RIDE-CT – Classic Cars Celebrating Classic Cars in Connecticut
WETHERSFIELD, CT – It’s a question of which came first? The classic cars and trucks or the burgeoning number of car shows in Connecticut?
The number of registered motor vehicles bearing classic license plates rose 3,356 over the past year. According to data supplied today by the state Department of Motor Vehicles at RIDE-CT’s request, a total of 90,511 cars, trucks and motorcycles proudly proclaim that they are more than 20 years old.
That figure is an increase from the 87,155 listed in 2023, and an increase of 14,805 in the past four years.
There are likely multiple reasons for the rise in classic plates and the rise in the number of car shows, a total that now tops 300 annually.
Car owners are keeping their cars longer, meaning more vehicles qualify for vintage designation. There’s also a property tax benefit. Under state law, classic cars are only assessed for $500 no matter their value.
Some people simply have the money to spend on classics for fun and investment.
Regardless of the reason, the growth in classic vehicles has caused a flowering of car shows post-COVID.
