 and even the early driving games Out Run in 1986 did not include Japanese cars.”
Turning Wrenches
The answer to why American muscle cars are so popular could be simple. Older muscle cars have more power, are cheaper, and are easier to repair than newer vehicles.
Wiley explained, “It’s because they’re fast and look good.” They have been produced in a relatively large number, which means that there are examples of good quality in all price ranges.
Guarino continued, “I still have the ability to work on my Pontiac. I can take it apart a thousand time and still rebuild it and it will still be good metal.” “With an electric or autonomous vehicle, the technology is so new that we haven’t even reached a point where we can repair them, much less restore them. It’s easy to see why people are leasing cars because they’re harder to maintain.
Some People Still Love Driving
Not all young people are anti-driving despite the advent of autonomous vehicles. The benefits touted by proponents of autonomous driving may lead to a false conclusions. The younger generation sees cars as only a tool. Some studies show that interest in driving has declined. However, other studies paint a very different picture. A Hagerty study conducted last year found that 78 per cent of Gen Xers and 81 per cent of millennials were passionate about driving .
These findings are in line with the baby boomers, who accounted for 79 percent.
Wiley stated that it is important to distinguish between driving and commuting when discussing the future of automotive industry. This data shows that the enthusiasm for driving and cars is not going away with the baby-boomer generation, as some had speculated.
Evolution of Ownership Models
Leasing remains a popular choice for consumers, even though rates will increase in this year. Ford, General Motors and Volvo are all experimenting with subscription-based methods of ownership. The goal is to create a subscription-based ownership model that caters to the needs and wants of a younger generation.
Dietmar exler, President and Chief Executive Officer of MBUSA, said: “We are always trying to stay in front of our customers and their needs and wants as well as bringing new people into the brand.” We know that there’s a market for people who want the flexibility to switch between vehicles depending on their needs or wants at any given time or don’t wish to own a car right now.
It may be that younger generations do not have a traditional vehicle.
Wiley stated that “Our data show that some of most passionate drivers are also open to the idea autonomous driving, ride sharing services, and even subscribing-based ownership models of new cars.” But, they’re equally passionate about ensuring they can always take a fun vehicle out for a joy drive beyond their daily commute. If owning a car for daily use is not essential, there is more space in the garage.
Slices of American Pie
The quality of garage time is another (and possibly the most significant) reason that younger generations are becoming more interested in classic cars. The image of father and son in the garage is a common one in American culture. The American culture is forever imprinted with these moments. Fathers giving advice to their kids beyond the proper care of an automobile. Whole generations have put in motion the ideals that they learned from their elders at the garage.
Perhaps in today’s social-media-obsessed, smartphone-driven world, the longing for a classic car is a return to better days? Maybe younger generations want to continue the hobbies and passions of their elders. Often, those interests were automotive pursuits. It could be curiosity, or a desire to create something unique. In this case, it would be a cool vehicle.
They are all equally valid.
Guarino explained, “I always try to see things from my perspective of where I came from.” “My friends built up clunker vehicles and put different engines into them. We literally built our rides.
Carl Anthony is studying mechanical engineering at Wayne State University. He also serves on the board of directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation and belongs to the Midwest Automotive Media Association, as well as the Society of Automotive Historians. Prior to returning to school, Carl Anthony held both product development and experiential marketer roles in the auto industry.