A New Generation Is Redefining the Classic Car
You might expect Gen Z to have little interest in cars built before Bluetooth, backup cameras, and touchscreen dashboards, but younger enthusiasts are proving otherwise. In a 2024 Hagerty survey, 60% of Gen Z respondents said they'd like to own a classic car, and their tastes stretch heavily into the analog machines of the 1980s and 1990s. The result is a generation giving everything from boxy Volvos to forgotten Japanese coupes a surprising second life. Here are 20 classic cars that Gen Z are unexpectedly in love with.
1. Mazda MX-5 Miata NA
The first-generation Miata has practically become Gen Z's gateway into classic-car ownership. 1990s Miatas are the vehicles Gen Z enthusiasts most commonly inquire about for insurance coverage. Pop-up headlights, a tiny body, rear-wheel drive, and an entertaining driving experience give younger buyers almost everything they want from an old-school sports car without requiring exotic-car money.
2. Volvo 240
There was a time when the Volvo 240 was more likely to remind you of your professor than your dream garage, but that reputation has changed. Its square body, simple interior, and famously durable construction now give it exactly the sort of unapologetically retro personality younger drivers like. Wagons are especially desirable because they combine practical cargo room with styling that couldn't be further removed from today's rounded crossovers.
3. BMW E30 3 Series
Gen Z didn't experience the E30 when it was sitting in BMW showrooms, yet plenty of younger enthusiasts now treat it as one of the coolest BMWs ever built. The tidy proportions, round headlights, rear-wheel-drive layout, and availability of manual transmissions give it a wonderfully straightforward character. Prices for desirable examples have risen considerably, but that hasn't stopped the E30 from becoming a regular presence in younger enthusiast circles.
4. Porsche 944
For years, the 944 lived somewhat awkwardly in the shadow of the 911, which made it one of the more attainable ways to put a Porsche in your garage. Younger drivers seem much less concerned about that old hierarchy. Its pop-up headlights, wide stance, hatchback body, and unmistakably 1980s interior make the 944 appealing even before you consider its exceptional handling.
5. Nissan 300ZX Z32
The second-generation 300ZX looked futuristic when it arrived for 1990, and somehow that hasn't stopped it from looking cool decades later. Twin-turbo versions offered serious performance, while the low nose and wide body made even the standard car feel special. Gen Z's enthusiasm for 1990s Japanese performance cars has given the Z32 a much more prominent place in the collector-car world.
6. Mercedes-Benz W123
A diesel Mercedes sedan from the 1970s or 1980s doesn't sound like the obvious choice for someone in their twenties, but the W123 has plenty going for it. These cars have a sturdy, understated appearance that feels refreshingly different from modern luxury vehicles, while their reputation for longevity is legendary. Hagerty has even highlighted the W123 as an approachable classic thanks partly to the remarkable mileages many examples have accumulated.
7. Toyota MR2 AW11
Tiny, angular, and fitted with an engine behind the seats, the first-generation MR2 checks several boxes that make older Japanese cars irresistible to younger enthusiasts. Pop-up headlights certainly don't hurt its case either. It doesn't need enormous horsepower to be entertaining because its lightweight and mid-engine layout give drivers an experience that's increasingly difficult to find in a new car.
8. Chevrolet Corvette C4
For a long time, the C4 Corvette occupied the strange middle ground between beloved vintage Corvettes and genuinely modern ones. Gen Z doesn't necessarily carry the same baggage, which means the digital gauges, wedge-shaped body, and huge clamshell hood can simply be enjoyed for what they are. Better still, ordinary C4s have often remained far more attainable than many other performance classics.
9. Saab 900
Few cars look quite like a classic Saab 900, and that's becoming an advantage rather than a problem. Its dramatically curved windshield, long hood, unconventional dashboard, and turbocharged engine give it a personality modern cars rarely attempt. It's a viable starter classic, and its slightly eccentric character fits nicely with younger buyers looking for something other than the obvious choice.
10. Ford Mustang Fox Body
Fox-body Mustangs spent years being cheap performance cars that owners modified, raced, and occasionally abused beyond recognition. Now the clean survivors have become legitimate collectibles, including among drivers who weren't alive when the final one rolled off the line. V8 power, simple mechanicals, enormous aftermarket support, and unmistakable 1980s styling make the Mustang easy to understand and even easier to customize.
11. Jeep Cherokee XJ
The Cherokee XJ doesn't have the luxurious interior or massive proportions of a modern SUV, which may actually be part of its appeal. Its upright body, compact dimensions, and capable four-wheel-drive system provide the stripped-back utility younger enthusiasts often seek in an older vehicle. Finding a clean, relatively original example is becoming harder as people realize how appealing these once-common Jeeps have become.
12. Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk2
The second-generation GTI doesn't require outrageous power to make an enthusiastic driver happy. It's compact, light, practical, and available with the manual gearbox that many younger car fans specifically seek out. Add the squared-off styling and huge Volkswagen enthusiast community, and an old hatchback that once looked completely ordinary suddenly feels desirable.
13. Datsun 280ZX
The 280ZX spent years being dismissed by some enthusiasts for becoming softer and heavier than the original Datsun Z, but newer collectors aren't necessarily interested in continuing an argument from the 1980s. Hagerty has noted renewed enthusiasm for the model, with values rising sharply since 2019. Its long hood, distinctive rear hatch, turbocharged engine, and unmistakably 1970s interior now work heavily in its favor.
14. Pontiac Fiero
The Fiero's reputation was once dominated by reliability jokes and stories about early cars catching fire, but time has allowed people to reconsider Pontiac's little experiment. A two-seat, mid-engine American sports car with pop-up headlights is a pretty unusual proposition at any price. Younger enthusiasts who value distinctive styling and unusual engineering are finding plenty to appreciate, particularly in later GT models.
15. Acura Integra
An older Integra can look almost delicate beside today's bulky performance cars, and that's part of what makes it so appealing. Honda's rev-happy engines, excellent manual transmissions, and lightweight chassis gave these cars a level of involvement that doesn't require ridiculous speeds. Clean examples are increasingly treasured because so many Integras were heavily modified when they were simply inexpensive used cars.
16. Toyota Land Cruiser FJ60
The FJ60 came from an era when SUVs were built more around durability than massive screens and luxury features. Its upright windows, rectangular headlights, and rugged body have become fashionable enough that restored examples can attract serious attention. Younger enthusiasts also appreciate that it's genuinely capable off-road rather than simply looking the part.
17. Mitsubishi 3000GT
Complexity once worked against the 3000GT, especially when shoppers compared repair costs with simpler Japanese performance cars. Today, features such as twin turbos, all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering on certain versions, and dramatic styling make the VR-4 particularly fascinating. For Gen Z enthusiasts raised around Japanese-car content online, the 3000GT represents the ambitious side of 1990s engineering that's becoming increasingly collectible.
18. Ford Bronco II
The little Bronco II spent a long time being overlooked while vintage full-size Broncos became enormously expensive. That obscurity may be ending, as 38% of buyer interest in the 1984-1990 Bronco II came from Gen Z and Millennials in 2025. Its compact dimensions and unmistakable 1980s SUV styling give it plenty of character without requiring the budget of its far more famous relative.
19. Mercedes-Benz W124
Older Mercedes models once risked being viewed simply as aging luxury cars, but the W124 has steadily escaped that category. Younger enthusiasts appreciate its restrained styling, famously solid construction, and the wonderfully overbuilt feel associated with Mercedes cars from this period. Wagons have gained an especially devoted following among buyers who want their classic to be useful too.
20. Buick Roadmaster Estate
Few people would have predicted that an enormous 1990s Buick station wagon would become desirable to young car enthusiasts, which makes the Roadmaster's resurgence especially entertaining. Underneath all that faux wood and family-hauler styling, later versions came with a 5.7-liter V8 related to the engine used in the Corvette. It's huge, unapologetically old-fashioned, and unlike practically anything you can buy new, which is exactly why it's found a fresh audience.
