Most of the vehicles you guys are calling collectables were daily drivers for my generation. I started out with a 1937 Ford 1/2-ton pickup. I paid $10.00 for the truck, and another $15.00 for the new spare tire. Next came the 1951 Dodge Wayfarer. That one cost me all of $25.00. It was replaced by a 1956 Chevy 210. By now I was in the big leagues. I had to shell out $50.00 for that beauty.
The first go faster mobile was a 1963 Corvette. It was a bit pricier than the others, but unfortunately lasted less than a year. It got run over by a little old lady in her 1959 Ford station wagon. Then it was on to the 1955 Chevy Belair 2 door post. This one was a real beauty for the pricey sum of $65.00. Next on the list was a 1958 Chevy Impala station wagon. This one was acquired for a more reasonable price of $40.00.
I got tired of cars since they couldn't hold much as far as weight and volume were concerned. I switched back to trucks starting with a 1951 1-ton Chevy. It was great because it had a 10-foot box. It was a PITA because the floor of the box was so high in the air it was difficult to load. I kept it and bought a 1969 International Scout pickup. Another 1967 Scout came along so that got added to the collection as well. The 1951 Chevy 1 ton was eventually replaced by a 1948 3/4 ton with the 5-window cab. I kept that one longer than any of the others. I finally let it go in 2005. Next vehicle added was a 1954 International R190 wrecker. The last of that era was a 1977 F150 with full time 4-wheel drive. I loved the truck, but it got terrible mileage. It fit the adage of the day, "It could pass anything on the highway except a gas station". It got 11 mpg period. It didn't matter how it was loaded or how it was driven.
On and on it went. If I remember correctly there were over 3 dozen cars (mostly Chevies and Fords) that are considered "collector cars" by todays standards. In reality they were just dependable transportation, until they weren't.
A friend of mine is a real Studebaker fan. Last count he had 31 of them from the late 1930's to the last built in 1966. He has a few trucks in the collection, but most are cars. About half are fully restored. He even has a few supercharged Avanti's.
