It occurred to me today that the aging population may have an affect on what cars people want. I know its a cliche, but down the road that I live, which is pretty well as retired middle england as you could hope to find, most of the elderly folk are driving traditional old folk cars.
You have Focus saloons, Corollas, Skoda Felicia, a Passat, Honda Jazz, Honda Civic, Rover 416, Astra, lots of Volvo S/V40's etc etc.
Since the older buyers tend to have somewhat different needs when buying cars in general, will this have any knock-on effect as they become a bigger car buying section of society?
It may have no effect at all of course, but with pensioners loosing money and worries over future pensioners not saving now, will there be a greater demand for cheaper, more practical cars in the future which just do the A-B motoring?
I just look at my dad for instance - hundred of thousands in the bank and he wont spend ten grand on a new car because he thinks its a waste of money, and hes not the only one I hear this from.
He said his Astra estate ( which was given to him ), is practical and costs very little to run, plus it would be hard to replace these days with a new car that wasnt overly complicated and therefore likely to cost money if you kept it beyond warranty period.
The only sort of vehicle he reckons is even close is one of the french vans with windows, but as a long term proposition, he would want japanese/korean, who dont offer such cars.
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Sadly, I won't be around to see it, but I relish the thought of future generations of youths moaning about irresponsible old gits wearing baseball caps and speeding around in gas-guzzlers with mobile phones glued to their ears.
old people!
This old biddy, they'll say, she had one tattoo on her neck and another one on the base of her back - just peeping over her low-slung hipsters, and the language out of her! And she had glasses as thick as beer bottle bottoms.
Ah, the future is orange ... with fake tan.
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Good topic .. different generation, different priorities, Stuno. I speak as possibly in same age group as your dad (mid 60s) - semi retd and (late in life) have some savings and reasonable income. I run a 4 yr old Audi which I love and could afford to replace .. but why bother, I say to myself. Whatever wheels you have it still does the same job, so why "waste" money? Rather help my grandchildren as they grow up. UK plc doing so well (economically) these days tt I canna visualise any increased demand for more practical vehicles even as we become more aged population. Love the thought of a Japanese van with windows, tho'!
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In many ways it must be known very clearly within alot of car firms that the average age of their buyers is alot higher than their marketing ever lets on. I am always lightly amused by all the ads for Mercs, Jags and Lexus type cars that show barely late 20s couples/ people driving about in a £40k+car when the typical buyer is probably alot nearer 50 than 30. The generation between 50 and 75 is effectively the Golden generation that has massively greater assets accumulated (certainly compared to the debt laden 20s) so can afford big ticket items especially when buying for cash.
I do wonder in many ways how sustainable the marketing model is for alot of the car industry - ie trying to persuade people in their 20s to buy new cars every 3 years or so. I know nobody under 40 who has the dosh to do that on such a regular basis due to student debts, massive mortgage borrowing and the need to save more for Pensions. It always baffles me who can actually buy a car in the UK from savings unless they are getting city bonuses....
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I do wonder in many ways how sustainable the marketing model is for alot of the car industry - ie trying to persuade people in their 20s to buy new cars every 3 years or so. I know nobody under 40 who has the dosh to do that on such a regular basis due to student debts, massive mortgage borrowing and the need to save more for Pensions. It always baffles me who can actually buy a car in the UK from savings unless they are getting city bonuses....
It's not like that though is it? Isn't it "your old car and £400 per month"?
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There are probably enough of all these categories of people to make all the generalisations true.
I often met an elderly property development millionaire who wore shabby clothes and drove a battered Volvo 740. When he broke a rear window (through overloading it with secondhand window frames for his latest venture in cheap student accommodation) he just taped it up with polythene and duct tape and carried on using it.
He regarded £500 as a waste of money for a car when you could get one for £200.
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CP. Rather like the late, seriously wealthy, Alan Clark: had RR and Bentleys aplenty, but never bothered to wash them etc. Apparently outraged numerous old buffers on rallies who muttered audibly about people who couldn't afford to maintain etc taking part in the rally. Kippers and curtains as they say in Solihull.
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If, by the time you reach your mid-50s you feel the need to buy a car to impress people, then you have indeed led a sad life IMHO.
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I mentioned to my 74 year old father that it might be time for him to replace his 8 year old passat estate with a new one.He replied that at his age he doesn't want to tempt fate,he doesn't even buy green bananas let alone a new car.
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An interesting thread.
I have a good contact in the RNIB. She was telling me that the number of visually impaired adults will double to 4 million over the next 20 years as a result of demographic shift. A relatively small year on year shift but 100,000 adults each year joining the visually impaired is a threat to road safety if, as is reasonable to expect, the visual impairement will kick in long before they consider it to be a barrier to them driving.
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How many of you over 60s are taking advantage of free local bus services? If this is instead of driving it means a greater loss of road awareness. I believe driving needs to be virtually daily to keep sharp.
But, I am over 60 and do use my travel card (hate the word bus pass) 'cos it prevents short runs and involves no parking costs. And people-watching on a bus is fun. Especially those old dears who, when the bus reaches their stop, have to finish their conversation before they get off.
Pehaps I am just two-faced.
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Especially those old dears who, when the bus reaches their stop, have to finish their conversation before they get off.
Perhaps they have their priorities in the right order
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