Average miles collector cars driven by decade

[Dr B]

I just saw this interesting article from Hagerty (https://www.hagerty.com/media/market-trends/hagerty-insider/how-much-are-we-driving/?hashed_email=c108c538d366b089a9c4f43f54274686f39e2fc74f021f76f066bb45bf7fdd61&dtm_em=c108c538d366b089a9c4f43f54274686f39e2fc74f021f76f066bb45bf7fdd61) that uses resale auction data to calculate how many miles various decade cars are driven, 1920s to 2020s. As someone who drives their collector cars a lot, I found it interesting how few miles most people drive their cars, not surprising, but depressing. I especially can't believe that cars from the 20s, 30s, and 40s are only driven on average 60-80 miles per year! (I know several people on this sight, myself included, that drive that many miles every time we take our cars out). The fact that the median is half the mean tells you that some drive a lot and some drive very little.  Also, this only uses resold cars. Long term ownerships without a sale are not included in the calculations.  Take this with a grain of salt, but at least they used data to produce their results.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

Robert

[Mark Shaw]

16 minutes ago, Dr B said:

cars from the 20s, 30s, and 40s are only driven on average 60-80 miles per year!

     This is no surprise to me.  Unlike the HCCA, the majority of car clubs do not promote touring in old cars.  I used to drive my 1913 Buick about a thousand miles on several organized National & regional HCCA tours each year.  But, like many collectors with multiple cars, each car gets driven less as their collection gets larger.  

     However, I believe most other car clubs tend to do car shows rather than touring.  I have been asked many times to bring my authentically restored prewar cars to judged car shows.  But I am not interested in trophies, and I think sitting all day at a car show is one of the most boring things to do with collector cars.  

Edited yesterday at 06:05 PM by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

Just now, Mark Shaw said:

I think sitting all day at a car show is one of the most boring things to do with collector cars.  

 

Except the Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI.

 

https://www.thehenryford.org/current-events/calendar/old-car-festival/

 

[Mark Shaw]

2 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

Except the Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MI.

I agree Larry, not all car shows are boring, just the ones where the music is too loud, the asphalt is too hot, and almost everyone suffers all day just to collect trophies.

[zepher]

2 hours ago, Mark Shaw said:

But I am not interested in trophies, and I think sitting all day at a car show is one of the most boring things to do with collector cars.  

While sitting with your car all day can be tedious at times, shows where the cars are there for quite a few hours, allow me to educate people about my car(s).

Most people have never heard of a Rickenbacker or a Pierce Arrow and have no idea where they were made or what historical significance these cars hold.

I find that most people think my Rickenbacker is a foreign car, given the name.

And my Pierce Arrow is such a large and impressive car that is always draws plenty of attention and questions.

 

Yes, it can be hot sitting or standing on pavement but the smiles I see and the 'thank you' comments I get after explaining things about the cars make it worth it.

Those of us that own these cars aren't getting any younger, and if I can light a spark in someone that will lead them to be a caretaker for a few of these pre-war cars, those hours on the hot pavement are worth it.

[joe_padavano]

I'm one of those people who couldn't care less about static shows. I drive the wheels off of my cars (well, when they're running...). I really don't want to spend a weekend or longer cleaning my car, just to push it on and off the trailer. And god forbid it might rain...

 

The last thing I need are more award trinkets to dust. No, the few shows I do attend I do not have my car judged. I go to see old friends and meet new ones, though that also happens when the car breaks down on the side of the road during a tour. 😁

[Erska]

7 hours ago, Mark Shaw said:

I think sitting all day at a car show is one of the most boring things to do with collector cars.  

Sometimes, but not always.  It can be a great way to meet people, tell them about your car, hear their stories -- and if you walk around, see some other interesting cars and learn about them.  Here in Northern California, some of the best shows for this are the low-cost events during Monterey Car Week (like the Classic Motorsports Cruise-In, or the Rotary Show and Rally), or the Ironstone Concours (next weekend in Murphys).  And part of the fun is driving my car (a preservation Volvo 1800E) to Monterey (about 200 miles) and Ironstone (about 100 miles).  While there are awards at these shows, most people seem to be there for the fun of it, not to bring home a trophy.   

[Mark Shaw]

12 hours ago, Erska said:

 And part of the fun is driving my car (a preservation Volvo 1800E)

I had an 1800ES Wagon years ago.  Great cars!

Edited 6 hours ago by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[Marty Roth]

The major fallacy of the article, at least in my opinion, is that their data is from auction cars, the same cars which were auctioned at least twice.

Most of us either hold onto our cars (and hopefully drive them), or sell to other collector/hobbyists via FORUM, club ads, word of mouth, etc.

My guess is that most non-billion-dollar pieces of non-driven-art are NOT sold through Multiple Layered Auction for them to track.

 

My response to the article is buried somewhere on the second page of the responses.

[Dr B]

4 hours ago, Marty Roth said:

The major fallacy of the article, at least in my opinion, is that their data is from auction cars, the same cars which were auctioned at least twice.

That is not a fallacy of the analysis, it is a limitation. Yes, this is a limited data set. Nevertheless, it still confirms that people who bought those cars didn't drive them much.

 

4 hours ago, Marty Roth said:

My guess is that most non-billion-dollar pieces of non-driven-art are NOT sold through Multiple Layered Auction for them to track.

 

My understanding is that you are correct. Most collector cars (of all price ranges) trade hands privately. Car auctions are only a small portion of collector car sales. If my memory is correct, I think it is in the 15-20% range.

 

So, I still think most people in the collector car hobby don't drive their cars much, and these data support that belief. The people on this forum are the outliers and we're damn proud of it!

 

Robert