Would can be used to describe what people are willing to do. This can also be seen as including an unspoken condition.
Tony would lend you his car. (… if you asked him …)
Only a real fan would pay that much for a ticket
(Only if someone was a fan would they pay …)–Page 78 (Macmillan – Inside Out English Grammar in Context Advanced)
Is this particular usage of "would" normal to see or hear?
Can I think of "would" here as being the short version of "would like to"?
Best Answer
It is not an elliptical or shortened version of would like to. It is rather a different, older sense of will meaning be willing to.
The modal auxiliary verb will developed from an Old English lexical verb which meant approximately want, desire. Today the modal has three distinct senses:
futurive, signifying future time reference
dynamic, signifying persistent action
volitive, signifying willingness
The dynamic and volitive uses may include future reference.