Classic Cars and Sustainable Car Consumption

". . . consumers of the 1900s were not born wasteful, they were trained to be so by sales-hungry teachings of a handful of industries bent on market domination"

I was delighted to find an article in the International Journal of Consumer Studies about how classics are a model for sustainable car consumption... (If you have access, its called "From Banger to Classic" by Paul Nieuwenhuis Vol. 32, Issue 6, November 2008, Pg 648-655.)

However, the sad part is that classic car owners are described as "a small atypical consumer group, engaged in ‘socially deviant behaviour’." Deviant in the sense that they do not buy into the notion of cars as fashion items which was introduced by General Motors in the '20's. Interestingly enough, the concept was resisted by Henry Ford, who said: "we want the man who buys one of our products never to have to buy another." More recently, Mercedes-Benz promoted durability, with an advertisement in the 1990's which read "I’d buy a new Mercedes but I haven’t finished with my old one". It is so refreshing in comparison to "planned obsolescence" tactics, and is actually positive for the brand as it drives the notion of Mercedes as a quality producer. My parents' Mercedes was bought in April 1990 (one month after I was born!) and is still in pristine condition. I affectionately dubbed it 'Battleship Galactica' because it still floats along, twenty one years later.

I love the idea of preserving old cars to be more eco-friendly. I always cringe on Top Gear when they crush a car - I understand it makes for good viewing but I find it destructive and wasteful. Older cars have been proven to be cheaper to run, and if they have an oxidation catalyst retrofitted, their toxic emissions can be reduced by around 50%. However, this means accepting the burden of their maintenance. The good news is that my home town of Knysna is rapidly becoming a node for classic car enthusiasts and with places like Bodge Engineering, maintenance and storage is no longer an issue.

Check out the Bodge website if you love classic cars and restoration! "Bodge Engineering is a Knysna based, family-run classic car servicing centre. Our focus is mainly on 1950s and 1960s British sports cars and bikes, but any marque is welcomed. Our specialities include performance tuning with engine, handling and brake upgrades, trouble-shooting, fitment of safety equipment (seatbelts, fire extinguishers etc.) and cosmetic detailing. We also offer personalised car care, including routine maintenance and servicing and both long and short term car storage. We are equipped to tackle any project from an annual service and tune-up to full engine/gearbox overhauls and beyond."