There are always people in life who prove that age is nothing more than a number. 87 year old grandpa Herb Stern is one such admirable being.The veteran from San Diego recently bought himself a 2025 Toyota GR Corolla, and it's the first "four-door car" of his life!
Herb's automotive story began in 1931. At that time, the first car in his life was a 1931 Ford Model A Coupe that sold for just $75. Next up was a 1941 Ford Coupe, which became an unforgettable memory for him, despite problems with a slipping clutch and a smoking engine.He then went on to own an MG TD and Triumph TR3, as well as imports that many car enthusiasts can only dream of.
Not long ago, the 87-year-old Army veteran officially took delivery of his car - a white 2025 GR Corolla Premium Plus with an automatic transmission and "Ice Cap white" exterior color.He shared the news on the GR Corolla Owners Group on Facebook, which generated an instant response.
“I wanna be you when I grow up,”the top comment reads. “Hands down the coolest 87-year-old around,”said another.
What's even more interesting is that Herb's sharing has inspired other older riders to interact. For example, a 76-year-old enthusiast said he could still easily drive on track days, and a 74-year-old“grandma”even proudly shared how much fun it was to drive a 6-speed manual: “The kids thought I was crazy, because it's a 6-speed,Fun when you're the first one at the red light and some young kids pull up next to you. It's so fun.”
Herb was also surprised: “You know, when I post something, I get 10 responses. I don't know what that woke up in people; the last time I looked it was over 1,400 handsets.thumbs up, whatever.” As of this writing, the number of likes has topped 1,800. Herb used to own a Toyota GR Supra, which he drove for five years. He laughed that he had responded to other enthusiasts in the Supra forums about the “difficulty of getting in and out of the car,” saying, “I chimed in, in my mid-80s that I didn't have any problems! problems!”
Herb shares his love of driving with his wife, who drives a Volkswagen GTI, but the pair recently decided to downsize to just one car.
“The GTI was OK but I need something a little more than that,The Supra, obviously, doesn't qualify for everyday duty, much as I love that car.I'm thinking, What can I buy that still would be fun?"
In the end, he chose the Toyota GR Corolla, a car that not only inherited Toyota's reliability, but was also fun to drive, the perfect combination of daily commuter and performance car. Herb Stern proved to the world that as long as you have a passion in your heart, age is never a limitation, but rather a story to be told. 87 Years Old First "Four-Door" Car"A four-door car?Who says no!
Source：The Drive
Senior Writer The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable ones, have been explored including video games, television, magazines, or even internet forums. Still stuck in that rabbit hole.
