Number of classic cars doubles. A trend?

unkel

The number of classic cars has doubled from 160,000 to 320,000 in the Netherlands over the last 7 years

The definition of classic cars in this case is that they are 25+ years old. Cars that old are no longer subject to motor tax in the Netherlands

Is anything similar happening here? If so, surely the sole or even main motivation for the increasing number of people to buy a classic car isn't the motor tax?

Anan1

I'd imagine it's linked to increasing affluence, TBH.

unkel

Anan1 wrote: »

I'd imagine it's linked to increasing affluence, TBH.

The relative increase in affluence* in the Netherlands over the past 7 years is much lower than here

*depending on definition. I'll define it as spending power. Perhaps fuelled by cheap credit, maybe even based on remortgaging based on the inflated paper value of property

Anan1

Sorry, I was thinking of here. I'd actually been under the impression that the Dutch had always had a big thing for classic cars. I think classic cars kind of suit them too, I mean they're not exactly a nation of rally-artists, are they?

corktina

i'd say its more than doubled here in the last 5 years....nearly everyone has one now and loads of people have 4 or 5 (me for instance)

mike65

The reason here is new money primarily but I suspect the tax-regime is accountable for an increasing %.

Mike.

L1011

Anan1 wrote: »

Sorry, I was thinking of here. I'd actually been under the impression that the Dutch had always had a big thing for classic cars. I think classic cars kind of suit them too, I mean they're not exactly a nation of rally-artists, are they?

Yer man that invented the Gatso camera, Maus Gatsonides, was Dutch and a rally driver. And eventual enemy of drivers around the world

PaulK_CCI

unkel wrote: »

The number of classic cars has doubled from 160,000 to 320,000 in the Netherlands over the last 7 years

The definition of classic cars in this case is that they are 25+ years old. Cars that old are no longer subject to motor tax in the Netherlands

Is anything similar happening here? If so, surely the sole or even main motivation for the increasing number of people to buy a classic car isn't the motor tax?

I think the increase in Holland is a simple matter of logic and numbers: nothing to do with affluence or sudden increase is Classic car awareness. Classic have always been very popular in Holland and I don't think this attitude has changed dramatically.
Here in Holland the classic status is 25 years as opposed to 30 in Ireland. This means cars from 1981, 82, 83 are have become Tax exempt, and I think it's just a matter of a lot of cars of this vintage still being around anyway, and therefore without any extra effort becomeing a "Classic" and Tax exempt. Perhaps because cars of this era were better built, more reliable, etc (think of cars like the Mercedes 123 series, bmw E21 and 5-series, Volvo 240 series etc, Saab's, Japanese cars, you name it... )

In Ireland it's definitely a developping trend, both out of the desire to be different, to fulfill long cherised desires/dreams combined with new found affluence , and less so purely out of a tax saving viewpoint.