04:10 14-01-2026

How much a car collection really costs to maintain

Owning a sizable car collection comes with costs that dwarf everyday motoring. AAA pegs the average annual cost of running a car in the United States at $11,577, but for collectors the bill climbs by orders of magnitude.

Hamilton Collection owner Steve Hamilton said his roughly $30 million garage runs north of about $260,000–$270,000 a month, or more than $3.2 million a year. Maintenance and modifications alone account for around $135,000 each month. Blogger James Condon (TheStradman) spends $154,373 a year to keep a $3.36 million collection on the road, covering insurance, service, registration, and tires. Even at that scale, the upkeep can swallow the cost of a well-specified sports car every year.

More modest stables still bite. British auto expert Harry Metcalfe reported that maintenance and insurance for his classic cars total £39,845 annually — a reminder that “occasional use” can be an expensive line item.

The steepest checks track back to supercars and hypercars. A Bugatti Veyron headlight runs about $38,000, a set of tires $42,000, and a McLaren P1 battery replacement is priced at $156,700. For a Lamborghini Aventador, basic annual servicing usually ranges from $6,000 to $10,000. In this league, a consumable can cost as much as a family car.

Then come the quiet expenses: storage, security, staff, transport, and professional detailing. Storing a collection can reach as much as $180,000 a year, and moving a single supercar can cost up to $5,000 per trip. Before the first mile is driven, logistics alone take a noticeable bite.

All told, the figures make one thing clear: the finest cars demand not only big money at purchase, but sustained, high running costs to keep them pristine and ready to go — the price of maintaining automotive art on standby.