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82 percent of the car-driving population are delighted when they see a classic car on the road – a figure that speaks for itself. This strong approval rating is one of the key findings of the comprehensive study conducted by Wolk & Nikolic in collaboration with partners such as the VDA, ZDK and Automechanika Frankfurt.
Emotional – and economically relevant
‘Classic cars are not only beautiful to look at, they also play a significant economic role,’ emphasised Gerd Heinemann, author of the study and managing director of BBE Automotive. Owners invest an average of 90 cents per kilometre driven – not including maintenance and repairs, taxes and insurance.
And that's with a modest mileage: on average, classic cars in Germany are only driven around 2,500 kilometres per year – a fraction of the mileage of a typical everyday car. The environmental impact? ‘Negligible,’ according to Heinemann. Historic vehicles account for only 0.6 per cent of total mileage.
What surprised Gerd Heinemann in the study results
A scene in transition
But it's not all ‘shiny chrome nostalgia.’ The industry faces serious challenges, such as the supply of spare parts and a shortage of skilled workers. ‘The extremely poor supply of parts in some cases could, in the worst case, lead to the discontinuation of various models,’ warned Zoran Nikolic, managing director of Wolk & Nikolic. New solutions are needed here, for example through more cooperation in the spare parts industry.
The good news is that there is movement in the scene. Younger enthusiasts are increasingly interested in vehicles from the 1990s and 2000s. This means that the community is not only getting younger, but also more digital. At the same time, however, experienced workshop owners must pass on their knowledge in good time to ensure that expertise remains in the industry.
Outlook: stable, but not without risk
The industry is cautiously optimistic about the coming years. The number of vehicles aged 30 years or older currently stands at around 1.45 million in Germany, even though growth has slowed slightly recently. The authors of the study expect the market to remain stable for at least five to seven years, but with a possible shift towards cheaper volume vehicles.
According to Nikolic, the decisive factors will be ‘how the political debate on emissions and mobility develops – and whether it will be possible to reorganise the supply of parts.’
About the study
The Classic Study 2025 is based on a broad online survey of over 2,000 owners and more than 100 workshops focusing on classic and modern classic cars. It was supplemented by expert interviews, market analyses and KBA data. With over 130 pages, it provides a comprehensive insight into the current mood in the industry.
The study is available for EUR 895 plus VAT directly from Wolk & Nikolic / BBE, the independent partner for market research and analysis in the automotive parts market.
The study was supported by ADAC, Automechanika Frankfurt, DAT, BOSCH, Classic Trader, Glasurit, TÜV Süd, OCC, Oldtimermarkt, Jaguar Landrover, VDA, VDIK, Vogtmann and ZDK.
