Classic car enthusiasts hail their green, £18.3 billion industry

The classic car industry today moved to highlight its major contribution to the UK economy as the mood music from government turns firmly against the internal combustion engine.

Figures from economics consultancy the Centre for Economics and Business Research showed classic and heritage car fanatics are behind a sector twice the size of the Scotch Whiskey industry and similar to the arts and ports industries.

The government’s new commitment to end sales of petrol and diesel car sales by 2030 has sparked alarm among enthusiasts who fear the direction of travel could see their historic and classic vehicles suffering from punitive taxes or even a scarcity of petrol.

The CEBR and was commissioned to establish the industry’s economic credentials by HERO-ERA, the trade association for the industry, and found that, contrary to beliefs, the classic car bug actually results in fewer CO2 emissions than many other hobbies and pastimes.

Classic cars are only driven an average of 1200 miles a year, producing 563kg of CO2 emissions on average. That is around half the emissions from using a computer or a mobile or taking a week’s holiday in the Mediterranean. the CEBR said.

Doug McWilliams, CEBR chief and 1958 Bentley driver said: “The average driver spends £8000 a year on their classic cars, £4500 of which goes to a garage. You may say we’re mad to do that, but it creates an awful lot of jobs and money going into the economy.”