6 Typical Garage Queens That Belong On The Road

I know there are many people out there in CT land that abhor the concept of a garage queen. Cars were built to be driven, not locked up in some climate-controlled automotive stockade until the next concours event, where owners sporting white gloves go all Monty Python over things like fingerprints on steering wheels and torque specs for valve stem caps. Thing is, I can sort of understand the garage queen appeal - given the proper car that is.

I separate garage queens into three groups. The first group comprises the vintage, gorgeous, uber-rare machines of motoring past. I want these cars preserved so my children’s children’s children can drool over them as I do now. The second group includes really nice cars that, while not as exclusive as those in the first group, still deserve a special life. These cars might be in collections or in your neighbour’s garage, and are driven perhaps a couple hundred miles each year. They’re special, cared for, and they get a little bit of exercise. I’m okay with that.

The third group features cars that, for reasons not entirely known or understood, are coveted by those who have neither a serious passion for driving, nor a proper understanding of investments. I know I’m making a big generalisation here, but how else can you explain why someone would buy a 1996 Subaru WRX and in 20 years only put 1200 miles on it? It’s an oddball type of automotive hoarding, and in the States I’ve noticed some cars fall victim to this more than others.

None of the cars on this list will fund future retirement plans. And if you happen to accidentally drive one into a lake, there are plenty of replacements available. So please, open up the garage door and thrash these cars on a daily basis. They deserve it.

Porsche 911

What cracks me up about the 911 is that its nickname is literally the everyday super car. And it’s not like people never put mileage on these cars, but I’m continually amazed at the number of late model 911s that have virtually no rounds on the odometer. These are some of the most exciting cars in the world to drive, and they aren’t exactly rare. Unless your 911 also includes the suffix RS in its name, there’s no legitimate reason to not daily drive the hell out of it.

Mazda MX-5

I understand that the Miata isn’t terrifically practical. I also get that it’s cheap enough for people to have as a second or third car strictly for fun. My response then is simple: go have some fun already. Trolling around Mazda forums and talking with enthusiasts reveals just how many of these awesome, inexpensive sports cars spend their days just sitting in a garage.

They’re easily affordable to the hard-working enthusiast; unfortunately the hard-working enthusiast never has time to do the enthusiast thing. Solution? Quit your job, sell your house, leave your family and just drive. The MX-5 is worth it.

Ford Mustang Shelby GT500

I had a front-row seat at FoMoCo when the 2007 Shelby GT500s came out. This was also near the peak of the classic muscle car craze when everything from the 1960s with a V8 sold for $100,000, and if the car had Shelby badges, the price doubled. Of course, those were limited-production 40-year old classics, but that didn’t stop speculators from buying droves of new GT500s and sticking them directly into garages, banking on reaping a hefty profit in a few years’ time.

Ford then went on to build tens of thousands of GT500s, so it’s highly unlikely these cars will ever enjoy the same payoff as the classics did. Meanwhile, there are 500-plus horsepower tyre-roasting Shelbys wasting away in garages all over America, ruled by owners who don’t even know what a burnout is.

Chevrolet Camaro SS

The relaunched Camaro had a similar reaction among speculators as did the GT500, though not to the same degree. Actually, Hollywood played a role in many of these cars becoming garage queens, notably the yellow cars with black stripes. Factor in retro muscle car nostalgia and a starring role in the blockbuster Transformers film, and suddenly people are more interested in having Bumblebee the Camaro in their garage instead of a 400bhp muscle car on the street. Thankfully the trend didn’t last, because new Camaros are amazing performers that beg to be driven.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

To legally purchase a Corvette in America you are required to have grey hair on at least 15 percent of your head. That’s a completely true fact, and that’s also why so many Corvettes only come out for annual Corvette gatherings or perhaps a trip to the golf course.

I single out the Z06 because it’s an exceptionally high-caliber, track-oriented monster that ends up becoming a trophy car for guys in their second or third mid-life crisis who’d like to drive it more, but soon discover their lower back can’t withstand the ‘Vette’s punishing ride.

Lamborghini Gallardo

Once upon a time, Lamborghinis were ultra-exclusive and extraordinarily finicky. Even if you wanted to rack up the miles, mechanical issues would invariably keep the traveling to a minimum. Lambos are still very much trophy cars, but with Volkswagen pulling the Gallardo’s strings and over 14,000 produced, there’s no reason to keep this raging bull locked away.

Nobody is particularly interested in paying big bucks for a low-mile Gallardo, especially when you can get the clone-close Audi R8 for less anyway. And while it’s pretty enough, there are other Lambos with considerably more shock value to better serve the visual garage queen role.