Settle The Debate: Should Mileage Have Qualifiers?

It should be no surprise that we at The ClassicCars.com Journal don’t always agree on automotive topics (and, no, it’s not the cliché of Mustang versus Camaro). There’s always a respectful level of debate leading to agreement or meeting in the middle — in other words, the exact opposite of the U.S. Congress. Occasionally, there may be a disagreement that may require a third party, which is why I am presenting to you, dear readers, the latest topic of discussion: Is stating a vehicle’s odometer mileage with qualifiers like “actual,” “original,” or “true” meaningful?

Here’s two schools of thought:

Side A: Qualifiers when it comes to mileage are superfluous and are not needed when talking about a vehicle — comments like “78,000 original miles” sound like nonsense. Pedigree, features, and the story of a vehicle are more substantive than a qualifier about mileage.

Side B: Vehicle miles should have qualifiers due to the state of the engine. For example, if a vehicle is unrestored, it is worth mentioning what shows on the odometer is the “actual,” “original,” or “true” mileage.

What say you, automotive faithful? Do you lean towards Side A or B? Is there a side we have not considered? Tell us in the Comments section below.