Forget Corvettes: Gen Z Collectors Are Embracing 2000s Corollas and Cavaliers

The definition of a classic car in the United States is quietly being rewritten. Instead of rare sports cars, everyday models from the 1990s and 2000s are increasingly being preserved and insured as collectibles, and classic-car insurers report a steady climb in policies covering such ordinary vehicles.

Hagerty's data shows cars from the 1990s and 2000s gaining ground, with Millennials and Gen X leading the way and Gen Z emerging as the fastest-growing customer group — its policy count has jumped 48%. Cars such as 2000s Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics have doubled within the insurer's book over the past three years. Brian Rabold, Hagerty's VP of Automotive Intelligence, credits nostalgia: people tend to collect whatever left a mark on them in childhood or their teens, so a mundane family car can mature into a prized possession.

The appeal extends to models once considered utterly forgettable. A 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier and a 1996 Buick Roadmaster Wagon are now drawing more interest than a pristine 1984 Corvette. Classic-car policies typically cap annual mileage — these cars aren't daily drivers — in exchange for lower premiums and broader coverage than standard insurance.

The trend isn't confined to the US. In the UK, the Festival of the Unexceptional, which celebrates once-ubiquitous mainstream cars, sold out this year with roughly 4,500 attendees and 2,500 cars on display; awards went to a Volkswagen Polo, a Toyota Previa and a Ford Focus.