According to You: What is the oldest car you own?

Last week’s question garnered a treasure trove of delightful comments from the Hagerty Community. Turns out a question about the oldest car you own prompts answers that include a great story or two. Actually, there are many more stories, too many to publish here. You can see all the comments here, but some of the most interesting anecdotes are below.

Before we proceed, I have a quick update on my oldest car, the Continental Mark III from last week’s question. Over the weekend, the Mark III went from being a dust magnet in storage to being a runner. Running poorly, but still a runner. Over the weekend, I fired it up, nursed it out of storage and into the hands of a qualified mechanic. It doesn’t idle, and it still pukes oil from the front main seal, but luckily I know this great insurance company that offers concierge towing services with each policy. So it’s all good, aside from the potato pic I took upon the Mark’s successful awakening. (Sorry about that!)

I have to thank you, all of you in the Hagerty Community, for enticing me to get off my rear, and get the Mark III in gear. I wouldn’t have done it without this motivation.

So let’s get back to your answers to the question: What is the oldest car you own?

Car vs. owner’s age?

@David: I think it would be interesting to see who has the oldest car relative to their current age. For example, my oldest car is a 1956 Chevrolet Handyman wagon and I am 12 years younger. I suspect there are others who are much younger than their oldest car.

@Sajeev Mehta: Thanks to David’s reply, many folks did just this! Read on to see how it all went down.

Precious pre-war

@DUB6: My oldest car (although the term car is sorta loose here, since about 50 percent of it is in boxes and on shelves, waiting for me to go back to work on completing it) is a 1931 Model A 5-window coupe. It’s gonna be a hot rod (late ’50s/early ’60s style) true to what I remember from my “young man” days. Top is moderately chopped (3 inches) and it’s got a rumble seat, Ford nine-inch, 283 Chevy (I know, I know—save it, you purists), Muncie four-speed, and will run pie-crust whitewall cheater slicks with skinnies up front.

@Jim: My oldest is a 1922 Ford Model T roadster. Great car in very good shape.

@Steve: The oldest car in my modest little fleet is a 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe Roadster. It is stock except for a Model B four-cylinder in place of the original Model A four-cylinder. The engines are very similar but the Model B has a mechanical advance distributor so you don’t have to mess with the timing lever once you get the base timing set. Other than that, for better or for worse, it drives like a stock Model A. Driving at 35 mph gives the same exhilaration (and fear for life) as driving my 1964 Thunderbird at 100+, so with my Model A you never have to break the speed limit to feel like a speed demon. It is hard to believe that only 33 years separates those two cars. I’d argue that, automotively speaking, we progressed further in those 33 years than we did in the 59 years since my T-Bird rolled off the line.

I love that driving the Model A reminds me to slow down and stop rushing. However, I simultaneously get frustrated that driving the Model A any appreciable distance outside of town takes a substantial amount of time over any other car—and you have to plan your route out a little better in advance to stay on “Model A friendly” roads. Shifting gears with an unsynchronized gearbox keeps you honest though, especially downshifting!

@Robert: The oldest vehicle that I currently own is a 1911 Maxwell Model I Touring. I have been trying to rehome this car along with a 1915 Oldsmobile, but so far no luck in finding a new caretaker.

@Ken: My oldest is my 36 Chevy Master Delux two-door sedan, all stock. I just got it five days ago so haven’t had a chance to do much except for a very short test drive. When I hit the brakes, it nearly ripped the steering wheel out of my hands, so until I get a chance to check out the brakes, I won’t be driving it. It has been mostly restored, but needs some TLC, but [it is] a nice driver, which is what I was looking for.

@Dan: My oldest car is a 1928 Whippet pickup—401 Nailhead, TH400, and Winters Quick change rear.

@Gary: 1936 Ford pickup, later-model flathead V-8, upgraded interior but original gauges, Sears 6.00×16 tires. Pretty much stock, love the flathead sound.

@Steve: 1936 Ford five-window Coupe Deluxe model

@Richard: I have several cars but the oldest one is a 1940 Plymouth P10. Bought it out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Original paint and no rust. Have owned it for about four years now, was my Covid hobby. Replaced the radiator, installed a new head gasket, adjusted the brakes, rebuilt the carb. Runs great. Drive it on the weekends. Taught my 16-year-old grandson how to drive it with the three on the tree. Anyone remember the Hagerty “teach a kid to drive a manual” program a couple of years back? I got the cap! BTW, I’m 72 years old.

@Bryan: 1921 Dodge Touring, cared for since 1991

@KMac: My oldest ride is 101 years old. Model T runabout rescued from a garage in Kirkland Junction, Arizona, in 2022. All my neighbors have side-by-sides and once I get the pickup bed kit built and installed this will be my side-by-side. What do I like about it? I have to think when I drive it—three pedals that don’t do what a normal three pedal [set] does, hand throttle, manual spark advance, manual mixture control, and a Ruckstell two-speed rear axle. Do I want to drive it in traffic? No, thank you.

@Jolly Joe: 1931 Model A. I highly encourage every car person to have owned a Model A at least once. My neighbor unintentionally talked me into getting one. There’s something special about them.

Some BelAirs, and a message for Sajeev

@Glenn: 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door hardtop. I’ve had it since 2011, and my dad had owned it since 1998. It’s an older, early ’90s refresh that is showing its age. However, at 20 feet and 20 mph, it looks great. Only power option is the brakes. No power steering, heat, or A/C. So it handles like a bus but it looks and sounds good. One day I intend to redo the paint and fix some rust, but not wanting to open that can of worms anytime soon.

@Bseg: I have a ’55 Bel Air, 396 small-block, four-speed, keeps me young and is 2 years older than me. Also ’68 Chevy Malibu, originally owned by my grandmother, my forever car.

@Paul: I have a ’55 BelAir Convertible, numbers matching, a very nice driver. Sajeev, I too had a Continental Mark III, a ’69, which was the cream of the crop as it didn’t yet have EGR and an air pump. Also had better cam timing than the ones that came later. Great car. Maroon with a black vinyl top and red leather interior. It caught fire in my driveway due to a short almost 50 years ago.

@Sajeev Mehta: *furiously knocks on wood after reading that comment*

The pride of Bowling Green

@Oversquare+Bore: I currently have a 35-year-old car, model year 1989 but according to the sticker in the door jamb manufactured in 10/88 in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

@Paul: I own a 1995 car, also built in Bowling Green.

@Stephen: I have a ’93 C4 that I bought new, now with 165,000 fun miles on the clock. It has no nannies and is still faster than 90 percent of what’s on the road today.

@ted: My old clunker is a mint 1982 Chevrolet Corvette I bought new in ’82, it has been solid until today—it would not start so it is getting a tow to the Chevy dealer tomorrow.

@Rick: My oldest car is 49 years old, a 1974 Corvette. I am the original owner and it only has 49,000 miles.

@Steve: I have owned a 1956 Corvette for the past 53 years. Love the smiles it gets with every mile!

@Brushmore: I own an ’82 corvette. I like it because it looks like a classic with the design from the ’60s yet it has a computer for the fuel injection with an overdrive transmission for a modern driving experience.

Mustang fever

@Steve: 1965 Mustang that I bought 50 years ago …

@Rick: I like the ones where it is the oldest “new” car you bought and still have it. Original owner stories are pretty incredible. (We’ve got a series of articles about original-owner cars! Check it out. —Ed.) Many have the same wife as well. I know I do, and she and I bought our first “new” car in 1984 (20th anniversary Mustang). Next year he will turn 40, and she and I will celebrate our 44th anniversary.

@Jim: My oldest car is a 1966 Mustang fastback. Bought it in 2011 as a project. Disassembled it and put it on a rotisserie to do the metal work. Had a lot of rust to repair, including half the floorboard. After 122 months of work, I got it back on the road last month—just in time to put it up for the winter! I am rebuilding a wide-ratio T10 and plan to replace the close-ratio T10 that’s in it this winter.

@Bill: I’m the owner for 46 years of a 1973 Mustang Mach 1 in medium Aqua with a 351 Cleveland

@Charles: I have a 1965 Mustang fastback that I drive regularly weather permitting. This year it logged just short of 2000 miles. It is an original GT car with a K-code 289 in it. That means power steering, power brakes, automatic transmission, and air conditioning were not available options. Only the engine short-block is left from the original mechanicals of the car so I’m not that concerned about using it as a driver car. It’s not badly rusted but it certainly has its share of “patina.” The driving experience is far from relaxing and requires physical effort and undivided attention, but listening to the hi-po come up on song makes it well worthwhile.

@Dan: 1965 Mustang Fastback, bought in 1980. But I have inherited, but not picked up yet, my dad’s 1925 Model T pickup. The first pickup ever, as I understand it!

@EP: I have my 1982 Mustang GLX 5.0 hatchback (with T-tops) that I bought new the day after I graduated from Colorado School of Mines. It was in the middle of the showroom floor at the Ford dealer in Denver. My dad helped me negotiate an acceptable deal. I have kept up with routine maintenance and replaced whatever has been needed, kept it as per stock. The four-speed is fun to drive! I only wish I drove it more. Everyone writing about road trips has me thinking …

“At the tone, leave your name and message”

@Jim: I have a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Esprit. It is a replica of the Rockford Files Firebird that James Garner drove on the show. Numbers-matching and has less then 73,000 miles. It is a nice survivor. Shows well, but far from perfect. It was featured in the last on-camera interviews with James Garner and Stephen J. Cannell, as they talked about Garner’s stunt driving. The show was Pioneers Of Television, Crime Drama episode.

The baby mouse

@Leo: I own a 1947 Fiat Topolino. I got it in August 2018. I always like the Topolino after seeing them at a US 30 dragstrip in the early ’60s. It is a fairly rare car in the U.S. because they were turned into dragsters. Jay Leno owns a 1936. It has a thirteen horsepower engine (four cylinder).

From Firebird to Sun Bird

@Ricky: I have a 1984 Pontiac Sun Bird convertible with 39400 actual miles. I am 40 years older than it.

Trucks, trucks, and more trucks

@Greg: 1950 Dodge B-2-B pickup. Learned to drive my grandfather’s 50 Ford farm truck. Mine is a flatty six manual. What I like best—it’s a truck. Simple and utilitarian beyond transportation, but a little more power would be nice (’56 DeSoto Hemi block ready for rebuild may help that once complete).

@npdion: My oldest is a 1966 Series 2A Land Rover pickup. Bought it back in ’94 from the original owner who lived two doors down from us in a little town in central NH. The truck had 6741 miles on it (she had used it to plow her driveway and go to the town dump—never left town). It also had a really rotten frame, rotten to the point where it had actually collapsed in the front. This was my sixth Land Rover and I moved it around till I retired in 2014 and then sent it to a specialist in Vermont who put a new frame under and replaced what else needed replacing—didn’t paint it, still has all its battle scars. It now lives with us in Florida—gets lots of waves and thumbs-up.

@Binksman: The oldest vehicle at our house is my 14-year-old son’s truck that he bought with his own money saved up from moving lawns—a 1975 Chevy K10. The previous owner had it since 1977 and took pretty good care of it using the truck for his small-engine repair shop, but it sat for four to five years because he had a stroke. He was impressed a kid was even interested in an old truck and willing and able to pay for it himself, so my boy got a really good deal. We’ve had it for five months, mostly using it around the farm, but we are in the process of getting it road-legal because my son wants to ride in it in the town Halloween parade and take it to family’s houses during the holidays.

@454ever: A 1959 Chevrolet Apache 3100 Fleetside. Pandemic project that is still underway …

@Jim: I own a 1956 Ford F-100. I bought it from a dealer in Oxnard, California, in January 1971 for $500. It’s been through several engine changes and paint jobs since then. It is now a custom street machine. A fouryear project including a 9-inch rear with a four-link, a five-speed Tremec, and a Ford FE that hits at just 500 hp. Plus a lot of body mods and a Mustang II front end. I won’t be doing any other mods! Mostly driven to car shows these days but it has a past of being my work truck, hauling construction materials and a cabover camper.

@Tony: Oldest is a 1941 Chevrolet pickup truck, which is currently in pieces. My older brother bought it in the late ’70s. Plan is to restore it in olive drab as a military truck. The oldest thing that actually runs is a 1956 Mack B42T Tractor with 50,000 original miles!

@Buddy: I bought a 1969 Ford F100 from the original owner 44 years ago. He ordered the truck in March of 1969 , it was built on April 1 and shipped to the dealer. An A/C unit was installed and he picked it up on April 27. I purchased the truck in July 1979 for $750.00. The odometer showed 58,710 miles. Over the years I replaced just about everything a piece at the time. I still drive it a few days a week. Odometer shows 80,005 as of today.

@John: 1969 Ford F100 pickup truck. It was my father’s truck; I learned to drive in it, and took my driver’s test in it, after spending about two hours cleaning out and cleaning up the interior. What can I say, it was a working farm truck then; it had a good half inch of topsoil on the rubber floor mats, and my father’s entire filing system for the farm on the dash, before I started. It’s definitely a farm truck, 240-cubic-inch six, no power anything, no radio, the only options being an automatic transmission and camper springs under the rear end. I’m 12 years older than the truck, by the way.

@Terry: I drive a 1986 GMC Caballero with the 4.3 TBI V-6. It still runs like a top with over 400,000 miles on the clock, never had the heads off.

@DP: My oldest vehicle is a ’67 C10, short bed Stepside. Bought it while living “up north” from an estate sale. Now we’re retired in the sunny south, so it’s a good project vehicle that runs great. Currently has a 350 with torque cam, 4L80e transmission from a wrecked 1-ton, and rebuilt differential (3.73, Eaton Posi). It towed my old jet boat from L.A. to North Carolina and then went back to tow a U-Haul trailer. The next stage is to install some new sheetmetal; rocker panels, cab corners, floor pan, etc. Should keep me out of trouble for a while!

@Mike: My daily driver is a ’78 Ford F100 Ranger. It is all original with a 302 and a four-speed manual. The thing that catches most people’s eye is it’s a Stepside. It belonged to my father-in-law and when he passed away about 10 years ago, we acquired it. A fun little truck to drive.

@Troy: 1967 Chevy C10. Same year I was born. Dad bought it in 1976 and drove it as a shop truck until he fixed it up for me and I drove it in high school. 327 with three on the tree. Currently restoring, 80 percent completed.

@James: 1968 Ford F100, big 300 six-cylinder, three on the tree. Had air added at dealership. Got to drive it home new when Grandpa bought it and still have it and drive it weekly.

@Jeff: I currently have a 1966 Ford F100 short bed. I’ve owned it since August of 2009. I have put a lot of work into it since I’ve owned it. New paint, different motor—it had the original 352 V-8 in it, I swapped it for a 360. Four speed tranny, original was a three on the tree. It had new paint but has since fallen off due to bad clear coating. I drove it daily for a few years but now it’s been sitting in my garage waiting for major upgrades, new suspension, auto tranny, power steering, power brakes, etc. Body is all original. It didn’t have very much rust on it when I purchased it. It still had its original robin’s egg blue paint! I am one year younger than my truck.

@MD: Mine is a baby compared to some of these, but it is a 1989 Toyota pickup, purchased new in 1989. I like the body style, size, and utility. What I do not like is the lack of power from the four-cylinder 22R engine.

Buffet of Americana

@Howarf: My oldest car is a 1949 Chevy Fleetline four-door sedan. I searched to find a four-door rather than a two-door, because I think it’s cool the way the fastback roofline affects the shape of the rear doors. Also, the rear doors have really neat vent windows. Lastly, being raised in Chicago, I’ll never forget my dad’s admonition about snow piling up on the rear window. Not a problem in Southern California😀.

@Paul: I’m 47 and have a 1987 Buick Grand National which was my childhood hero car ever since I saw one at 10 years old sitting outside my house and seeing my next-door neighbor’s friend pull up with a brand new one. I love the iconic styling and how quick it is, just safety is a factor since these cars don’t handle or stop very well in stock form. It’s one of those cars I’ll never wanna part with because I’m still that kid sitting on the stoop back in 1987 seeing it for the first time and falling in love with it all over again whenever I step foot into the garage.

@Leland:  Love reading about everyone’s baby! Mine is a ’67 Buick GS 400, Apple Red with a black vinyl top with a three-speed manual Ford transmission. Yes, from the factory.

@Chris: My oldest vehicle currently is a 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 J2 Coupe. I have had it 23 years. She has been in storage in Wisconsin for the last almost four years after I moved to North Carolina. She’s in the shop now getting a cam bearing replaced due to sitting too much. I was getting her started and changing the oil annually, but that wasn’t enough to prevent this problem. I will be flying back to Wisconsin and driving her to North Carolina in a couple weeks ahead of the first snow, I hope!

@Jon: I own a 1962 Impala that I bought in 2002 from the original owner, to be my kids’ shared car in high school. Manual four-speed, floor shift. My son got frustrated grinding gears and wanted no part of the car. My daughter took one look at it (trust me, it’s in great condition) and said, “I’m not going to be seen driving around in that BOAT!” Fine, I love it and kept it for myself.

@Michael: The oldest car I own is a 1966 Plymouth Satellite. I bought it in 2001 for $1250. I’ve really not done much work on it except for changing the transmission when it failed. 323,000 miles now. Had 171,000 miles when I bought it. No plans to sell it.

@Espo70: I owned a ’68 Pontiac Tempest coupe in the mid-’90s (my twenties). I loved the shape of the car and the ease of maintenance on the two-barrel 350. What I hated was that the gas gauge didn’t work, and I could often be seen around town pushing it up steep gas-station parking-lot aprons. Good workout though!

@john: 1961 Chrysler 300G convertible (since I sold my ’57 300C coupe last year). Crossrams, fins, and the top goes down. If that doesn’t give you goosebumps, nothing will. I’m six years older than the car, which I first acquired in 1998. Being 43 and driving a 37-year-old car is a very different experience from being 68 and driving a 62-year-old car, and not necessarily in a good way.

@Mike: Hi Hagerty, my oldest is my wife’s 1968 Camaro. She purchased it “new” from Ted Green Chevrolet in Torrance, California, in November 1967. Cost was $3478. Our Camaro is 95 percent stock, all matching numbers, and is “accident-free”. The 327 cubic inch engine (with original two-barrel Rochester carburetor), four-speed transmission, and the rear end are all original equipment. The black vinyl top is original and so is the interior. We did have it repainted 25 years ago in the original Sea Frost Green color. Current original mileage is 142,000, and it runs great.

@Dave: I have a 1968 Firebird. Frame-off restoration that took me three years to finish. Three-speed stock HD Dearborn transmission. Purchased from the original owner with all the original paperwork. Beautiful car.

@Paul: My oldest car is a 1970 Nova SS 396 L78 four-speed that has 22,800 original miles. It is completely stock from the factory with its original engine, transmission, and 12-bolt differential. It has won Top 50 and best of show awards. The only drawback is the gas mileage—at around 8 mpg with its 780cfm Holley carburetor. I have owned it for 5 years and do enjoy driving it.

@Glenn: The oldest car I own is a 1968 AMX 390 four-speed. The best part about it is I own it, the worst part about it is it may not be completed in my lifetime. I need to complete the 1969 SCRambler project before I start on the AMX.

@JimG: 1969 Pontiac GTO Convertible, all original except for the top. I inherited it from my late father who bought it new. I am 18 years older. Got my first (and not the last) speeding ticket in that car.

@Pete: My oldest car I own, and have ever owned, is a 1941 Chevy Master Deluxe Business Coupe I bought 5 years ago from the estate of a local car club member. 46K miles, runs and drives, and a written history found in trunk indicates I’m seventh owner. This is my first six-volt automobile, so I’m still trying to get used to the slow starter cranking … although it always starts!

@Roger: A 1953 Studebaker Starlight Regal Champion Coupe. Three-speed with overdrive, wide whites, and full wheel covers. It’s light green over dark green with a tan vinyl interior—all stock. It turned 70 in April this year. A fully frame-off restored California car! A milestone car if there ever was one and I can’t believe she’s in MY garage!

@Bob: I own a 1957 Starmist Blue Ford Thunderbird that I bought on October 21, 1957, at age 19. I love everything about this car as it makes this 85-year-old feel young again every time I get behind the wheel. After 66 years of ownership I can honestly say that there is nothing that I do not like about this great-looking vehicle.

@Barney: My oldest car is a 1965 Corvair Corsa convertible. Not that old by many standards but I purchased it in 1968 when it was three years old and was traded in on a new Impala. I still own it … so I have had it for 55 years.

Foreign grab-bag

@Lon: 1960 Elva Courier. I am the only original owner of an Elva worldwide.

@Robert: 1986 Mazda 626GT that I’ve owned since new. It was my first new car. Just a fun car to drive.

@Bunka: I have a Porsche 356B Cabriolet that left the factory in November 1962 as a 1963 model. I bought it in August 1967 as a 24-year-old kid looking for a used sports car. The car is 60 years old and the kid is now 81. What kept me from getting rid of it was the fun of driving a slow car fast and the simplicity of repairs and maintenance. I will confess that driving fast at 81 years is a lot slower than at 24 years.

@Steve: I own a 1964 Morgan Plus 4 which I have been the caretaker of for 10 years, buying it in May of 2013. I love the pure basics of an analog car that handles like a go-kart and gives definite feedback to the seat of your pants. A handmade car with the basic design going back to the thirties. It’s a blast to drive but not in the rain (mine has never seen rain–ever) and I never have the hood (top) up. It does require constant driving and also an awareness for the possibility of care around the corner, but is well worth it.

@Rs6er: I have a 1981 Porsche 911SC coupe that I bought new in 4/81, so it’s 42 and a half years old.

@TeutonicScot: My oldest is a completely stock 1958 MGA, 3 years older than I and far from being a show/trailer queen, gets driven frequently including taking at least one big road trip every year. This year was an 1100-mile trip to parks in southeast Utah in June … No A/C and few modern amenities, it provides the exact experience that is the reason for owning/maintaining it.

@drjim: My “old car” is a 1985 Toyota Celica Supra, that I brought home on New Year’s Eve in 2012. It was filthy and the glass had a layer of crud that made visibility bad, half the lights didn’t work, and it had the smallest battery I’d ever seen in a car. BUT … it was an honest car, clean CarFax, except for failing the smog test, never wrecked, and NO rust on it, as it came from the High Desert area in Southern California.

@BruGeo: 1970 MGB/GT, mechanically excellent with a decent interior and a 10-foot respray. My wife and I both love driving “Bridget,” but getting into and out of her is getting to be pretty amusing (for others) and embarrassing (for us) as we advance into our dotage.

@bubblecar: 1985 Honda CRX Si. Bought new, always a toy, always garaged. Only 66K miles. Stock except for Tokico Illumina adjustable struts. They just don’t make lightweight 1800-pound cars anymore! Even the new Lotus Emira weighs 3000 pounds. Nothing beats opening the sunroof and going for an early Sunday drive once a month. Handles like a go-kart. Revs like a Honda. Always leaves me smiling.

@Jeff: I have a 1956 Jaguar XK140 MC Fixed Head Coupe. It is currently waiting for my broken foot to heal so I can finish (with a more experienced associate) the process of installing a newly rebuilt four-speed with electric overdrive and everything else necessary to replace the poorly functioning automatic It currently has. I bought the car 2 years ago and am looking forward to being able to really enjoy this beautiful car.

@Alan: My oldest is a 1960 Austin Healey Sprite, with a 1200 Datsun engine. After owning for 5 years, it’s just now on the road. Longest owned: 1962 Plymouth Fury 2dr hardtop, 318, bought new by my grandparents and I inherited it 40 years ago. I have all of its records.

***

Check out the Hagerty Media homepage so you don’t miss a single story, or better yet, bookmark it. To get our best stories delivered right to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletters.