Cars Are Meant to Be Driven, but Collectors Pay a Premium for Ones That Aren’t

Collectors are paying premiums for vehicles with extremely low mileage, even when the cars are decades old. The story describes how enthusiasts increasingly treat mileage like a kind of “newness,” citing examples from the collector world of commodity models—such as a 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with just 62 miles—and low-mileage videos on YouTube celebrating first washes or showroom-condition finds. The author contrasts this trend with today’s mainstream collector focus, where many still chase brands like Porsche, but growing demand also targets low-mileage Hondas, Toyotas, 1990s OBS trucks, and early-2000s SUVs. The article notes listings where a 2000 Geo Metro with 400 miles sold for $19,110 on Bring a Trailer, drawing excitement similar to that of far rarer cars.