What One Car Would You Want To Own Forever?

Aa Forever Ts Final
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The Forever Car. You may not have done the exercise of narrowing it down to just one, but I’m sure there’s at least a handful of cars that you would never part with. But would you drive it all the time? Would you even be able to? The latest multi-screened, lithium-battery’d, over-the-air-updated wonder of engineering you’d happily own until you shuffle off your mortal coil (not to mention the rest of your mortal ignition system) may simply not be supported in fifteen or twenty years. Will the aftermarket pick up the slack when the battery gives up its last amp and the screens’ LED start dropping off like fireflies that have lit their weird little butts for the last time? Maybe. Maybe not.

For today’s Autopian Asks, we want to know what one car you would keep forever — one that you would actually use to get you places, and one that could—fingers crossed—be maintained so you could actually enjoy it for the rest of your days. It doesn’t have to be your daily driver, so if you need a truck, that doesn’t mean your forever car has to be a truck (you can have a second or third or 10th car in addition). Unless you just really love trucks, that is.

An example? Sure. Here’s Matt Hardigree’s Forever Car:
Bmw E39 Steal

I’d say I already have my Forever Car: an E39 BMW 530i, which is perfectly sized, modern enough to work with my phone and just work. Every part is LEGO-able and replaceable. It’s as fast as I need a car to be and it has a five-speed manual, which is the greatest transmission ever invented by man.

[Editor’s Note: For me, that’s an impossible question, but if I had to choose just one car, it’d be a Holy Grail Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ. It’s not my very favorite Jeep — that post goes to the Jeep Cherokee XJ. But XJs are just too primitive to drive everyday, and they’re small. ZJs are bigger; they’ve got a better rear suspension; they’ve got a more stout cooling system; and they’re never going to be as valuable as XJs, so parts are cheap. I love my new Wrangler YJ, but it’s too impractical. And I love my BMW i3, and I’d be willing to spend the $15 grand on a new battery in 20 years I suppose. I think the carbon fiber body and aluminum suspension will hold up until the end of time, and the electric powertrain is future-proof in many ways. But I need something that can go off-road; I enjoy that hobby far too much. Really, my ideal two-car garage would be my Holy Grail ZJ and my BMW i3. -DT]. 

What’s your forever car? Or a few contenders, no need to knock yourself out choosing just one. We’ll see you in the comments!

Top composite image, galaxy: NASA, ESA and J. Olmsted (STScI); thinking man, stock.adobe.com/khosrork; vehicle images via Ford, Volkswagen, Delorean marketing materials

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115 thoughts on “What One Car Would You Want To Own Forever?”

  1. Quick answer..1972 VW Type 2 (bus). Not stylish, not fast, but easy to fix, should always be some parts around. I owned one from 1978 until it got stolen in 1990. Had to adjust the valves every 3000 miles but with minimal maintenance it could go the distance. Not the forever ” I love everything about it” car, but it might just drive forever.

  3. Already have it and it is the profile picture. It has sentimental value vs some high price machine that sits in a garage. It is actually drive like cars are supposed to be.

  5. Ideally, the Volvo 245 project that’s unfortunately on its way out of my life. I aimed low and still missed. Such is life.

    Realistically, the Blueberry should be with me for ages, since I’m the second owner (bought it from a close friend’s cousin), I don’t put down too many miles, and it’s, well, a Yaris… so, barring it rusting out or someone hitting it, as long as there’s fuel, as Mark points out, it’ll be viable.

  6. Really, it depends on how long the gasoline lasts. The three cars I own now – ’71 MGB GT, ’89 Chevy K1500, ’13 Chrysler 300 – could easily stick around for good. All three are fairly easy to work on, generally pretty reliable, and common/popular enough to have good parts support. I’ve got the bases covered with vehicle types: small manual sports car, big capable 4×4 truck, fast comfy sedan. But the best of them gets 25 mpg on the highway if you baby it, so if fuel becomes scarce, I’m kinda screwed. However, barring that or any other catastrophe, I could see my fleet remaining unchanged for a very, very long time.

    1. How long gas stays around for…. good point.

      I think we have a good while to go however.

      Most places that are banning new ICE car sales are aimed at 2035. They will have to keep regular gas for what… 15 years? Which puts it to 2050, at the earliest.

      In 27 years I’ll be… farkin old…. if I make it that far. So I’m good.

      1. Gas will always be available, even if it is outlawed. I figure it will be like alcohol during prohibition:

        Some rednecks build an improvised refinery in a dense forest. At night, they refine crude oil using only the light of the moon. When you need gas, you pull under an awning next to a building with an innocuous name (“Bob’s Drive-Thru Tax Service”). Under the awning, a man wearing dark sunglasses stands next to an office water cooler. You tell the man the predetermined key words (“I need help with my 1040. Standard deduction. Five dependents”). The man attaches a hose to the water cooler and dispenses 5 gallons of regular into your gas tank. You thank the man and drive away. Every few weeks the sheriff pulls up in his Hellcat and glances at the man with the dark sunglasses. The man then dispenses the standard bribe of 10 gallons of premium. The sheriff tips his hat and wordlessly drives away.

        I think gas will probably be legal and available after the vast majority of drivers switch to EVs, but if not, automotive speakeasies will fill the void.

        1. Gas will always be available, even if it is outlawed. I figure it will be like alcohol during prohibition:

          “Available” is one thing, able to use it is another.

          When all a LEO has to do is set up infrared cameras and look for cars passing by with an ICE heat signature if not hot CO2 ladden exhaust you’re gonna be doing lot of expensive ‘splaining to the court.

        2. I don’t see gas ever being completely phased out. Rich people with car collections exist. Some of those people actually drive their cars. They’re going to want to continue to drive their classic Ferrari and they’ll make sure the law allows them to do that.

          Will it be prohibitively expensive for Joe Six Pack to fuel up his ICE car? Definitely, but not illegal or impossible.

  7. EDIT: misunderstood the question, changing my answer.

    In college, after I wrecked my del Sol, I had an 03 Explorer. That would probably be my choice. The thing was a beast and easily made up for the terrible fuel economy by being fun to drive. I traded it in when I graduated for a new car, but I would love to have it or something similar in my garage today.

  8. My 2018 4Runner is the bee’s knees. Aside from the fuel economy (or complete lack thereof) it’s everything I want in a vehicle. I can’t think of another vehicle that gets better gas mileage that can also do all the things that my 4Runner does for me. I like off roading here in the desert, I have music equipment to haul around, I occasionally tow things, occasional camping in the wilderness, and I have a family of four and we road-trip several times per year.

  9. My current car… Chevy SS, AKA Holden Commodore SS-V Redline.

    LS3 in a large sedan that seats 5… and is not a “coupe”

    415 hp with 415 lb-ft (funnily, the engine itself weighs 415 lbs) – with current CAI and Livernois tune, it’s currently more like 450hp.

    And don’t forget the MagneRide. This car is as fun in the twisties as it is on the straights.

    Upgradable to what ever crazy power I want….it’s an LS.

    As an expat Aussie, it’s my Australian dream car. And thanks to Mr Lutz, it’s here in the USA. Pressing that Start/Stop button brings an instant smile. Mash the accelerator and…. 4.5 secs 0-60mph.

  11. If I’m keeping it forever, I want something that will have parts availability forever. Plus, it should be a ragtop with a manual. A C7 Corvette would fit the bill.

  12. I’ll probably never give up my 2002 Ranger FX4, but it’s not really practical enough for a forever one-car garage. Have to go with my ’16 Fusion 6-speed. Enough room for the family, economical, and with the manual, pretty fun to drive.

  13. My forever car is the personal car I happen to own when I kick the bucket, currently a lowered 2014 Ford Fiesta. I’ve had forever cars, trucks and motorcycles that didn’t work out as planned, times change.

  14. I gotta go with my Smart ForTwo daily driver. It’s easy to get around in tight spaces, it’s good on fuel, it’s fun to drive, got enough power to not feel like a pig and tall enough gears to run on the highway without screaming for mercy, it’s not too bad to work on as long as there’s not been a catastrophic failure, parts aren’t too pricy, it’s got enough cargo room for light work and grocery getting, and (I have been shocked to discover) most people seem to love it. It’s not ideal for every situation in life, but I learned a new phrase this weekend from a climbing YouTuber that tests gear that seems apropos: it’s super good enough.

  15. My dad’s 1995 2dr Cherokee he’s owned since 2001. Two owner, pretty mint, manual.

    Davids assertion that a Cherokee is too primitive to daily is just another example of his going Hollywood, because they really really aren’t.

    1. Right? I’ve always thought (especially the later ones) are fairly roomy inside for their small exterior and run and drive quite well.

      1. Suit yourself! I personally see no reason not to opt for the open top experience with a car like the LC. It’s not like it’s a track car so the extra rigidity isn’t going to make a noticeable difference 99% of the time. I’d rather make that small sacrifice and be able to have the wind in my hair while listening to that glorious V8 soundtrack.

        …although if you’re going purely off of cost I definitely get it. For god knows what reason (I shouldn’t say this too loudly) the coupes actually seem to depreciate. I see well loved 2018-2020s pop up in the 65-75k or so range pretty often…whereas the convertibles pretty much seem to hover around their original MSRP.

        I can only speak for myself here but with where the wife and I are at financially a 60-70k car will be a whole lot more doable in a few years than an 70k+ one will. That’s the territory when it starts to move from an attainable luxury to a questionable financial decision…and despite being an enthusiast I still do my best to avoid unforced errors with my money.

  18. Ready to have your skirt blown right over your head?

    A Minivan. Specifically, one of the last gen Grand Caravan/T&C with the 3.6. Carry anyone that wishes to consort with me, haul a stack of 4x8s out of the weather, entertain the kids on a trip with the built-in entertainment. The engine has been used in enough models, including Ram 1500, to have proven reliability and cheap to repair.

    Save the rotation slots for the fun stuff.

    4. Last gen of GC/T&C have annoying rust issues. Less than every generation prior, but still… It drives me crazy that we’re still fighting something as basic as body and frame corrosion over 100 years after the invention of the automobile. And I’m not sure I value any one specific minivan enough to put in all the extensive prevention work, so I guess that makes me part of the problem.

  20. Aircooled 911. They drive great, reliable, and make great daily drivers as long as there isn’t salt on the road. Plus the price only goes up, which means you can justify throwing money at them occasionally.

    Also, I have owned a lot of cool cars, but 911 is the only car that gets (. )( .) flashed at it. Just sayin.

  22. I dunno. I feel like a few years with anything is enough that I can move on and try something new without any major regrets (well, unless I choose poorly on the next one). Maybe I just haven’t found my forever car yet.

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