Odds are good you dig one of these rides if you’re in your senior years—and that you’re uninterested if you’re a young enthusiast
Boomers get a bad rap in almost every generational battle these days, and whether you buy into their economic and political vilification (or even give much credence to the concept of “generations” at all) there’s no doubt that when it comes to automotive interests, Boomers have different tastes than their younger Millennial counterparts.
Several years later, Hagerty’s John Wiley, director for valuation analytics, has noticed a clear shift in the cars that Boomers are pinging for insurance quotes as when contrasted to what Millennial enthusiasts are most interested in. Some old favourites are still in the mix, of course, but they’re joined by a completely different cast of more modern classics, as well as several outliers that are joining the cast of wish-it-were-mine motors for the first time.
Curious as to what sets Boomer hearts aflame but leaves Millennials completely cold? Here are seven classics that the older generation prizes and the younger kids could care less about.
7. 1991-1994 Alfa Romeo Spider S4
6. 1968-1970 American Motors AMX
Classic muscle cars aren’t getting any cheaper, but if you’re on a budget, you can always stretch your dollar by going weirder. That seems to be the case with Boomer’s newfound love for the AMC AMX, a two-seat V8-powered coupe that the cash-strapped company created by chopping the back bench out of a Javelin and shortening the wheelbase.
5. 1936-1938 Plymouth
4. 1965-1970 Shelby Mustang GT350
Boomers are often looked down on by the Millennial set for the relatively easy economic times they grew up in, and the fact the Shelby GT350 Mustang is a member of both this and the previous Hagerty list doesn’t do much to dispel the fact that some Boomers have more than a little disposable cash to throw around.
3. 1971-1974 Jaguar E-Type (XKE)
2. 1961-1967 Triumph TR4
In an odd bit of synchronicity, the only other repeat brand in both Hagerty data sets (from 2019 and 2024, that is) is Triumph, with the TR4 replacing the older TR3. Boomer interest in little British sports cars makes a lot of sense, particularly if they have strong memories of the original invasion of these fun-to-drive two-seaters that could run laps around their clunkier American cousins. As with the Alfa Romeo we discussed above, however, it’s just as logical for Millennials to prefer the cheaper and more solidly-built Miata that was itself an attempt to clone the spirit, if not the Lucas electrics, of these sports cars.
1. 1999-2003 BMW Z8
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