I don't want to speak for everyone, but I think on average the most common answer is something along the lines of "design/craftmanship elegance" whether appreciated while wrenching or rolling!

There is also the very hard fact that if you want a handbuilt lightweight steel frame it is much easier to find it vintage.

Since I am a 20 something white woman and not a 40 something white guy, I'll speak more from my personal experience as well. I love the way my vintage bike looks and feels. I love the fact that its better than what you can buy for 600+ and I built it myself with about 400 into it. I love that it has its quirks, its soft spots (literally?), and that the frame and I have overcome some serious issues like headtube flaring which might be the death of a more modern frame. I love that I used to ride it with a single bar end shifter and now it has full modern Ultegra and looks pretty clean... and soon I'll probably repaint it to make it an extremely unique and aesthetically grounded creation. I love the journey me and my bike are on together!


So I guess TLDR my answer is more the relationship one can built with a vintage bike. FWIW it's a Peugeot PSN-10. I also have a Dawes Atlantis and a few other little projects in storage but unlike many here, my Peugeot is the bike that I rely on to get around. I don't typically have a 2nd bike (Dawes is a more constantly evolving project) and I have never owned nor driven a car in my life.