IT’S OFFICIAL: BRITAIN LOVES ITS CLASSICS!

New survey reveals that half the UK’s population wants older cars preserved for future generations

Half of the UK’s over-16s think classics should be preserved for future generations to enjoy, a new national survey has revealed.

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs has commissioned the research as part of its National Historic Vehicle Survey, which aims to prove just how important older cars are to thr economy. It’s the first time the wider population has been quizzed on its view of historic vehicles, and their answers will be used to help influence Government policy in years to come.

FBHVC research director Paul Chasney says: ‘It’s encouraging to know that half of the population thinks we should be preserving historic vehicles. It’s a reflection of what the clubs are doing.’

Half the nation’s population aged over 16 – a staggering 24.5 million people – would like to see classic cars being preserved for future generations to enjoy.

That’s the headline finding from the first stage of the National Historic Vehicle Survey, which is being conducted by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs to gauge how important classics are to the nation’s economy. The findings also show that 8.2 million people say they are interested in older vehicles, including historic and classic cars.

The population’s support for classics is evenly spread across the UK, but broken down into age groups it reveals that 62% of the over-55s support preserving older cars, while only 31% of 25-34-year-olds agreed older cars should be saved.

The survey has been carried out by market research company TNS on the FBHVC’s behalf, using a sample poll of 2440 people over the age of 16 chosen to reflect the UK’s wider population.

The second stage of the investigation, an online questionnaire, will be launched at Club Expo – the annual gathering of UK club organisers – at the British Motor Museum on 19 March.

The full findings – due to be published later this year – will be used to help show Westminster MPs and EU decision makers in Brussels the importance of Britain’s classic cars to the national economy. Research director Paul Chasney says the first stage of the survey has given an insight for the first time into what the wider population thinks of classics, but he now wants as many CCW readers as possible to fill in the online questionnaire.

Encouraging results ‘It’s the first time we’ve ever asked where the classic vehicle movement sits with the wider population, and the results show just how classics are to the national economy,’ he says. ‘It’s very encouraging to know that half of the population think we should be preserving historic vehicles. It’s a wonderful refection of what the clubs and event organisers are doing.’