Here is a twist nobody saw coming at the cruise-in. The generation most often pictured staring at a phone is the one most eager to park a classic car in the driveway, and it is not the Baby Boomers who grew up with those cars.

According to the Hagerty newsroom, which reported the findings on July 23, 2024, 60% of Gen Z respondents said they are interested in owning a classic car. Among Baby Boomers, the number was 31%. Across everyone surveyed, 47% said they were interested. Run the math and Gen Z comes in at nearly twice the Boomer rate, with the overall average sitting right in between.

The numbers come from the Hagerty 2024 Future of Driving survey, which was conducted by OnePoll and Talker Research and included more than 2,000 Americans.

What The Gap Really Tells Us

It is worth being careful about what a survey like this measures. Interest in owning a classic car is not the same as owning one. Plenty of people of every age would say yes to a vintage convertible if the question costs nothing to answer, and the survey measured interest, not purchases.

Still, the size of the gap is the headline. Boomers are the generation that watched many of these cars roll off the line and who might be expected to be the most sentimental about them. Instead, fewer than a third said they were interested in owning one, while a clear majority of Gen Z said they were. That tells us the appeal of old cars is not just nostalgia for the cars of your own youth. Some young people want what they never had.

That makes a certain kind of sense. A classic car is a physical thing you can touch, hear and work on, and that is a different experience from the screens most of us deal with all day. You do not need a survey to know that plenty of people enjoy a hobby that gets their hands dirty.

If You Already Own A Classic

If there is an older car sitting in your garage, a survey like this is a nice reminder that you may be holding something a younger buyer would love to have. It is not a promise about price, but it is a good excuse to get your paperwork in order, so you are ready whenever you decide what to do with it.

• Gather the title, any service receipts and any old photos in one folder. A car with a documented history is easier to sell and easier to insure.
• Take clear, honest photos in good light, including the flaws. Younger buyers shop online first, and they tend to trust sellers who show the whole car.
• Write down what you know about the car’s story: who owned it, where it lived, what has been replaced. Those details are often what make a buyer fall for a particular car.
• Think twice before a big restoration just to sell. Money spent on fresh paint and parts does not always come back in the price.

If You Are Tempted To Buy One

For anyone feeling the pull, whether you are 25 or 75, the same sensible rules apply. Set a budget that includes more than the purchase price, because old cars need maintenance, storage and insurance. Ask a trusted mechanic who knows older vehicles to look the car over before any money changes hands. Check that the title is clean and the identification numbers match the paperwork. And take it for a long drive, not just a lap around the block, so you know how it behaves once it warms up.

It also helps to join a local club or show up at a weekend meet. Owners love to talk about their cars, and the advice you pick up in a parking lot can save you real money. Better still, those events are where different generations tend to find each other, with the older folks happy to share what they know and the younger ones eager to learn.

A Hobby Both Generations Can Share

The nicest part of this survey is the idea that a Boomer with a garage full of memories and a Gen Z fan with a dream car list may have more in common than anyone guessed. Grandparents can pass along stories about what it was like to drive these cars when they were new. Grandkids can bring the excitement and the energy to keep the hobby alive.

So the next time a young person in your family asks about the old car under the tarp, do not be surprised. According to the Hagerty survey, they are far from alone, and you may have just found your newest weekend project partner.

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