Lots of car consumers (carsumers™) are single-make buyers, steadfastly loyal to Toyotas or Fords or Hondas or whatever. No big deal there. Repeat model buyers are a rarer breed, but hardly uncommon. Yours truly owned not one but two Dodge Omnis (full disclosure, one was a Plymouth Horizon, but come on). My Dad was a Volkswagen guy for a good bit before going all-in on Toyotas. He started with a used Type 3 which (according to my Mom) made 2-year-old me cry because I saw it belch fire from the exhaust and I thought it was going to explode. That squareback was followed by two consecutive Beetles, but I only remember the last one–a red convertible Super with a black top. Now that was a car. Would Paul Newman lie to you? 
So tell us: which car models have you purchased more than once? Or enough times to extend to near-infinity, like whoever assembled that impressive fleet of Nissan Figaros in the top shot? What made you such a fan–or did you, like, just happen to end up getting two Honda Civics in a row? And FYI, it’s cool if your tale of multiple-models isn’t actually yourself but your mom, dad, brother, friend, weirdo on the outskirts of town … we’re not policing this thing.
To the comments!
Bought a 2011 Fiesta in basic S trim the summer they arrived in the US to replace a 2007 Rabbit. The Fiesta was fun, comfortable, peppy, and extremely fuel efficient—things I had hoped the Rabbit would be, but wasn’t.
The car was also very safe, as I found out three months later on the highway, when a texting driver lost control, made a 180° and plowed into me and my still-new Fiesta.
The insurance process moved pretty swiftly, and I was able to replace the S with a slightly nicer SEL in Lime Squeeze (THE color for that car imho), and held on to it for a couple more years before moving to Chicago where my commute was now by train and parking was $200 a month.
I sold the Fiesta to CarMax and lived a car-free life for almost 10 years before a dog, a house, and the garage it came with, made car life a little more sensible.
It was now 2022, a dystopian hellscape where small cars had either disappeared or gotten rather large—even Honda Civics were now bigger than the Accords I grew up with, and the Fit had already been discontinued for a few years.
Had the Fiesta been an option, it would’ve certainly made my short list, especially with how the Euro models have matured.
I ultimately ended up on the EV bandwagon, and my Ioniq 5 is fun, comfortable, peppy, and extremely fuel efficient, but I do wish it were closer in scale to the Fiesta.
My only complaint with the Ioniq 5 (apart from desperately needing a rear wiper/washer) is its size. What looked like a svelte Golf-ish hot hatch in pictures is more like a chunky crossover in real life.
When it comes time to replace it, I’ll be looking for something a little smaller—in Lime Squeeze please!
My first motorbike was a 2009 Suzuki GS500F. Bought without a test ride after lurking and sitting on it. Parallel twin, no fuel guage, comfy ergos, looked sporty. I got hit by a car and it was written off (I was ok – it was actually my fault). When it came time for a second bike I saw a bike shop selling a new 2011 model (in 2012 it was old stock) and it was a no brainer. Unfortunately I wrote it off on slippery tram tracks. I was okay. With cars, I bought a 2002 BJII Mazda 323 1.6l Hatch with the money I got from the insurance of the second Suzuki. I only sold it as I’d moved to the city and had to keep it in my little brothers garage. That was in 2013. In 2021 I bought another 2002 BJII 323, this time a 1.8l sedan, off an auction site for about a grand because I wanted a manual car. I regret selling it and only did as I was sick of cleaning the bird crap off it and playing garage tetris. Ended up buying another cheap manual about 6 months later.
2 Firebirds( 72 Formula, 76 T/A) — 3 Bonneville wagons(’77,’78,’80) — 4 vw. ( beetle, Dasher, 2Jetta)‐– 3 Toyota ( Venza, Camry, Rav4) 50+ years of driving ~53 cars
My first, third, and fifth cars were all VW Sciroccos; the first was a Mk I and the others were Mk IIs. This is especially silly considering I’m 6’2” and had to recline the seat to keep my head from hitting the headliner…
Three series Land Rovers – 1974 LHD NAS 88, 1967 RHD 109 Dormobile camper, 1970s LHD (British Army of the Rhine) Ex-MOD 109 pickup. VW – Scirroco first gen with GTI motor swap, 1970s Westfalia van. Mercedes – 190D sedan, 300TD wagon. Volvo – 2000 V70 Cross Country replaced with 2002 V70XC Cross Country.
Four Renault R5s. First, a new one in ’76, then another whose previous owner had dropped in an engine from the Euro R5 Alpine. Then another. And, finally, a $150 clunker that needed a new transmission (paid $150). The latter went to my father.
Also: three Austin-Healeys, a Frogeye Sprite, a 100, and a 3000. Should have kept all three.
Two Honda 600s, a sedan and a 600Z “Coupe.” Selling the Z was a mistake.
And, last but not least, three Kaisers: one ’52 and two ’53s. Nice, dependable rides.
Lot of other one-shot purchases.
Interesting collection!
Started with air-cooled VWs: 3 Type lls (1 parts only), a 68 beetle, then 5 or 7 flat-windshield Super Beetles I low-key rescued/flipped over several years. EA81&82 Subarus I can easily name 6 long-term dailies across 17 years, and I probably flipped 5-6 more. 7 126 & 123 diesel Mercedes (2 purely parts cars) over 20 years.
As I drove absolute bottom-of -the-market shitboxes, I pretty much always had 2 titled & tagged, with another work in progress around at all times. Just so I could be sure of getting to work
I put my wife and kids in a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country (2011-2015) and a 2013 Town & Country (2015-2020). They’re now in a 2020 Ford Explorer, but I don’t foresee a second one (too much BS).
If you count the Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable as one, then there has been a total of five of them gracing my parents’ driveway between 1989 and now. They had a 1986 Sable fully loaded that was handed down from my grandparents in 1989, which they traded in due to the number of electronic gremlins in 1991 for a new Sable wagon. They kept that until 2000 when they traded it in on a 1999 Taurus. They traded in the ’99 on an ’08 in 2012, and then traded that in on a CPO 2017 Taurus in 2018, which they still have.
My dad had a ’94 Ranger he bought “new” in 1995. (The first buyer had lied on the credit application, so it had about 1,000 miles. I don’t remember if it was Ford Motor Credit that treated it as new and the DMV that considered it used, or the other way around.) He traded that in on an ’01 F150 in 2004, and kept that until 2019, when he leased a 2019 Ranger Lariat. The end of the lease came in 2022 when car values were at peak crazy, so writing a check for $25K to keep his truck that would’ve been worth more like $40K was an easy decision.
Several old 50ies and 60ies VW Beetles, actually bought the same exact one twice, that’s gotta count for something?
Besides from that:
2 Citroën CXes
2 Citroën BX diesel station wagons
2 Citroën Xantia station wagons
2 Citroën 2CVs
-But only one Figaro!
That Figaro hoarder guy (I think I saw him on YouTube once) in the top picture oughta be ashamed, there was only 20000 of them to go around 32 years ago, considerably less now.
SAAB 9-5 Aero saloon i have had two of, I think that I have had a 9-5’s for 15 years now.
I come from a family that have had multiple of 2CV’s, Renault 4’s 12’s and even two 4X4 R18’s at the same time. The only two in the country.
There is one guy in my town with no less than 16 Chrysler PT cruisers visible in his yard in various conditions. He also has matching 1980s motorhomes in pristine condition
When I binned my first Smart Roadster Coupe, I replaced it with a second Smart Roadster Coupe.
The first one was a peach. Brabus bodywork, wheels, and exhaust (just not the Brabus engine), a software tune to about 100 HP, slightly lowered. Felt like a little race car everywhere and you learn to drive the weird robo-manual. It was stupid cheap fun and I miss it.
I have one definite one and another that might technically count.
Subaru Legacy: 2004, 1996. The 2004 was my first car and is still my daily driver after 10 years, the 1996 was bought for the Rocky Mountain Rambler 500 for $400 before Covid and did so well I kept it for a few more years. I guess technically I had a 1992 as well which was also purchased for the Rambler but there was a title issue so my friend and I cut it in half to turn the back into a trailer which we towed through the Rambler with the 1996.
Ford Trucks: not sure if this actually counts but I own a 2001 F250 and have owned three F150s, 1989, 1995, 1996 (although two of them were for parts for the 1995) and have owned a 1996 E350 which is technically not a truck but had the same engine as my F250 (7.3 Powerstroke).
Also my parents had two 2011 Subaru Foresters when I was in high school. I ended up buying one of them from my dad later.
Matching 4runners for wife and I.
R50 2002 Mini Cooper
R53 2004 Mini Cooper S
R53 2004 Mini Cooper S JCW
R52 2005 Mini Cooper S (LSD)
R50 2006 Mini Cooper (parts car)
R53 2006 Mini Cooper S JCW
All are sold, but I still have my technical service manual.
I caught the vw bug when I was 18 and saw a decent(ish) looking high miles 84′ GTI for sale for $500. I bought it & turned out (surprise it needed a decent amount of work). My VAG specific mechanic was able to get everything in working / reliable order for another $800. I drove that car for the next 4 years & 40k miles bf buying a replacement vw, this time a high mile 90′ jetta gli, which happened to be how I met my now wife & basically the mk II jetta was a golf gti with a trunk.
The GLI served me for the next 6 years & 120k miles. It literally died when I went (wedding) ring shopping & I took that as a sign to move on…
3rd (& thus far my last rabbit/golf/jetta) was a 98′ Jetta tdi (turbo diesel). Bought at approx. 100k & served me for 12 years & 200k miles bf I junked it.
While I did like my vws, it seemed like each was nearly always needing attention on/for something. My vws as daily drivers have since been replaced with a couple of Toyotas as DDs.
Porsche 944s and BMW e39s…
1983 944
1988 944 Turbo
1985.5 944
1998 528i sedan
1999 528iT wagon
1984 944
1987 944 Turbo
1999 528iT wagon
Still have the ’87 944 Turbo, though it’s up for sale now. Turns out that many absurd vehicles will take a toll on your sanity and patience eventually…
Attention Stef the Pef…
I’ve owned two Jeep Grand Cherokees. First one was a 2014 WK2 and currently have a 2022 WL.
Multiple Volvo 240s – sedans & wagons, no 242s (yet).
’76 244DL
’82 Turbo
’86 240DL wagon
’80 244GL
’87 240DL wagon
’87 240DL sedan
There were a couple others sprinkled in there, some just parts cars.
eta: 3x VW Squarebacks, simultaneously. 1972 & 73; I don’t remember the mix. They ultimately became one useful Type 3, and a pile of scrap.
I had over 40 Volvo 240s. I’d buy a new one tomorrow if I could.
thats awesome. do you still have any? I don’t know why but the very last of the 240 Wagons really appeal to me rather than the earlier ones.
Yeah, I’m somewhere around 30 240s, plus about a dozen various other Volvos, from Amazons to P3 Cross Countries. I’d have to really sit down and think on it for a while to try to get an exact number at this point.
Ah, the age old question:
“When does this behavior stop being constructive and start being compulsive?”
Although I haven’t owned them at the same time, I’m on my 4th Oldsmobile Cutlass (79 Supreme, 86 442, 93 convertible, and now my 77 Salon) my 3rd Ranger (85, 93, and now a 98 Mazda B4000 built by Ford) and I purchased my 2nd 98 Grand Cherokee Limited almost 3 months ago. I had a 5.2 for several years and found a decent 5.9. I guess I like my repeats. My dad owned 2 TR-7’s at one point and I pretty much daily drove 1 of them during the summer, more recently he owned 2 328i convertibles, 1 got totalled and he sold the other one.
I bought a new Yugo in 1988. Eventually I owned 26 of them, though not all at once. After a while people just gave them to me. Even owned one of the 75, 82 or 85 (depending on who you ask) Cabrios.
I owned an ’83 and ’03 Ranger, but I’m not sure that counts. Numerous Healey Sprites/MG Midgets, maybe 10?
More recently, in 2019 I bought my third 1988 Crown Vic with blue velour interior.
The answer is alway “Miata”, which in my case is accurate. A 1990 and a 2006.
I replaced the 1990 (which my uncle still owns, which means I may own it again some day) when I replaced my 2001 DD with a 2012 and realized safety tech had come a long way…
I think the lead photo is from Duncan Imports in Virginia. One of my coworkers bought a Honda Acty from them and told me about their stash of Figaros.
Anyway, my first car was a 1989 Dodge D250 that I bought back in 2009 or 2010.
I bought a 1981 D150 as a sort of a lockdown / quarter life crisis autocross project in January of 2021. I think that’s close enough to count.
That is Duncan in Christiansburg Virginia. If you’re traveling l81 through Va, it’s a great place to take a break at. Exit 118 has plenty of food & gas, and Duncan is a stone’s throw from it. Figure on at least an hour there: we ‘hurried’ through it recently, and ended up spending an hour & 1/2 there. Free, super-nice people. I was upfront about not being a shopper & they were quite welcoming: felt like they genuinely enjoy people geeking out at the collection.
They’re parked tight: no wallet-chains, careful of riveted jeans. Perhaps not best place for an unruly child.
uh, sorry for the advertisement. No association, I promise: I just really enjoyed my recent tour there
My mom has has 2 Corollas (71? and 77?) 2 civics (78? and 85) and is now on her second Impreza. My dad owned 2 fiat 128s (72 and 76) and 2 accords (87 hatch and 95). My step mom had 2 Corollas (98 and 09) and a matrix after the 09 was stolen from their driveway.
I’ve owned 7 cars and not one has been a duplicate brand.
I haven’t owned many multiple versions of the same car. I’ve owned two Renault Encores at the same time, though the one was just for parts. And I’ve had two Fiat 124 Spiders, a ’78 that had been crashed in ’87 and parked in a shed for 30 years. The other is a 2018 that is my current daily driver.
On another note, there is a a single car that I’ve bought twice: my ’92 Saab 900S. I picked it up for $250 in early 2009. I owned it for a couple of months before selling it off due to not having room for two cars. But six months later the van I had got wrecked and I was in need of another car. As it just happened the person I sold the Saab to was moving to the west coast and couldn’t bring it with them. I saw the ad they had put up for it and made a deal to buy it back.