Why I’m Only Buying Cars Made Before 1993

Things I've Been Thinking About · Sep 1, 2026 · 7m

Modern cars are faster, safer, quieter, and more technologically advanced than anything we had thirty years ago.

I still increasingly want nothing to do with them.

In this episode, I explain why I’ve drawn my personal line at 1993: simpler electronics, easier repairs, fewer software dependencies, less surveillance, more mechanical honesty, and a much stronger sense that when you buy the car, you actually own it.

This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s about what we gained as cars became computers — and what we quietly gave up along the way.