The AirBnB for Classic Cars is finally with us

 With the entire world being fascinated by peer-to-peer smart phone apps that allow us to do just about anything—from sending money to snippets of gossip with just the flick of a thumb—it wasn’t surprising that they developed into things like AirBnB or even Uber and Grab, space- and ride-sharing technologies that allow the creator of the app to skim a little off the middle.

The first car-sharing app that rose to popular note was Turo, a drive yourself ride-sharing app that provided a platform for anybody to become a car rental service, whilst making sure the car was appropriately insured. Most of the cars on Turo are recent models and whilst it is definitely cool to drive the latest model 911 for the day, for a lot of us, being able to get into an older, indeed classic model, would be all that much more cooler.

Hagerty, which is a specialist insurance provider for the automotive rare and exotic, has launched its new DriveShare (https://driveshare.com/) programme. The idea supposedly comes from the idea of user-sourced supply and demand, which means if you are an owner, you can set the price and stipulations for the type of people who may rent your vehicle. And if you are looking to spend a day or two with your someone special, in something special, all you have to do is enter your location. Of course, the cost will be way higher than going down to your local AVIS rent-a-car counter.

It is an interesting concept, and of course would be a great way to find out if the classic car of your dreams would be worth buying by having like a trial ownership for a few days, prior to splashing the cash on what could well become an expensive decorator piece. Of course, for the owner of the vehicle, it is a great way to offset some of the cost of ownership.

Will this be the runaway success that AirBnB has become? Well, probably not. A lot of us have a complex relationship with our classic cars or bikes, and the anxiety of any other man sharing our ride would probably be too much to bear, if you get what we mean. But still, it has gotten us to think about the type of car we would most like to see on there. A Porsche 550, perhaps, or an MG A. Perhaps a TR4 IRS. Hmmmm. An Austin Healy or two, for sure, and definitely an E-Type Jag.

Tell us what car you would love to see on the service. 

image sources: beverlyhillscarclub.com; topgear.com; classiccars.com; hemmings.com; kastnersgarage.com; topspeed.com