The number of vintage cars in the Netherlands has increased by a quarter since 2014. Statistics Netherlands calculated that the Netherlands has 141.000 passenger cars with an age of forty and older. Four years ago there were still 115.000, while in 2011 the counter was still on 78.000. The average age of a Dutch old-timer is 50 years. The oldest registered classic is from 1894, a Benz Velo. In total there are such 265 cars of 100 years or older. With a share of 13,2%, Volkswagen accounts for the lion's share of the population of passenger cars that are forty years old and older.
Oldtimers of 40 years or older drove an average of almost 2016 1 kilometers in 700. All other cars in the Netherlands drive eight times as much, on average more than 13 thousand kilometers. Of all the kilometers that Dutch passenger cars travel every year, 0,2 percent is driven by vintage cars. It indicates the hobby center of gravity of the classic industry - a flourishing industry in the Netherlands. Cars of 40 years and older drive a total of around 243 million kilometers. The total number of kilometers of all cars in the Netherlands combined is around 118,5 billion kilometers. It indicates that the discussion about polluting old-timers certainly does not have to be about the classics of 40 years and older.
Growth has several fathers
The growth in the number of vintage cars has several fathers. First of all, there is a natural cause for the growth of the traditional fleet. More and more cars in our country are forty years or older. Imports also play a significant role in the category of vehicles between 25 and 40 years. In addition, the desire for the preservation of heritage seems to be increasing. The appreciation for conventional technology and recognizable designs is growing. This is not only visible on the road, but also in many TV programs and commercials classics are often used. The growth in the number of classic car festivals is also a factor that should not be underestimated, as well as the economic perspective in the Netherlands and investment motives.
Volkswagen's most popular classic car
With 18.700 units, Volkswagen was the beginning of 2018, also thanks to the Beetle, the most common old-timer brand in the Netherlands. Mercedes Benz and Citroën follow with 11600 and 9400 copies respectively. Volvo takes fourth place, while Ford completes the top five. Also notable are the top 10 listings of the old British brands Triumph and MG, while Fiat, Opel and Chevrolet are also among the ten most common brands in the Dutch classic collection.
A classic is very nice to see between the newer models of vehicles. You can already hear the classic at a greater distance, especially when it comes to the beetle.