Summertime is vacation time, so that means it’s road trip season.
You could hop in the family Kia Sorento and take a conventional run in a sea of fellow SUV pilots.
Or you could do the right thing and do it in a classic—here are five reasons why.
Jerry Sutherland
Number one is the adventure factor. Your Kia Sorento would get you there more efficiently and reliably, but is that all you want in life?
If the answer is yes—stop reading right here. You’re not a candidate for this type of adventure—try going to a local pickleball tournament instead.
A summer vacation in an old car or truck is not for everyone, but the guys who do it are the same guys who would have jumped onboard the Santa Maria with Christopher Columbus. The guys who chose not to join Christopher Columbus would have volunteered to look after his dog while he was gone.
The second reason is old iron makes you outstanding.
You’re outstanding on the road in classic iron because today’s cars are so boring carmakers have to build self-driving cars to give the driver a nap option.
The third reason to take your classic on summer vacation is to relive history.
Cars are an integral part of family life—and so are family vacations. That hasn’t changed in 75 years–when post-war families discovered the family vacation.
They took these vacations in sedans and station wagons because this was the Baby Boom—you needed the extra room. Later on, Gen X families did vacation runs in minivans, and then came the dreaded SUV…but the vehicles were never cooler than the ones in the Boomer era.
Relive the coolest part of your summer holiday history--take that as great advice for your 2025 vacation plans.
The fourth reason is to hone your survival skills.
We don’t do enough of that in today’s world, so an old car is just enough of a risk factor–you have to be prepared for anything.
Old cars carry a risk factor on the road because their tech is hopelessly outdated, and they hate new gasoline. You’ll learn that unsavory reality in the middle of a mountain pass when the temperature is on the high side of hell. If you’re lucky it’s just vapor lock because today’s fuel is closer to moonshine than fuel. If you’re unlucky, your 65-year-old radiator explodes. Don’t forget–your coping skills on this 2025 summer road trip could save your life during a future zombie apocalypse.
The final reason to take your old classic on summer vacation is to up your driving game.
Old cars don’t handle like new cars. They push the wind more and the road less, so you’re going to be driving–not aiming your old car.
There’s no computer buddy to keep you in your lane and old car brakes aren’t like new car brakes. You’ll stop once in an emergency but don’t count on doing it twice in less than 20 minutes.
In other words, you’ll become a better driver because you’ll have to anticipate what’s in front of you, behind you and beside you when you’re behind the wheel of an old car or truck.
That’s not a bad education curve.
So, just to recap, you’re going to look cool, be a better survivalist and better driver if you take your classic on summer vacation.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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