An interesting aspect of the car hobby came up in a recent thread

My take is "drive 'em if you got 'em"...

Maybe some people take the view that these masterpieces will never be produced again and the closer to mint they keep them, the more they are doing a service for posterity? Of course it may just be they figure the lower the milage, the greater the investment return!

Well, in my humble opinion, if you are planning to get rich buying a car and selling it after a few years and getting rich, you are probably wrong.

Sure there are cars that jump in price very fast, but most of the time these are the ultra rare and ultra exotics, mostly bought by people that may not be really interested in the car itself.

From my standpoint I can really understand why people buy cars and seldom drive them through the years.

As you may know, I own a 1972 Corvette, which I bought in 1987 at Corvettes at Carlisle.

In the beginning I drove it more than the last 15 or so years.

Not that I do not enjoy driving it, but the crowded streets and roads where I live (western (=very busy) parts of The Netherlands), sometimes frighten me and I get afraid to damage my beauty.

Too many anger on the streets especially during the busy times of the day.

But I found a solution; in spring or fall, when the sunday-mornings are cold and sunny, we go for a drive through the polders (don't know how to find a word for that in English).

Not much people around and then I can really feel, smell and hear the car, while driving my war-bonnet-yellow beauty.

Getting back in my garage after the drive, I can sit on a chair for some time, hearing it cooling down and hearing the pressure escape from the  air-system that operates the headlamps and the windshield-wiper-cover.

In my own enclosed garage I also enjoy the flowing masculine lines of it.

As the years pass, we both are getting older and eventhough I do get a kick when someone says I own a beautyful car, the warm feeling that I bought it so much time ago gets even stronger.

And I bought it just for myself, not to show off.

Sometimes even Corinne asks me if she could come with me......

Having read the above, what do you think my answer is ....?

I'm going to guess Corinne is your wife, daughter, or significant other, so I hope your answer is Yes.

I like your statement, Joop.  There comes a time in most of our lives when it is rewarding just to sit back and enjoy, be it with any scale.  Go for it!     David H

I have always believed, if you are going to spend the money for a nice car, you should enjoy it.  In 1993 I purchased a new Mazda RX-7, see picture.  I still own the car and have driven it 154,000 miles.  I know this many miles decreases its value, but I still enjoy driving it.

Personally I see little point in owning a vintage car if you never drive it, but that's just one person's opinion.  A vintage car in my garage would only excite me if I knew I could wander out on say a Sunday morning early and take it for a spin or to a show.  I want a vintage car that I'm not worried about when I drive down a gravel road or on a stormy day.  I would have the car to drive it, because for me that's where the nostalgia lives; cruising down the road, dual pipes rumbling, winding it up through the gears.  Here's another point guys....as time goes by the vintage cars we love will become less valuable as upcoming generations relate more to something "vintage" relative to their perspective.  A good example of this is how the 1920 and 30s cars have tanked in value in the last decade...and so it will move along as time goes by.  Then add the inevitable environmental zealots who go way overboard thinking that anything gas powered must be abolished; even though our vintage cars travel a minimal distance each year.  The end result will be that our precious vintage car will one day not be so valuable....so drive them and appreciate them now.

Very interesting conversation!!

I just got home from running errands in my 1976 Nova, I love driving this car, its equipped with a 4 barrel 350, automatic, positrac rear end an F-41 suspension,

I just had to share these pics I just took of my semi-daily driver.(depends on the weather)

I drive each of my four collector cars at least 2500 miles a year. I see no point in having them just sitting in the garage although, like Joop, when the weather is inclement I pull up a chair in my garage and just sit there and look at them. Many times a friend will come by in their collector car and we will  sit and talk cars.

The gents assembled here get it! Cars are made to be driven, even if it's only on a nice day. There's nothing like taking one of your favorite machines out and using it the way it was meant to be used. I would drive my collector car sparingly as well, but I would drive it!!

Remember back in 1976 when Cadillac decided to stop production of the Eldo convertible and everyone went bonkers buying them up thinking they’d be worth a boatload of money in a few years?......🤣🤣🤣🤣

Cars in general are meant to be driven.  Not using a car to enhance resale value is equivalent to not "loving" your girl friend to keep her "whole" for the next guy, if you get my drift.  But I can understand not using a car if it's super rare and worth tons of $. 

@david-vandermeer

BTW Joop - "polders" translated is "reclaimed land" (like from a swamp)...example = Washington DC (America's capital) is comprised almost 100% of reclaimed land as it was originally a swamp...