The classic car market is growing, but not at the same rate in all places. While modern classics are booming, the threat of shortages in both spare parts and skilled workers looms large. Here’s a look at an industry where emotion and craftsmanship make up a billion-dollar market.
Surrounded by lifting platforms, tool walls and shiny chrome stands a man who is preserving automotive history with his bare hands. His workshop, Olditech, in Berlin-Kreuzberg, smells of metal and petrol, but above all, it smells of time. “There are always parts that are simply no longer available,” says the owner, Andreas Steinhofer, as he invites us into his office. Through the windows, we can see his courtyard, filled with classic and vintage cars. “And if you can’t get a hold of the part, you have to improvise,” he says.
For classic car tinkerers like him, the work really begins where the spare parts catalogue ends. Every collector’s car, whether it’s a Mercedes W124, Golf III, or Citroën DS, will at some point need a part that is not manufactured anymore. Then it’s time to do research, make calls, keep searching, and not give up hope. Or come up with methods that were seemingly forgotten decades ago.
“While the premium segment is stagnating, affordable youngtimers from the 1990s are attracting a new generation of owners to the scene.”
A market in transition
The classic vehicle market is growing worldwide, though in different ways. “In Germany, we are no longer seeing double-digit growth,” says Gerd Heinemann of Wolk & Nikolic Aftersales Intelligence/BBE. “The premium segment is stagnating. Momentum is mainly coming from the volume segment with affordable youngtimers from the 1990s. These vehicles are attracting new, younger owners to the scene,” he explains.
According to BBE Automotive estimates, around 1.2 million classic vehicles are currently registered in Germany, with a slight upward trend. “The classic car spare parts market is a mosaic of OEMs, suppliers, specialist companies, private exchange platforms, and digital innovations,” says Heinemann. A recent study by Wolk & Nikolic found that the repair volume for vehicles over 30 years old amounts to around 3.5 billion euros, with spare parts accounting for around 1.2 billion euros of this figure. This is a considerable economic factor and a market with astonishing resilience.
Industry and innovation
Picture: Tobias Schult
The fact that companies such as Bosch are reissuing historic control units, alternators, and injection systems is about more than just nostalgia. It is brand management.
“Bosch is one of the industry’s most committed companies. Tradition is what gives all established parts manufacturers a competitive advantage over their Asian counterparts," explains Heinemann. The Bosch archive now contains over 60,000 data records and original drawings. Anything that can be economically reproduced is manufactured in small batches, partly using state-of-the-art production technology. Where this is not possible, Bosch offers restoration workshops access to digitised plans or replacement components. Thus, the company, which supplied ignition systems to Benz & Co. as early as the 1920s, remains an active part of the industry 100 years later. Parts that originally had to be moulded and cast now often come from the printer: 3D printing has transformed the restoration market, particularly with regard to plastic parts, trim strips, and brackets.
“The fascination with classic vehicles thrives on passion, craftsmanship, and knowledge.”
Workshops, knowledge, future
But back to Steinhofer’s workshop, which employs four mechanics. The fact that classic vehicles are still being repaired at all is thanks to a community that pairs passion with expertise. This scene is made up of organisations ranging from private clubs and parts exchanges to international associations such as FIVA, where contacts are cultivated, know-how is shared, and technical information is secured.
“Take the Mercedes M102 for example: drag levers for this engine, built into millions of cars, have been unavailable for years. One customer finally found the part in Australia and had to have it shipped here,” says Steinhofer.
Stories like this demonstrate that owning a classic car means being part of a global network that is more than just supply chains and algorithms. Jürgen Book, a long-standing scene expert and classic car representative at Automechanika Frankfurt, also recognises the importance of this networking for the future: “The fascination with classic vehicles thrives on passion, craftsmanship, and knowledge – and that’s exactly what we want to bring together more strongly in our Classic Car Network, the ‘Classic Alliance’.” According to him, the network will only grow in the coming years: “We want to connect workshops, parts suppliers and restorers internationally, both digitally and at trade fairs. Our goal is to bring together all of Classic’s expertise and professionalise the scene without it losing its soul.”
The production of classic parts
Picture: Tobias Schult
When it comes to manufacturing such spare parts, Bosch Classic is a trusted partner. Since the 1920s, the company has been exploring various ways to ensure a supply of spare parts for classic cars. “We reproduce many components to original equipment (OE) quality, manufacturing them based on the original production documents,” says Peter Michael Mack, head of Bosch Classic. He explains that the company works closely with specialist workshops and classic car departments at various car manufacturers, as well as end customers.
“In 2024, we conducted a survey in our Bosch Classic newsletter to determine demand for wheel speed sensors for vehicles from the 1990s, which featured the first ABS systems. Due to the strong interest, we then reissued the corresponding wheel speed sensors for various popular vehicle models,” he says.
“At Bosch Classic, we are evaluating and developing processes that enable the 3D printing of metal parts to the same high standard as the original.”
A cultural asset
The question of spare parts remains central to the future of the industry. New technologies such as 3D printing, digital archives, and specialised aftermarket suppliers are securing the industry’s future. In particular, 3D printing is playing an increasingly important role at Bosch Classic: “It is already frequently used in the classic car segment for reproducing plastic parts. At Bosch Classic, we are currently evaluating and developing processes that enable the 3D printing of metal parts to the same high standard as the originals. This will facilitate the production of components in small and micro series, which will make it easier and more cost-effective in the future,” explains Mack.
However, without people like Steinhofer, who have patience, specialist knowledge, and passion, all this would soon be nothing more than theory.
“I’ve driven old cars all my life. My last everyday car was a 1969 Opel Rekord C Caravan. Comfort was secondary; the main thing was to keep it running. That has always been my passion.”
