The life of a car enthusiast is one that confuses some people. The average person might have a car or a couple, and those cars are merely transportation appliances. If life were a cartoon, you’d witness smoke coming out of someone’s head when you explain to them that you drive a Yugo instead of the latest Camry. You might witness a blue screen event if you explain that said Yugo is only one of a dozen cars in your arsenal. How many cars have you owned throughout your life and what were the highlights?
I bring this question up because this subject has come up a number of times for me recently. The topic of fleets is also theme day over at the sweet car forum of Opposite-Lock. My parents have finally realized the scope of what’s going on. I’m storing four cars and a motorcycle at their house and they finally popped the question. My mom was shocked to hear that I‘m currently sitting on 14 cars and 8 bikes. My dad’s ears perked up and he just wanted to trade stories about cars.
I recently went to a couple of press events and the question about what’s in my “stable” is always one that draws in some eyeballs. The motorcyclists expect maybe two bikes, not eight, and they certainly don’t expect one of them to be a Suzuki RE-5. Likewise, the car people also expect maybe a few cars, but definitely not five Smart Fortwos, a Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI, or a Volkswagen Phaeton.
If I were to tally up everything I’ve ever purchased, I’ve had over 30 motorcycles, around 30 cars, and two buses. Most of these vehicles were purchased in the period of 2017 to today. I used to revive barn find motorcycles for fun, which is how I arrived at that number. A lot of my cars were Gambler 500 vehicles or bad Volkswagens, which pumps up that other number.
There’s a second question in here, and it’s how many more cars do you think you’ll own in your lifetime? I’m not sure I can say. One of the dreams I have is to open up a personal museum of my favorite vehicles under one roof, like Beau, but with less money. Of course, I also have a career where following my heart with cars is practically a job requirement.
I don’t see myself getting many more vehicles right now simply because I don’t have the space or the money for them, but I could see a future proposed by Matt Hardigree:
I could see that being a local news story written about me one day. Just don’t let me become Ron Dauzet. Everything has to run and I have to drive them.
Here’s where I turn things to you. How many cars have you owned? What were they? How many more do you think you’ll own?
58 so far, according to my list, which is two more than my current age. The count includes two motorcycles plus two cars that I’ve owned previously. Current fleet count is at seven or so. Keepers tend stay around a long time, and generally get the miles piled on. There have been way more flips or toys that stay just long enough to be made functional, provide entertainment, then resold. Given how often they’re unexpected purchases, rescues and/or adventures that just show up at “Paul’s Home for Wayward Cars”, I’m guessing there’s at least another 10-20 cars in my future.
Only 7 at age 46. Huh, I’ve never counted or listed them out:
– 1985 Toyota Corona (1997-2003)
=> The great 7-year car drought (living in a city)
– 2010 Ford Fusion (2010-2014)
– 2015 Mazda CX-5 (2014-2016)
– 2016 Subaru Legacy (2016-2018)
– 2017 Volvo V60 Cross Country (2018-2023)
– 2006 Mini Cooper S (2019-2024)
– 2020 Subaru Outback (2023-present)
As teenager bought from my parents:
2001 Nissan Sentra auto
2007 Seat Ibiza manual
After moving to a bigger city landing my first job:
Subway/Bus
1999 Nissan Tsuru manual
2011 Nissan Versa 6 speed manual
After moving to the US when things get interesting:
2017 Chevy Volt Premier
2018 Jeep Compass
2007 GMC Envoy*
2017 Chevy Volt LT
2019 Ford Escape
2021 Chevy Bolt
2004 Honda Insight*
2021 Polestar 2*
1973 VW Super Beetle*
1995 Mercury Tracer Wagon*
2022 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV*
2023 Chevy Blazer
2023 Chevy Bolt EUV*
2009 Ford Ranger XL Manual*
2024 Chevy Blazer EV*
2004 Jaguar X-Type Manual*
*Currently owned.
20 cars total, 34 years old.
I count 18 cars in my 28 years of having a driver’s license. Currently 4 in my fleet.
Probably won’t be a lot more. I tend to hold onto cars for a long time. I recently sold my daily driver after 11 years of ownership, and I’ve owned my “hot rod” and 24 Hours of Lemons race car for 23 and 16 years respectively.
I’m kinda jealous of people who take the tapas approach and buy and sell cars all the time, as they get to sample lots of different vehicles. But car purchases are always a big deliberation for me and I’m not known for being spontaneous, so the risk involved makes me nervous.
It makes me nervous too, but I can’t help it. 🙂 Especially these days where on the one side, manuals are disappearing. On the other side, lots of cool new electric cars. I want both but I can’t afford both at the same time. So it’s fun (although admittedly sometimes nerve-wracking) to bounce around.
10 motorcycles, 30 plus cars and trucks. I have like 7 currently. The real question is which ones will you still have when you croak. Some are harder to part with even when you don’t drive them much.
5 so far.
1990 Miata
2002 WRX wagon
2001 A4 1.8T
2015 M235i (the only automatic so far and hopefully the last)
1998 Boxster.
I’ll probably have dozens more, hopefully at the same time.
This gets complicated fast due to marriage.
My part of the herd:
98 Volvo S70
88 Toyota MR2
76 Lancia Scorpion
80 Fiat X1/9 project
His part:
23 GR Corolla
94 RX7 (LS6)
94 RX7 (Rotary)
94(ish) Plymouth Laser
My previous cars:
2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia
2013 Fiat 500 Abarth
Second 2013 Fiat 500 Abarth
2012 Fiat 500 Pop
88 Corvette CE
2000 Chevy Cavalier
2003 BMW 325i (shared)
2006 BMW M3 (shared)
21 at age 53. 3 of those were GI specials in Japan. (Used cars sold cheap on the base)
4 in high school. I killed my first car, a 1976 Mazda 808. 2nd car was a 1978 Datsun 280Z 2+2. 3rd was a 1980 Honda Accord hatchback and last was a 1986 VW Jetta Coupe. All but the Honda were 5 speeds.
I have owned, Mazda, Honda, Toyota, Datsun, Nissan, Subaru, Chevrolet, Saturn, Hyundai, VW and Volvo.
The only true stinkers were the 280Z and the little Nissan 4 door I had in Japan for a few months. All the others were either good cars or great ones.
I am 55, I have owned 25 cars and trucks and 4 motorcycles. My current jeep is 12 years old and my wife’s minivan is 4 years old. I think I will probably have another 2-4 then done.
I’ve owned 6 (does not include my wife’s cars). I love cars but tend to own them for a long time and take really good care of them. I keep them all in perfect mechanical condition. So, it is hard to own too many, as it is hard to keep everything working the way they should with too many car-mouths to feed.
I currently have 3.
I keep a spreadsheet of them!
27 so far, many of those for a very short period when I was younger and owned beaters.
I own 6 now counting projects. 4 running.
I expect another 10-20 probably. I won’t cycle through beaters anymore but I might find time and space for a bigger variety of stuff in the future too.
I to have a spreadsheet so I do not have to remember.
I’m going to create a spreadsheet tomorrow
Eight in 25 years of car ownership. That includes my first vehicle which I kept for a year, a transition vehicle that I only kept for five months, and my Cayman GTS which I only kept for fourteen months.
I expect I might only own four more. Two forever cars, and two conveyances I may consider depending on where I live in the future, and as I get older.
EDIT: My trick? Drive cars without owning them. I’ve maintained a spreadsheet and driver notes for over 21 years, and it’s approaching 900 total entries.
I have owned 10 I believe.
1978 MGB, 1974 Fiat 124, 1990 Mustang GT, 1996 Subaru Legacy wagon, 1998 Ford Contour V6 5-speed, 1991 Mustang GT, 1995 Ford V8 AWD Explorer, 1995 F-150 302 4×4, 2008 Mazdaspeed 3, 2013 Focus ST.
I generally keep my daily drivers for 10 years, so on that basis I might only have 3 or 4 more during my lifetime.
I’ve been driving for 26 years and I’m only on my 3rd car:
If you count the cars my wife and I bought together but she drives as her daily:
I guess I can turn in my Autopian card now…
[YOINK!] hey this says not valid outside of this comment thread
If you’re a fake car geek I’m the annoying neckbeard who challenges the “fake” and loses.
I bought my dad’s 2007 anonymous old man beige Sonata and then managed to parlay the scrap money to my new-to-me 2021 blue Accord Touring. I plan to trade the Accord for one of the last of the performance V6 ICE sedans in blue or a blue (it has to be a pretty blue metallic!) EV eventually.
I have driven a few sports cars (2x C5 Corvettes, 1x XLR-V, 2x C6 vettes, 1x GT500, 12x Mustangs of various trims) and convertibles because I was related to some cool people who knew people, so my car geek-ism is limited to mostly reading this and living vicariously lmfao
1989 Geo Prism LSi
1996 Saab 900 Turbo
1999 Toyota Camry LE
2011 Hyundai Accent GL
2012 Suzuki SX4 Crossover w/ Technology Package (yes that was the trim level)
2012 Hyundai Elantra Touring SE
2020 Chrysler Voyager LXi
So 7 in total at age 35.
I have no plans in the near future to replace the van, but I do want to eventually get a third car to mess around with. I hope to own many more cars though, because that would imply that I managed to live a while.
I’ve owned close to or just over 30 cars since I was old enough to title them in my name (I’m aged 32 now, with 8 cars in my name), there is no telling how many I’ll have in my lifetime when it’s over, considering the boyfriend unit is also a bit of a car hoarder like myself, and neither of us are slowing down. We also make the stipulation that everything must run and drive. Having grown up in a Chicago suburban neighborhood where my parents had their own illegal salvage yard appearing property, non-operational cars bug me.
That said none have ever been perfect, just fun, realistic and most importantly cheap cars that I chose with feelings in mind over logic or financial stability. I would say the highlight of my automotive purchasing career had to be my G8 GXP, if only I still had it – it would be the jewel of the fleet. Also as my username implies a majority of what I’ve had has been front wheel drivin’.
Total count is 10 cars and 4 motorcycles, current count is 1 car and 1 motorcycle. I tend to hang on to things for a long time so I expect that number might be around 30 or 40 max by the time I can’t drive anymore.
34, at age 51. I’ll probably have a few more before I’m done, but I like my current three so much that I can’t see any of them going anywhere for a good long time.
If memory serves, I’m at 57 or 58 now. The count has slowed way down since I’ve had kids, especially considering my wife has been driving her Nissan Quest for the last 7 years and I’ve been driving my JKU for the last 4 and a half years now.
Oh jeez.
76 Bobcat, 75 Impala, 76 Dasher, 76 Scirocco, 77 Scirocco, 71 Electra, 70 Newport, 75 Monaco, 78 Diplomat, 77 B210, 72 Cutlass, 80 240 DL. (in no particular order)
Then I inherited an 88 Fifth Avenue from my dad, and a 90 Coupe DeVille from my uncle. Drove and sold both.
87 5000S Quattro, 04 Maxima, 07 Golf, 04 LeSabre.
Do the wife’s cars count?
So that’s 18, which doesn’t seem like many in a 40-year driving career. I expect that, after retiring, I’ll own one more “nice” car shared with my wife, but I’ll pick up beaters on CL and fix them up just for fun.
Elder millennial here- I’m at 20. I’m partial to Jeeps and BMWs, but there’s been a Volvo, a few Subarus, a Cadillac, a few Mazdas and one lone Honda that should have never been.
I’m at 44 vehicles (not including the 20ish boats I’ve also owned). I’m 41. Most of the cars were just too good of a deal to pass up and I resold them later. A few I wish I never sold for cheap (among them, my first car at age 15, a 1973 VW bus with the pop up topper that eventually had engine issues so I gave it to my mom to donate to a charity)
I’m on my 5th daily driver. I’ve never had a 2nd vehicle like a sports car or weekend hauler. If you want to include vehicles my wife and I have owned together and that I have driven somewhat regularly it goes up to 7. That covers my 22 years of driving. I honestly don’t know how many more I will own before I stop driving/stop living. Some of my early cars were hand-me-downs that I wasn’t going to own for long because they already had a lot of miles on them. Now I can budget for new or lightly used cars that I can easily drive for 10 years or more. If we assume I will give up the keys/give up this mortal coil in about 35 years, I would expect to own 3-4 more daily drivers. I do want to add a sports car to the mix at some point. So with that included, put me down for another 5 vehicles.
I’m 53, so I’ll list from the start. These aren’t all the cars I’ve bought and driven, but they are the ones I bought for me to drive.
1981 Honda MB5
1960 Chevy El Camino
1981 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD
1969 Lincoln Continental
1981 VW Rabbit
1976 Honda GL 1000
1995 Geo Tracker (the only vehicle I’ve bought new for me)
1996 Buick Roadmaster
1993 Chevy Silverado C1500 diesel
2005 Kia Sorento
1989 Honda Pacific Coast
1997 Pontiac Trans Am WS6
2008 Pontiac G6 GT convertible.
I’ll probably buy 3-4 more cars before I’m dead, I expect.
I’m in my mid 20’s and already had 5, by the end of the year it will likely be 6, and within a year or two of that a certain 7. I don’t think I’ll even try to predict beyond the end of this decade, by then it could still be 8 or 15 depending on if I ever get a big enough garage for a revolving door of projects or not.