I stopped for gas a few days ago and an Audi TT coupe was on the other side of the pump. I commented 'Nice Toy,' and he responded the same. As our conversion continued he's 62 and had just bought the TT. He said that he'd had three (3) friends die in the last year and that if he were to get a Toy it should be now instead of later.

I was 57 when I bought my S2000 and someone asked if it was a 'mid life crisis'. I responded yes if that meant I'd live to 114.

 

I was 48 when I bought my TransAm, 53 when I bought the S, 58 when I bought the Vette, and 65 when I bought my Genesis Track.

 

Yep - I bought my first S when I was 50ish.

 

I've been buying "toys" my whole adult life. You never know when your time's up so you might as well enjoy it now.

 

I started with sports cars when I was about 13 years old and with very few exceptions have had one ever since. For years they were my daily drivers and after law school they were my second cars.

 

I've always had a toy. Cars and boats make great toys.

fltsfshr

 

The S was/is our first official toy. Purchased when +1 was in his early 50's. He had convertibles back in the day, and wanted to go back and enjoy the top down days again. When you are busy bringing up kids, there is often no time/money for toys. I believe the average age of the sports car buyer is around 50. Don't ask me to back up that statement, I heard it somewhere.....

Prior to the S, we had a couple of cool cars which satisfied +1's need for speed. Eagle Talon Turbo AWD. The last one we had (1997) got sold to make room for the car seat for our granddaughter. We bought the S about two years later.

 

Had my first toy, an MG when I was 30. Then had a child and got a station wagon for a while . When the child grew up a bit, I got a mustang, then another mustang and the child graduated from high school, so I gave her the mustang and got my first S. I was 50ish at the time. That was my toy for a good while and then I got another S. Last year I was robbed of the S due to an auto accident. Now I have a Volvo C70 T5 coupe/convertible. I'm beginning to like it more but I still grieve over the S. However, C70 is very peppy, the turbo kicks in nicely and it has a lot of get up and go and is a fun car to drive. I especially enjoy having the hardtop feature and we call it The Transformer. I'll never be too old to want toys.

 

I suspect the right time to buy a toy is "when you can".
I don't think age has anything to do with it other than having acquired the assets to comfortably make the purchase.

 

Jerry, I think you nailed it.

Around age 50, for many of us at least, the mortgage payment we signed on for 20 years ago isn't the burden it once was. We've established ourselves in our careers, making more than we did a couple of decades earlier. Many parents see their children graduate from college around that time.

It's just financially feasible for many of us for the first time in our lives.