More Older Cars in Rural Areas?

[Mouse1903]

I was up in Inverness and the surrounding area the last 2 days and spotted 2 x Mk1 Clios, 1 x Mk2 Renault 5 GT Turbo, a couple of Mk2 Golfs, 1 x Mk2 Astra Estate, 1 x Mk2 Astra Hatch and 1 x C reg Granada. Now a lot of these were pretty everyday cars going back a couple of decades, but except for the Golf's I can't remember the last time I seen any of these in the Aberdeen area (certainly I've only seen 1 Mk2 Astra in the last 6 years or so). Although Inverness isn't the most rural place in the UK, it got me thinking, are you more likely to spot older everyday cars in working condition in rural areas?

[Ultuous]

Yes, for a multitude of reasons: Fewer company/ business cars, less of a 'fashion driven' market, fewer new car dealerships etc.!

[Noesph]

I'm not so sure, maybe Ireland is different, but when I go back to Donegal to see family and friends you don't see much over 10 years old.

While in London I see old cars all the time, the fella's working in the industrial unit opposite me, one drives a ford Corina, and the other drives a sierra. My next door neighbor has 2 capris, a mk2 escort van and a Morris minor van. There there is also a Citroen Ds, visa, ami 8, and a good few mk1,2 and 3 escorts I see running about fairly often, and a really old woman with a sightly battered morris minor she has been driving for the last 50 years or so.

[Alfahorn]

Friends of mine live is a stunning £1m pound house in the country, they have a V-reg MK4 Golf TDI and a Y-reg CLK Cabriolet, some people just don't care about how new their car is.

[rohrl]

If you want to see immaculate low-mileage retro cars still in regular use then South coast towns are your destination. Think Bexhill. The old folks bring the car out of the garage maybe twice a week to go to Waitrose and church so Ernest and Maud's Hillman Hunter is still going strong.

[Strawman]

I'd say Inverness was more the norm than Aberdeen, which is/was the second richest city in the UK
http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/775442/Black...

[m444ttb]

I see this to some extent where I live. Where I grew up just outside of Swindon out in the north Wilts countryside there are more people with older cars. Many I'd suggest have been owned from new. Where I live now in the north of Swindon in a new build area my '98 BMW is one of the oldest cars around. There are an awful lot of nearly new Mini and BMW diesels. Also a relative abundance of people carriers and 4x4's, but this postcode has the highest birth rate (or under 18's per dwelling - one or both of those!).

The other difference is in the type of Subaru you see being driven! Round here it's Impreza Turbo's where a few miles out into the countryside it's old Legacy estates. However they were really popular before Colin McRae had one and there's a main dealer.

[sjabrown]

You should try some of the western isles, or places on the west coast: an abundance of old vehicles often in daily use. Peugeot 205 diesels seem to be the vehicle of choice on crofts.

[ocrx8]

I also grew up near Swindon and there's a lot of older cars there. Well, certainly in comparison to where I live now (Essex), where every second car is a new white RRS...

[marmitemania]

ocrx8 said:

I also grew up near Swindon and there's a lot of older cars there. Well, certainly in comparison to where I live now (Essex), where every second car is a new white RRS...

I went to Felixstowe recently and went over to Harwich on the little foot ferry first car I saw on the other side was a Range Rover around the corner was another I counted 5 RR's in about 5 mins, it seems they permeate to the very farthest outposts of Essex.

[Negative Creep]

We have a fairly steady supply of 80's cars coming up for sale down here. Which suits me perfectly

[Vince70]

rohrl said:

If you want to see immaculate low-mileage retro cars still in regular use then South coast towns are your destination. Think Bexhill. The old folks bring the car out of the garage maybe twice a week to go to Waitrose and church so Ernest and Maud's Hillman Hunter is still going strong.

It's the local Sainburys or Aldi in bexhill, we are paupers here as the pension doesn't stretch to waitrose, but there is a rumour were getting a morrisons soon. Lol.

[djglover]

Maybe something to do with the fact that average wages are lower and house prices are higher.

So car has to take a back seat