Boomers to Pass Down 12 Million Classic Cars Worth $570 Billion in 15 Years

1 articles · Updated · CarScoops · May 24

$570 billion worth of classic cars — about 12 million vehicles — are expected to pass from the Silent Generation and baby boomers to heirs over the next 15 years.
Hagerty says the U.S. has more than 43 million collectible cars with roughly $1 trillion in insurable value, making vintage vehicles a notable slice of the broader $90 trillion wealth transfer.
Estate lawyers say those inheritances can spark bitter disputes because the cars carry both financial and sentimental value, especially when wills or estate plans are vague.
Taxes are usually not the main obstacle: the U.S. has no federal inheritance tax, and federal estate tax generally applies only to estates above $15 million per person.
Ownership can still be costly after the handoff, with storage, maintenance and restoration bills sometimes outstripping a car's market value even as some models continue to appreciate.

Why might a $570 billion classic car inheritance tear so many families apart?

Will a new generation of owners preserve classic cars or radically modify them?