COOL CARS’ CASH CONTRIBUTION
A Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (Fiva) survey of almost 55,000 historic vehicle enthusiasts worldwide has revealed their huge financial contribution to local and national economies. It also confirmed the typically low annual mileage of historic cars and motorcycles along with the very real value of clubs to the historic vehicle movement and society at large.
The survey is Fiva’s largest and most detailed. It collected 128,000 detailed evaluations of historic vehicles to provide an unrivalled knowledge base for Fiva and member federations.
It found the average enthusiast spends €3800 a year directly on their vehicle(s). That includes insurance, repairs and restoration, storage, servicing, and fuel. When non-direct spending is taken into account — for events, accommodation, tickets, food, and drink for example — this rises to €4858 a year.
Total spending by the two million enthusiasts represented through Fiva member clubs alone is an estimated €10 billion a year.
The average historic vehicle is taken out 15 times a year with cars travelling an average of 1413km and motorcycles 877km. Historic vehicles are primarily used for leisure driving with runs averaging 88km for historic cars and 67km for historic motorcycles.
The average historic vehicle club has 380 members but as many as 32 per cent have 50 or fewer members, while 13 per cent have 500 or more members. The average age of a club member is 56 years.
On average clubs organise 15 events each year, covering a huge range of activities from social events, shows, and displays to road runs and autojumbles. The average member fee is €36 per annum.
The value of clubs extends to a huge array of supporting services while encouraging enthusiasts to maintain their vehicles in good working condition. These include digital engagement through websites, social media, and regular e-news but also extend to technical advice from experts who can support enthusiasts in their repair or restoration work.
Lars Genild, chairman of the Fiva Legislation Committee and organiser of the survey, comments, “It’s also critical to note that — at a time of changing attitudes towards the use of motor vehicles — historic vehicles, on average, travel extremely low distances and are primarily used for leisure purposes only, very often as part of public events.
“Meanwhile, our survey highlights the far-reaching value of historic vehicle clubs not only to individual enthusiasts but also, through events and activities, to society as a whole, preserving automotive heritage as a rolling museum for generations to come.”