TORONTO, Ontario — Gen Z is showing a greater interest in car culture than Baby Boomers, according to a 2024 Hagerty Insurance survey.
Specifically, the “Future of Driving” study, which polled more than 2,000 Americans about the role cars play in their lives, noted that 60 percent of Gen Zers expressed a strong interest in cars, compared to just 31 percent of Baby Boomers.
Additionally, 77% of Gen Z respondents said they love or enjoy driving. Respondents also said they have owned or currently own a classic car enthusiast vehicle, with 32% and 30% of Gen Z and Millennials, respectively.
Gen Z also expressed interest in luxury cars at 23% and SUVs at 26%, with SUVs being the most popular vehicle type among respondents overall.
Of all respondents, 55% said car owners primarily take their cars to a dealer or service center for maintenance, but 27% said they perform repairs themselves, with millennials being the most likely generation to do so at 34%.
Additionally, Hagerty’s data shows that younger car enthusiasts are now interested in a wider range of vehicle models from the past 40 years. This broader interest can be attributed to the growing role of social media and other online and in-person entry points into the hobby, the survey said.
Gen Z explained that their engagement with classic cars is primarily through YouTube (39%), Instagram (38%) and driving (35%).
Additionally, Hagerty’s demographic data shows that the most common vehicle Gen Z enthusiasts inquire about insuring is the 1990-1998 Mazda Miata, while millennials are more interested in the 1988-2000 GMT400 series trucks.
Finally, when it comes to car culture as a whole, 43% of people surveyed believe that classic cars are an integral part of American history and should be systematically preserved like historic sites and architecture.
To read the full report, click here.
