HIGHER-TECH & TRAVELS INTO THE NOUGHTIES…
Practical Classics continues to thrive in a changing world
Practical Classics thrived in a decade of great technological and social change, dominated by the internet. Editorially, we had some new kids on the block who loved going places in their classics and weren’t afraid to venture into Eastern Europe and beyond.
Top Gear had various impacts on our team, from Danny Hopkins dressing as Clarkson to meet Clarkson, to our being involved with the restoration of Richard Hammond’s 1963 Opel Kadett, Oliver.
TG’S destruction of several classics over the decade led to much discussion, too.
15 Minutes of Fame
Our celebrity culture also included Chris Barrie, of
Red Dwarf and Brittas Empire fame – a down-toearth classic car enthusiast to the core. Chris even guest-edited an issue for us.
We bought lots of cheapies, including four Mercedes-benz's from South Africa, gave a classic away every month for a year and nurtured a Tatra staff car.
That wouldn’t have happened in the Eighties. On a more serious note, we fought to have the rolling date for classics to be eligible for free road tax extended, getting a 10,000-signature petition together, but the Government was having none of it – eligibility for tax-free status would still end at 1973.
The effects of the EU’S End of Life Directive continued to be felt, and sky-high scrap prices sent many projects to the crusher. Environmental issues entered public consciousness a lot more during the Noughties. As the recession hit home towards the end of the decade, we had a new problem – the scrappage scheme, that led to several hundred classics being broken up as owners took advantage of Government and manufacturer payments for £2000 of a new car.
Intended to stimulate the British car industry, already depleted by the sad loss of Rover in 2005,
Korean manufacturer Hyundai was ultimately the real beneficiary.
At least possession tax didn’t rear its head this decade, though we did get SORN instead, in which the DVLA must be notified annually of cars off the road. At least the decade ended on a high. Despite the recession, the classic movement was thriving, with the NEC Classic Motor Show breaking records and some good auction prices achieved. Despite that, the market was very much in the hands of enthusiasts rather than investors. We face the uncertainties of the next decade from a good place.