Young People Are Collecting the Cars Their Parents and Grandparents Drove

Acting on a tip from an acquaintance, Cameron Luther uncovered a butterscotch yellow 1966 Porsche in a garage in Monterey, Calif. It was dusty and up on jack stands with the wheels off. It clearly hadn’t run in a long time.

The owner was a retired pilot, who is now 94, who had started a brake job a decade ago. Not restored, but beautifully preserved, it was exactly the kind of car that Mr. Luther had always wanted. The owner, however, was not keen on selling, but said that if Mr. Luther could get the car running and give him one last ride, he would sell it to him.

Mr. Luther spent the next two months commuting up to Monterey, five hours from his job in Santa Monica, to fix the Porsche. True to his word, the retired pilot consummated the deal, and late last year, at just 23 years old, Mr. Luther became the owner of a 1966 Porsche 911.

In general, collectors are often attracted to the cars of their youth, the ones they wanted but could not afford. Cars from the “Fast & Furious” movies, video games like “Forza” and “Gran Turismo” and even dorm room posters appeal to many young car enthusiasts.

But a subset of millennial and Gen-Z car collectors have eschewed their own nostalgia and have aimed for the cars of their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents. Citing the vehicles’ inherent simplicity, quality and charm, these collectors are acquiring the skills to keep these cars on the road and use them as their daily drivers.