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I like to drive. In a typical year, I drive between 25,000 and 35,000 miles and visit each of the four continental US time zones, sometimes multiple times.
But then came the coronavirus pandemic and in 2020 I drove only around 6,000 miles.
Which brings me to this: Why do people buy cars and then not drive them? Which brings me to my week of perusing the docket for AutoHunter, the online collector car auction site driven by ClassicCars.com.
This week I’m presenting four cars currently up for bidding, and what they have in common is very low lifetime mileage. Again, I don’t understand why someone would buy such cars and then not drive them, but that only makes them more attractive to their next owner.
Here they are, presented in order based on cumulative miles:
Not only has this 1991-model-year coupe been driven only 38,000 miles since new (that’s an average of only 1,266 a year), it is a one-owner car. It also is one of only 154 painted that year in Kutani red, which the advertisement says was a one-year color.
The Stealth was a sporty 2+2 coupe that shared its vehicle architecture with the Mitsubishi 3000GT. This Stealth is powered by its original 3.0-liter V6, linked to the front wheels by a 4-speed automatic transmission.
Interesting note: The Stealth was to be the pace car for the 1991 Indianapolis 500, but its Japanese underpinnings didn’t sit well with American auto workers so Dodge hurried to make a prototype of the forthcoming Viper available for those race-day duties.
This is one of the 50th Anniversary-edition Corvettes, and this convertible has been driven an average of only 1,611 miles in the ensuing years.
The car, done in Anniversary Edition red with a tan power top and shale-colored leather interior, has a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 and 4-speed automatic transmission.
A fifth-generation Corvette, is has pop-up headlamps, magnetic-ride suspension, Bose audio, heads-up display, anniversary badging, and in what seems to be a nod to history, currently rides on new Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires.
So let’s do the math: 2021 minus 1979 equals 42 years; divide 25,000 by 49 and… and we discover this big luxury coupe has been driven an average of only 510 miles a year since new.
The car is elegant, in Diamond blue metallic paint with cloth seats and a factory-option sliding-glass moonroof, and it is offered in unrestored/original condition. The car also has a vinyl rear half-roof, disappearing headlamps, prominent waterfall grille, faux Continental-kit rear decklid, and whitewall tires on 15-inch turbine-style wheels.
There’s even a large Cartier Edition clock on the dashboard.
The car has power steering and brakes and speaking of power, a 400cid Cleveland V8 linked to a 3-speed automatic transmission.
Really! A two-owner Shelby GT500 Mustang driven only 785 miles a year!
The Torch red car with silver racing stripes and charcoal leather interior is powered by a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 rated at 630 horsepower, thanks to some upgrades, and linked to a 6-speed manual gearbox. It also has custom lowered suspension, front Brembo brakes and a 3-inch exhaust setup.
Bidding can be done through the AutoHunter website, where you also can see the other, albeit higher-mileage vehicles, that are available.
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