If my friend recently buys a classic car, how could I say "this is his new car" speaking only of it as a newly acquired car and not giving the impression that the car itself is new (i.e., has 0 miles on it)?
Learn English – What do you call something that’s newly acquired but not new in general
word-choice
Best Answer
"This is the classic car my friend recently purchased." Using the word classic to describe the car already indicates that it is not a brand-new vehicle.
If he has more than one, you could say, "This is his most recently purchased classic car." or "This is his latest purchase."
I collect vintage sewing machines, and I will say, "I got a new vintage sewing machine today," without confusion ensuing.
Old is another good word in need of rehabilitation. "Check out this old typewriter I just bought." Sometimes we say classic or vintage or antique when we could as easily say old.
Possibly related to our culture's obsession with youth and vitality, old has acquired the negative connotations of worn-out, used-up, tired, etc. There's nothing wrong with being old, as many an old person can attest to.