Every generation of car enthusiasts seems to gravitate to a specific era and kind of car to collect and enjoy. Maybe you want one of the cars you grew up with, or one of the cars that you had on your wall. Or maybe you’re just picking up the coolest car that you can afford. Hagerty just took a look at its insurance quote data to see what Generation Z car enthusiasts are into, and it turns out they have rather awesome and unexpected taste in cars. There’s a pretty good chance that you won’t guess what cars these younger enthusiasts are into. Somehow, the forgotten Chevrolet Cobalt SS makes an appearance on this list!
The folks of Hagerty have powerful tools at their disposal to examine trends in the collector car market. Since Hagerty is primarily a classic car insurance company, it knows the demographics of the people who get insurance quotes and what cars they are getting quotes for. While insurance quote data might not necessarily mean that these are the cars that these people are buying, it at the very least means that these are the cars that these people are interested in owning.
What Hagerty has found is that Millennials (born from 1982 to 1996) and Generation Zers (born from 1997 to 2012) have often vastly different tastes in collector cars than their parents do. That isn’t incredibly surprising, as we grew up in a different world with different automotive influences than our parents did. It’s even more surprising that, according to Hagerty, younger enthusiasts like tuner cars and cars from Japan. What is interesting is exactly which classic tuner cars and Japanese cars that younger enthusiasts keep getting insurance quotes for.
What Your Parents Probably Liked
Let’s start with a baseline. If you’re one of our younger readers, you probably have a good idea of the kinds of cars that your parents adored. I know my mother, who is in her early 70s, was head over heels for the Chevrolet Monza Towne Coupe that she had back in the 1970s. My dad is like the stereotypical Boomer and loves a good old V8 muscle car. But those are anecdotes; what’s exciting is cold, hard data.
Back in 2022, Hagerty pulled insurance quote data and found that folks born between 1920 and 1945, or what Hagerty calls Pre-Baby Boomers. The data suggested that those folks really loved 1920s Ford Model As, 1950s Chevrolet Bel Airs, Chevrolet Corvette C4s, Chevy Corvette C5s, and mid-1960s Ford Mustangs. That list is in order, with the Model A leading the pack in insurance quotes.
To me, the surprise there is the Corvette C4. I’m a fan of the C4, but it seems most Corvette fans are not. Well, maybe your grandpa really likes a C4!
When Hagerty pulled this data in 2022, it also decided to calculate the vehicles that the Pre-Baby Boomers represent the highest share of interest in. Pre-Baby Boomers represented 22 percent of all insurance quotes for 1950s MG TDs, 22 percent of insurance quotes on the 2002 to 2005 Ford Thunderbird, and 21 percent of the quotes on the Cadillac Allante.
The list of what Baby Boomers (1946–1964) like isn’t all that surprising. Hagerty says that the top five cars quoted by Boomers in 2022 were the Chevy Corvette C3, late-1960s Chevy Camaro, the Chevy Corvette C4, the mid-1960s Ford Mustang, and the Chevy Corvette C5. Hagerty noted that there is overlap between the interests of one generation and the generation immediately before it. In this case, your parents and the parents of your parents probably like an old Corvette.
In 2022, Boomers represented 70 percent of the insurance quotes on 1970s Triumph TR6s, Chevrolet SSRs, and mid-1960s Sunbeam Tigers. They then represented 68 percent of the quotes on 1965 to 1970 Shelby GT350s, and 67 percent of the quotes on 2000 to 2006 Jaguar XKRs. To prevent myself from getting too repetitive, I’ll drop a link to Hagerty’s graphs for Pre-Baby Boomers, Boomers, and Generation X (1965–1981). Note that there seem to be cars that transcend generations, like the Ford Mustang.
Things start to get weird in the 2022 data with Millennials. According to Hagerty’s data, we (yes, I’m a Millennial) really liked calling them up for quotes on Chevy Squarebody pickup trucks and classic Ford Mustangs. But when it came down to the share of interest, it was nothing but tuner cars.
Gen Z enthusiasts take it further. The collector car that Gen Zers got the most insurance quotes on by a wide margin was the Mazda MX-5 Miata NA. What’s so neat about that is that while Gen Z isn’t going for classic British roadsters, Corvettes, and other old sporty cars like their parents and grandparents, they’re instead going for an affordable classic that emulates the British roadsters of old.
Also, the Gen Zers of 2022 had a huge shared interest in Nissan Silvia and Skylines.
That year was also a weird one for who dominated the collector market. Hagerty notes that Boomers and Gen X dominate the collector car market, with Boomers usually making up the majority of collector car interest. However, in 2022, Gen X took the top spot as the collector car market’s largest cohort.
What Young Adults Are Into In 2026
This year’s Hagerty data has brought on some fascinating changes. Boomers are back in their top spot after taking back the crown last year. As of publishing, Boomers have a 34.44 percent share of collector car insurance quotes, followed by Gen X with 30.81 percent. On the other end of the scale is Gen Z, which Hagerty says is the smallest group with only 9.96 percent of the market. Then there are Millennials, who have 20.35 percent of the market.
Technically, Hagerty interpreted its own data incorrectly. The actual smallest car collector cohort in 2026 is Pre-Boomers, who make up only 4.44 percent of the insurance quotes this year.
Anyway, the biggest change in 2026 versus just four years ago is the cars that Gen Zers are getting insurance quotes on. According to Hagerty, the top five cars that Gen Z has been getting insurance quotes on are the 1991-1996 Honda Beat, the 2005–2010 Chevrolet Cobalt SS, the 1989–2000 Toyota Celsior, the 2001–2006 Acura RSX, and the 1999–2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI, in that order.
Some of these make a lot of sense to my Millennial brain. A lot of us grew up watching The Fast And The Furious and playing games like Gran Turismo. We fell in love with the weird cars from the video games and movies that were never officially imported into America. These are the cars we grew up with.
I think what also makes the Honda Beat stand out is its affordability. You can get a Honda Beat for under $10,000 at a JDM car dealer here in America, or maybe under $5,000 if you buy a well-used example in a Japanese auction, as I did. The Suzuki Cappuccino and the Autozam AZ-1 might be more iconic cars, but the days of finding a decent example of one of those for under 10 large are behind us. Also, in my experience, the Beat fits the average American far better than those other two.
I also understand the Toyota Celsior. Sure, that car was sold in America as the Lexus LS, but it’s getting harder to find a nice old Lexus LS in America that doesn’t have a ton of miles or undesirable body damage. There were some clean Celsiors that recently sold in Japanese auctions for under $4,000, and some rougher examples for under $2,500 that still look nicer than an LS 400 here in the Midwest. This is a large imported car that you can get in America for under $10,000 landed. Even the ones that have sold on Cars & Bids rarely exceed $10,000.
Yet, this is also a JDM import that shares many major components with the Lexus LS. There’s no understating how much stress that relieves. Whenever I needed a part for my Honda Beat or my Honda Life, I always had to import a part from Japan. So I get it. This is an affordable JDM ride that will still get some attention, but also not be as much of a headache.
The Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI and the Acura RSX are not at all surprising to me. Like the Honda Beat, these were the cars that young folks grew up either driving in video games, seeing in movies, or, in the case of the RSX, perhaps even seeing on the street. That said, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS threw me for a loop.
I have a deep appreciation for the Cobalt SS because it’s a bit of a sleeper. It’s a mid-2000s GM economy car with a funny wing and an optional boosted engine. The supercharged version of the Cobalt SS sports a 2.0-liter GM LSJ supercharged straight-four with 205 HP and 200 lb-ft of torque on deck. The even faster version has an Ecotec LNF turbo four with 260 HP and 260 lb-ft of torque on tap. That’s the same engine that’s in my Saturn Sky Red Line, and it’s an absolute joy.
A Cobalt SS turbo looks like a rental car that crashed through a body kit catalog, but hits 60 mph in only 5.5 seconds! The best part is that it seems nobody is collecting these, so they’re dirt cheap. The most expensive Cobalt SS I could find sold for only $16,000 on Bring a Trailer despite having only 400 miles. Most of these are well under $10,000 any day of the week.
The Cobalt SS is another car I remember from the video games of my youth, too. Honestly, that’s how I’ve ended up falling in love with a lot of the cars in my fleet today, from the Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI to my Saturn Sky Red Line. While I’m a Millennial, it seems I like a lot of the same cars as Gen Zers. These were just the cars I grew up with. They were cars I said I was going to buy when I grew up and finally had some money to play with. Then, I made it happen. I suspect something similar is happening with Gen Z car enthusiasts right now.
Car Tastes Change, And That’s Fine!
Something else that’s interesting from the data is that while Gen Z seems to love these cars, they’re not the largest demographic for each vehicle. For example, 47 percent of the quotes on Honda Beats came from Millennials, and more than half of the quotes on all of the other top five cars were from Millennials as well.
Hagerty notes that, as Gen Z gets older, the list will probably change again, and the generation’s picks will get bigger and pricier. I can see that. As it is, the top car for Gen Z in 2022 was the Mazda Miata NA; now it’s the Honda Beat. It’s going to be exciting to see what comes next. Maybe we’ll come back here some years from now and find out that the Gen Z cohort is scooping up Nissan Skylines or something.
That gets me thinking about our own site’s demographics. Statistically, a good chunk of you reading this are Gen Z or Millennials. If so, does the list accurately reflect the classic cars that you want? If you’re one of our older readers, are you clamoring for that hot Corvette C4?
Top graphic images: Chevrolet; DepositPhotos.com
i guess im all over the place. elder millennial (associate more with gen x) for the longest it was a 96 ss impala or nothing. GM gbodies are top of the list. big fan of the 04-06 gto. drove a 1990 ss 454 and a 1969 impala in high school and couldnt have been happier.
My brother is an old millennial, I’m young X, we pretty much have the same taste as we’re only 3 years apart.
if i recall correctly the turbo ss cobalts had a specific intercooler setup that isnt reproduced. even so i’d love to have a stick shift ss cobalt sedan. yes, thats a thing.
My 19 year old recently told me he wanted a 2000ish Grand Marquis. This confused me so I turned to his 16 year old brother, expecting to him to also be befuddled, and he said, “Yeah those are cool.”
I’m really not sure what to do with that information except say, “Yay,” I guess. Cheap and reliable. But honestly I think it killed my soul a little.
Parts yes…gas no. I totaled our family Grand Marquis when I was a teen, but that thing did love it’s fuel tank. Drank it like a toddler drinks a juice box.
It’s funny, I was that age right around 2000, me and a few friends thought the 80’s/early 90’s versions of those cars were kinda cool. My buddy’s mom had a 79 Chrysler Newport sedan, and we loved bombing around in that thing.
As a Gen Z, I agree, the 2000 Grand Marquis is kinda cool. Body-on-frame, RWD, V8 with some tuning potential, more luxury features/comfort than a Crown Vic, and some of them had neat-looking wheels too. Your kids are onto something there, basically the classic American car formula but as modern as it ever got from the factory.
My neighbors one door down are 20-something brothers. One of them daily drives a Fox body Mustang still wearing it’s new primer grey. He hasn’t decided on a color yet.
Interesting that Gen Z is interested in late foxbody mustangs, dentside ford trucks and squarebody GM trucks. I’m an early Gen Z and that tracks, I like late 70s-90s trucks and would like a Foxbody mustang at some point. I can also see why my generation has high shares of tuner and JDM cars, since they were stars in all the car media we had growing up. I do think those cars are cool, but I’m not sure how many I would seriously consider owning, and I definitely don’t want to import anything from Japan. Based on conversations I’ve had with people my age, there is some interest in classic muscle, we just can’t afford most examples of 60s muscle cars yet. My brother (also Gen Z) wants a 77-81 Pontiac Trans-am, and I’d like to get some sort of 80s American V8 RWD car relatively soon(next few years). I’ll be interested to see what cars Gen Z gets into once we get older and get more money. Another interesting data point would be car interest and geographic location, since I bet enthusiasts in Wisconsin and enthusiasts in California have different tastes, at least to some degree
My current vehicles are a 2009 Mazda Mx-5 and a 1996 Ford F-150, if anyone was wondering
My GenZ son is a weirdo, I guess. He just purchased his first car and it’s an 87 Shelby GLHS.
And as usual Gen X gets ignored… the middle child of generations.
(Subaru 2.5 RS, AW11 MR2)
Used up all the extra keystrokes talking about a freakin’ Model A.
Don’t act like you’re not used to it
Yeah, literally the only generation where the cars aren’t listed. Thank goodness we got the important details on what cars the handful of 90 year olds are getting quotes on.
I’m starting to see a LOT of youtube channels with 20-30-somethings and 20’s era cars. My guess is this: The generation that collected and restored those have mostly died off. And so the market is flooded with things like Model A’s and T’s. The demand for those has fallen too.
Its exactly what we are seeing with my own weird hobby- restoring vintage radios, TVs, stereo systems and record players: When I started in the hobby back in the 80’s the big money went for things like Atwater Kent radios and some of the early battery powered sets from the 20’s. I even volunteer at a radio museum and we get a LOT of these sets now because someone passes away, we get an entire estate of 20’s radios. We can barely give them away. The demand has collapsed and the supply has exploded as they all come out of people’s collections. We actually tried to give some of these away at the last swap meet. No takers.
The same thing is happening for similar era cars. You can get a Model T for almost nothing now. I already have a lot of cars but its tempting.
Honestly I get it… I’ve got my daily, I’ve got my really fun pretty modern driver’s car, and I kind of want a really really different experience and I keep looking at 20s and 30s stuff. I helped at a Bugatti club rally a few years ago and got to ride as navigator in an open wheel and it was THRILLING. Always loved super old cars, but now it’s becoming more of what I really want, and I’m early 30s
I bought one of those “old” cars a few years ago. Its a 1948 Plymouth SuperDeluxe but since Chrysler- even then- kept chassis and drivetrains the same forever, whats underneath is a 1933 design.
It is SLOWWWWWWW!!!! I mean I knew it would be. But its good for 0-50 at maybe 15 seconds. And it handles like a buggy. Super different from my other car which is a 1955 Mercury. Its like a modern car in comparison.
But the Plymouth is more like a tractor. Everything about it is almost crude and agricultural in nature. Also means problems are often very simple too.
I was surprised to learn there are a lot of hot rod parts around for the old Chrysler flathead sixes, as I imagine they were never very competitive engines among V8s of the time, but perhaps those hot rod parts were there simply to make them less intolerably slow lol.
Yep, the most exhillarating car I’ve ever ridden in was a beautiful replica 1918 Mercer Raceabout. Barely any bodywork around you, beam axle up front, felt like it was going 70 mph when it was only going 30… and the top speed back in the day was over 100! Vintage speedsters were the ultimate thrill when it comes to “slow-car-fast,” and the sooner people realize this, the sooner they’ll be popular again. A Model T Speedster would probably get you very close to that driving experience for very little money nowadays.
I totally get it! Also cars that old are absolutely bizarre. So much was being figured out and experimented, a standard yet to be created. It’s just wild to see what solutions people came up with and what paths they pursued
Indeed! I love the mechanical weirdness of vintage cars. A personal favorite is an old Buick I saw that had a massive transverse flat twin under the floorboards, with the chain drive for the rear axle sandwiched between the flywheel and a planetary transmission. What looks like a conventional hood up front is bolted down, can’t be opened, and just holds the gas tank and the radiator. Such a bizarre layout, and yet it worked! And of course the Model T is bizarre in its own right, I’d love to own one at some point simply because the way you drive it is like nothing else.
I was thinking about this recently in regard to 1950’s cars. They were so hot for a while, but I imagine the biggest fans of those are dying off as well. I remember when I was a kid in the 90s/early ’00s, cruise nights and car shows were full of tri five Chevies and custom shoebox Fords. Now I rarely see them around, especially the old Fords.
As a Gen Z with an abnormal amount of interest in prewar cars, this has been the most exciting development in the car world for me in a long time! You can find all kinds of fascinating antique iron on FB Marketplace nowadays, cars with fewer than 20 surviving examples sometimes, for dirt cheap. If I had the space… as soon as I have the space… I’m afraid the hoarding of vintage cars will be inevitable. I want at least one Model T of any body style, a stock Model A roadster, assorted extra Model A parts to build traditional hot rods with, and whatever other random obscure 1920s-30s cars I can obtain for the sake of keeping rare cars roadworthy. Non-Fords are the most interesting cars of that era since you don’t see them nearly as often nowadays, but Fords are by far the easiest to own and maintain, so those are the ones you need a few of to keep you enjoying vintage cars without giving up entirely on vehicles of that era for lack of parts and information 😉 Oh, and my dream is to own a steam-powered car at some point, but those still remain quite expensive and probably won’t be getting cheaper for quite a while yet.
1940s and 50s cars also aren’t far behind the prewar stuff in terms of becoming increasingly inexpensive, and in that regard, I have my eye on old Buicks. I love the styling of 1940s-50s Buicks, and the idea of a massive straight-8 under the hood that runs smooth enough to balance a nickel on the head while it idles appeals to me. Those cars are quite affordable now, even in good running condition, and I’d love to be cruising around in one someday.
Although, I have my hands plenty full with just my ’66 Thunderbird at the moment, and my 1990 Miata keeps the car enthusiasm alive while the T-bird isn’t roadworthy. I suppose I’m part of Hagerty’s Gen Z Miata statistics here…
I’m right in-between the millenial/gen-z split, but it appears my personal auto history aligns with the gen-z crowd. I’ve had several cars mentioned there – a 1986 MR-2, two NA Miatas, and a Honda Beat.
This is why it’s getting hard to find decent 90s JDM cars, all you Americans are importing them! I actually can’t imagine have to deal with the hassle of driving a car with the steering wheel on the wrong side for the country I’m in – but I guess most of these cars won’t be dailies so it’s probably more tolerable.
I’m a millennial currently considering getting a weekend car that I can put on club plates (cheap rego for cars over 25 years). The Honda Beat is on my radar, as is the MR2 (though the 3rd gen since the other two generations are already too expensive), interesting to see how unoriginal I’m being!
I might have to go for an early 00s Alfa Romeo GTV instead. It was already creeping to the top of my list for its combination of unique looks, great engine and four seats (so I can take the kids with me on drives).
It’s actually us Canadians getting them first, as we only have a 15 year import rule.
It’s not uncommon for importers to pull in cars that are a few years ahead of legality in the USA, then export them to American consumers when they hit 25.
Damn Canadians! Interesting to hear they’re being imported before they’re 25. As far as I’m aware you can’t do that here with our 25-year import rule, the car has to be over the age threshold before it arrives in the country.
That’s the trick, they land in Canada when they’re legal at 15 years. Then, they get re-sold to America 10 years later.
So we get the better deals, cause they’re not as valuable if they’re in that 15 to 24 year old window.
Ha, this list rings close to home. I’m a millenial and actually bought an 87′ C4 as my second car as soon as soon as I started working; loved that body style since I saw it in Need for Speed Road & Track (though in the game it was a ZR1) and it was available for a reasonable price in Europe. Kept it for a few years but the gas costs made it unrealistic long term. Don’t regret having had this experience though!
I wonder if the Fiesta ST will go up in value at some point. They’re pretty cheap right now. Honestly more excited about that car than the AWD rally stuff.
Hagerty will write a policy for 2015-2016 Subaru WRX STIs???
That seems more like the daily driver you need to get a collector policy on something else. It’s certainly newer that what I think of as candidates for everyday cars or what I drive every day.
Hagerty. Because you think your car is special. Even if it’s not.
Also because they are way less expensive than normal insurance.
Why do Millennials want 1970s Corvettes? That’s the only thing that sticks out to me, though I’m kind of surprised that the Gen Z and Millennial charts aren’t even more similar than they are.
I love the styling, but I’ve been told by everyone I know who’s owned one that they’re hot garbage.
I feel like the only way a C3 is a decent purchase is if you get it cheap and have a budget for an Art Morrison chassis or similar.
I’m smack dab in the middle of Gen Z, and I have a friend my age who’s project car is an ’86 MR2 so I suppose this tracks! I’m not surprised about the Miatas either, I’ve known several people around my age who’ve either had or been looking for NA miatas.
As one who is firmly in the middle of the pack of boomers, I suspect I am a severe outlier as my dream cars fall into the air-cooled VW bucket. Ah well.
I know quite a few GenZ’ers in my club and two of them drive clapped out 70s cars so it’s still nice to see people bucking the trend.
How do you know my age, now I’m scared. Did you figure it out from my purchase history of a pentastar crankshaft sensor or my Craigslist search history of used campers under $5000?
Why are people looking for Hagerty insurance for a Cobalt?
Some states require classic car insurance to get classic plates/registration.
I’ve got it on a Geo, anything is possible!
AI shopping tools that just get quotes from everywhere?
Cause it’s WAY cheaper insurance, they have agreed value policies, and these cars are now 20+ years old and are the summer/weekend cruisers for the Youths*.
*Youths that are at least 25 years old
Source: I’m on my 3rd car with a Hagerty policy, no one else comes close to them in cost and customer service.
“You’ll Never Guess”
You’re right. I’d have guessed anything with an automatic otherwise collecting rust in grandpa or grandma’s driveway.
I’ll never get the love for the Lancer. It always looked like the store-brand version of the wrxi for extra broke boy racers.
This all tracks — one of the surprises is that millenials AND Gen Z seem to prefer the R33 skylines. I always thought I was the oddball since the R33 is my preference, virtually everyone I talk to is either r34/r32 but very few R33 fans anecdotally. I’d like to have any and all of these lists, please!
There are dozens of us. I’ve always preferred the styling of the R33 as well, while everyone else seems to prefer the R32 or R34.
I think the appeal of the R33 is the very fact that it’s perceived as the less-popular middle child of the three, and therefore it is the bargain/underdog option.
I feel like people really underestimate the power of a well-known underdog car. People really do gravitate towards the less-hyped version of a thing sometimes, making it more popular than even its own enthusiasts realize.
It should not be any surprise whatsoever, for example, that the Cobalt SS was on this list, because every list of “fun/fast cars you can actually afford” in the past 10 years has included it. Everybody knows it’s the cheap fast car everybody sleeps on, so now it’s having its moment in the spotlight, and it hasn’t become nostalgic or rare enough to stop being cheap yet. Everybody THINKS it’s obscure, and that’s what makes it so popular!
Especially for Gen Z, at least how I perceive it, because our whole shtick is basically digging through other generation’s leftovers and hand-me-downs looking for anything worthwhile that older and wealthier people might have overlooked, as we believe everything current is worse in comparison. That’s how I ended up buying a ’66 Thunderbird – I wanted a classic car with a big engine, and boomers overlook Thunderbirds in favor of Mustangs, so it was a perfect affordable entry point to the car hobby for me. The lack of competition for it is the appeal, their blind spot is our gain.
I tend to prefer unusual or uncommon cars, but I can’t attribute my preference for the R33 to that. As a xennial, my preference came about from playing the first Gran Turismo, long before I learned that others preferred the R32 and R34. The R33 just hits the sweet spot in styling for me. I think it looks fantastic with just a slight lowering, while the R32 needs more extensive work to look right to me. The styling of the R34 got too blocky and squared off for my tastes, especially in the shaping of the rear fenders, and I never liked the spoiler on it.
I’m outside the dataset. Honestly, I’m looking at N badged Hyundais something terrible. The upcoming Ioniq 6N looks fantastic and I’d do horrible things for an i20N.
If we’re talking purely classics, FD RX-7s, Honda NSXs, Dodge Vipers, Neon SRT-4s. Soon to be classics, the 2014 Mustang Boss 302, Mk7 Golf GTI and first Gen F150 Raptor.
You are outside the data set? So either you are 106 years old or older or you are 13 years old or younger.
Touche. I’m no good at statistics
Gen X here, was giggling like a school girl just knowing the entire generation would be passed over in the article and, while it was mentioned as a % of insurance quotes, I was not disappoined.
Ha, we don’t care that nobody cares about us.
Whatever!
(Gen X-1973 model here)
I guess I’m an elder millenial (1981). mid 90s – pre 2010s JDM (and a couple of Euros) are my jam.