I recently responded to a topic on another forum on how old cars are more reliable than modern cars...
Look, we’re old car guys—it’s practically in our DNA to trumpet the passion and insist that vintage steel beats modern plastic every day of the week. But before we get too carried away in that nostalgic rabbit hole, let’s acknowledge a simple reality: virtually all of us rely on a RELIABLE modern car for daily life.
Sure, there are exceptions. I know a handful of us drive our vintage cars every single day, (My daily is 45 years old) but we are very much the minority, even within our own community. The overwhelming majority of classic car guys drive something modern Monday through Friday—or, at the very least, their spouses do. Let's face it: we want modern reliability, freezing cold A/C, and automatic transmissions when we’re just running errands.
Our old cars can be incredibly persnickety; (Just ask my mechanic) it just goes with the territory. Even when we do get them out for club tours, cruise nights, or regional outings, it’s a rare, deliberate occasion. In fact, our classic insurance policies mandate it. If you look at specialty insurance carriers, their entire business model is built on strict usage limits because they know these cars are meant for occasional pleasure, not the daily commute.
I personally don't need the grocery list of features standard on most modern (ie reliable) cars: AC,AT, PB, PW, PDL, Bluetooth, hot and cold running dog polisher, etc. My old VW van has none of these. Heck, I dont even have functioning radio. It's slow. it's noisy, the gas gage doesnt work. By most people's definition it's a POS. But, I'm happy to not have the grocery list. But I also know I (we) are in the minority.
The Data to Back It Up
---Hagerty's official policy guidelines state that a classic car cannot be a daily driver. To qualify for their insurance, every driver in the household must have a regular, modern vehicle for daily use, and the classic must be stored in a secure garage.
---3,000-Mile Reality: According to data from the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and historic vehicle surveys, the average classic car is driven fewer than 1,000 to 1,500 miles per year.
---Occasional Use Stat: A major survey by the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) found that over 85% of classic vehicle owners list "exhibitions, club events, and occasional pleasure driving" as the sole use of the vehicle, with fewer than 2% reporting any form of regular commuter utility.
https://www.hagerty.com/insurance/classic-car-insurance/does-my-vehicle-qualifyhttps://sites.sema.org/market-research/