[ZNix]

Bought mine used at 22. Im poh.

[indyz]

I'm early 40s and will get one eventually, my buddy who has one is in his mid 50s. Another ZL1 acquaintance is also mid to late 50s. Sounds like there are a lot of enthusiast folks who have a bit of disposable income for a second or third car.

My acquaintances in their 30s and 20s don't know much, don't care much. They've got other fish to fry.
The ones that care and have the cash, all have German cars M4, M2 (that's the best German car I've driven in a decade or more), c63 amg, Macan etc. They'll get over that phase eventually :p

[fastball]

Originally Posted by indyz

My acquaintances in their 30s and 20s don't know much, don't care much. They've got other fish to fry.

That's part of the problem right there. When you and I were growing up we had Smokey and the Bandit, Dukes of Hazzard, and Knight Rider. I built a ton of plastic model kits of all kinds of cars, most of which I still have. My friends all got into cars at an early age. I was hanging out at my uncle's home garage where he worked on cars for a lot of higher ups around Cleveland and the suburbs (his main jos was fire Lieutennant of one of Clevelands suburbs but was and still is a trained auto mechanic on the side). At 14 I was pulling out motors, learning torque patterns for engine heads, and learning how to shift a 3 on the tree in a 1938 Pontiac. My favorite memory was riding in a 1957 BelAir convertible with the 265 after my uncle rebuilt the automatic transmission. Beautiful black with red interior and the houndstooth pattern seats. That one he wouldn't let me drive though lol!!

Man I could not WAIT to get my driver's license

Kids now don't even care if they ever get their license. For me, cars were and still are a passion. My SS is my every day driver. Some people don't understand why I drive a car with a big V8 and requires a second set of tires for winter.

I just can't go a day without shifting gears and feeling some good old fashioned American muscle.

Some people will never understand.

[indyz]

Knight Rider....memories....
Yeah cars were a great hobby, now it's the digital apps. Heck a 34 year old team mate couldn't stop himself from playing a new game on his phone while waiting for transportation to arrive in 5 minutes. I was rechecking the 2019 camaro pics, on a phone too.

We are all tech-locked :p

[arpad_m]

Originally Posted by fastball

That's part of the problem right there. When you and I were growing up we had Smokey and the Bandit, Dukes of Hazzard, and Knight Rider. I built a ton of plastic model kits of all kinds of cars, most of which I still have. My friends all got into cars at an early age. I was hanging out at my uncle's home garage where he worked on cars for a lot of higher ups around Cleveland and the suburbs (his main jos was fire Lieutennant of one of Clevelands suburbs but was and still is a trained auto mechanic on the side). At 14 I was pulling out motors, learning torque patterns for engine heads, and learning how to shift a 3 on the tree in a 1938 Pontiac. My favorite memory was riding in a 1957 BelAir convertible with the 265 after my uncle rebuilt the automatic transmission. Beautiful black with red interior and the houndstooth pattern seats. That one he wouldn't let me drive though lol!!

Man I could not WAIT to get my driver's license

Kids now don't even care if they ever get their license. For me, cars were and still are a passion. My SS is my every day driver. Some people don't understand why I drive a car with a big V8 and requires a second set of tires for winter.

I just can't go a day without shifting gears and feeling some good old fashioned American muscle.

Some people will never understand.

Indeed.

There are exceptions, however. Growing up in Europe, I never had or felt the need for a license until I turned almost 40, just took the train or the bus in the big city and was more than okay with it. Even when I eventually went out to get a license, I was somewhat reluctant, but it simply became a must with two kids and the third on the way. It took me more than 3 weeks to learn the stick at that ripe age, and I was hard pressed to tell the coolant tank from the wiper fluid reservoir under the hood (we were forced to learn these "useless nuisances" because almost everyone drove stick and driving school/tests were quite rigorous). I drove a manual for a few years, and couldn't even distinguish one car brand from another, let alone models within a line.

My first car here in the US was a Pontiac Grand Am V6, and it was a great ride, I cut my teeth on it replacing the headlights and the passenger side mirror that I sheared off passing by a black garbage can in the dark.

Then I saw the Camaro for the first time, a 5th gen in a parking lot, and I remember how it turned my head. I know it's hard to believe it was the first time, but I hadn't cared at all before. There was something about that car that appealed to me even though I didn't like the low roofline at first, and two years later, when the 6th gen came out, it spoke to me so loud and clear I was sold for good.

I furiously began catching up, studying and doing research, making up for all the years I'd never cared, and initially even tried to suppress my true desire by getting a V6 and telling myself the usual excuses, it's strong enough, the gas mileage is great, who wants to buy premium all the time etc. Awesome a car as it is, this was a rookie mistake (neither my first nor my last...), but when I first pressed the engine start button on the remote of my new 2SS, I knew I had arrived.

Yes, I know it's an automatic, so it doesn't really count, but the manual gate is enough for me, I think I had my time with the stick. I'm no longer afraid to open the hood, in fact it makes me happy to add mods, install a catch can, and eventually I'm planning to add a supercharger when the time comes.

So there is redemption for those kids and 20-30 year olds after all

[Jeb114]

Recent article on Blumberg last year....

Baby boomers are starting to outgrow their midlife crisis years, and that’s bad news for automakers who want to sell sports cars.

It was a sign of things to come this month when Ford Motor Co. idled its Mustang plant for a week as sales for the year fell 9 percent. Other sports cars have faded at a similar rate, and even stalwarts like the Chevrolet Corvette and most Porsche models are slumping.

While there are still plenty of buyers who love the passing lane, automakers face a pesky reality. Men born between 1946 and 1964, who buy most sports cars, are cruising past their peak spending years. And as age 70 beckons, folding up like an accordion to get into the front seat of a speedy roadster is hardly the prescription for an aching back. Some are even turning to high-powered versions of luxury sports utility vehicles.

“Boomers are starting to age out of sports cars,” said Eric Noble, president of the CarLab, a consulting firm in Orange, California. “When you get into your 60s, comfort becomes more important. Sports cars are not going away, but the market will get smaller.”

[fastball]

I can guarantee you I will never have the desire to own a family sedan, SUV, or anything with an automatic transmission. I've been driving stick since before it was legal for me to drive.

At 80 I'll be cruising around in a ZR1 Corvette if I have to buy a 40 year old used one because no one builds manuals in the year 2058

[baron95]

I don't think ppl realize that new car buyers are much older and affluent than the general population.

I have data from 2015 handy...

In 2015 the average (median) new car buyer was 51.7 years old and earned about $80,000 per year, while the average age of the population is 36.8 years old and the median income is roughly $50,000.

That is almost exactly the 52 median age of Camaro buyers - meaning Camaro buyers are very typical of new car buyers in age distribution.

In 2015 36.4% of new car buyers were over age 55. And 47.6% were over age 50.

Young people, on average, can't afford new cars and buy used. The 20-somethings getting their Camaros, most likely will be getting them after a 50-something guys drives them for a few years. It is just how it is.

[m666etal]

I think the average age of owners is correct. Just for the fact that it is the older age crowd who actually have the money to buy these cars.

[mdhopt36]

Look at the demographics.
70% of individuals have less than $400 cash for a dental problem or car repair, etc.
Millennials have an even larger percentage that don't have the money.
Market efforts should be concentrated on the boomers, because it's simply where the sales are gonna be. If you don't believe it, ASK A SALESMAN.

Top that off with wealth being 'exported' from the US at the tune of over $1B/day for the last 2-3 decades, and it's no wonder there is a slump in sales; and everything else, for that matter. For most, the money just isn't there to buy a specialty car.
****
Thinking of a Prius----

Bzzzzzzzz...Eeh-Eeh!

[MackSteelPrivateEye]

True...75% are male buyers, 15% are female buyers and 10% are listed as other.

[DWR]

I think they should have done statistics on whether or not people like the new redesign.... maybe then they wouldn't have ended up with this butt ugly nonsense.

[GroundhogSS]

Originally Posted by mdhopt36

****
Thinking of a Prius----

Bzzzzzzzz...Eeh-Eeh!

No Prius allowed here.

[Turbo_J89]

old people answer surveys...so the average age of those who responded probably was 52.