Sustainability in Classic car culture
Preface The automotive industry has an immense following. As BBC’s motoring programme ‘Top Gear’ will attest from their 2013 Guiness world record as the most watched factual television program in the world, cars spark interest in hundreds of millions of people around the globe. Ranging from those who spend every waking second thinking about, working on and discussing them, to someone who might double back while glancing at something on the street – they have the ability to grab the attention and imagination from people of all ages and backgrounds. There are many different types of cars, playing to different tastes, and this creates a huge car culture filled with an ever-growing amount of subcultures. Whatever type of car someone is interested in, there will be thousands of like-minded people ready to share opinions, tips and stories. Cars to an enthusiast are more than getting between two points – they are used as status symbols, to fit in, to excite, to impress, to express to retreat and to identify. Of course, there is more than one side to the story; mention ‘sustainability’ and ‘automotive’ in the same sentence and you have quickly opened a can of worms. On and face of it, cars are a huge contributing factor to many environmental problems; There’s too many of them, they’re ‘gas-guzzlers’ and the carbon emissions are slowly choking the earth and its inhabitants into an early grave. With
the advancements in computer technology in cars these days, the average turnaround for new car ownership is much shorter than 50 years ago. This means more cars than ever are being manufactured, which in turn means more than ever are being discarded - something difficult to do responsibly. Initial impressions suggest it’s another unsustainable industry that seems to be spiraling out of control alongside many others, busy over-catering for the huge demands of a developing and inflating population. In 2010, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard launched a rebate program to encourage drivers to trade in their old cars for something new and environmental, in a bid to reduce the countries’ carbon footprint. The issue was not as ‘black and white’ as that, however; arguments were raised that the extra resources, burned through to responsibly dispose of one car and manufacture a replacement ‘greener’ car, were greater than bypassing the whole process by keeping older cars on the road for longer. ‘Green’ cars like the popular Toyota Prius have been released with a hybrid (petrol and electric motors) system to try and counter the considerably harmful impact of the automotive industry. People bought them in droves in an attempt to cleanse their guilty conscious, as the figures boasted a solution kinder
to the environment. But it was the life cycle that was a silent killer; in a report later released by Toyota, the cost of extra manufacturing and shipping for a car with so many more components, as well as the materials used (their huge battery packs use nickel metal hydride) meant that the car’s life cycle posed a greater cost to the environment than other, non ‘green’ cars.
This automotive culture is under threat. A culture built on a common interest in a subject so widely considered detrimental for the environment is as unsustainable as the subject itself. Considerable emphasis on emissions, safety and the environment are shaping new car design. Is the culture malleable enough to retain interest through such revolutionary change? Is there still merit in running the classic automotive icons today? Are classic cars more sustainable than face value suggests? This zine tells the stories from different corners of the automotive culture to garner a consensus of where it is now and how it will cope in the future.
Trent Giunco MOTORING JOURNALIST What do think about the impact of technology in cars these days? Do you think our growing awareness of environmental impact is changing the way we engineer cars? How has the automotive climate been effected by the growing emphasis on safety? I think all three questions are intertwined and, for the most part, showcase both the good and bad of the current automotive industry and subsequent culture. Like any business, repeat customers fundamentally support car manufacturing. This ethos becomes hard to achieve when a car will, presumably, form the basis of the second-largest purchase in anyone’s lifetime. Getting consumers to become dedicated, periodical repeat buyers was the initial meal ticket. Planned obsolescence – the notion of a car having a predetermined replacement date – first exploded in ’50s and ’60s America, but has filtered throughout the world to become the norm. Therefore a car generally has a life cycle of three to six years depending on the brand. Until recently, original versions of the Beetle, Mini and anything Lada obviously missed the memo though. Moving to the current landscape, I think the ability to get people to buy a car without them knowing why they need it has become the new automotive goldmine.
However, I don’t think the aforementioned scenarios are all smoke and mirrors. With the rapid advances in safety and technology, the “want” factor in upgrading has become feasible because of quantum leaps in safety and technology. A car produced for 2014 is demonstrably safer than the same model of a late 2000s ilk. What we demand, and ultimately how we buy, has also pushed this need for development. Fivestar safety ratings are now almost non-negotiable; meaning the very construction of even humble, bargain-basement variants has changed. Lightweight high-tensile steel, myriad airbags and a plethora of active and passive safety systems are now required rather than recommended. Safety is paramount. Radar-based driver aids are now also the rage and either keep you in your lane, park the car or prevent/ warn you of an impending crash. My personal jury is still out on this and, to be honest, these systems should be left in the background and never relied upon. After all, the driver should actually be the one in control.
It somewhat saddens me that the push for fuel efficiency and “being seen to be green” has axed the days of high-output naturally aspirated engines. The implementation of seamless turbo systems has given us the performance we crave, but sans a lot of the theatre. I guess it’s why the terrifyingly brilliant Ferrari F40 is revered despite being hampered with chronic turbo lag and the fact that Phase III GT-HO Falcons were fetching eye-watering figures in the late noughties. You also can’t dismiss the strong crowds at Touring Car Masters events, the existence of Morgan and the creation of the rebirthing industry – a template Singer has implemented by giving old Porsches new 911 innards to great effect. It all points to the fact that we don’t want to throw away the character of these cars of the past, let alone forget them all together. After all, supporting the creation and disposal of the electric and hybrid systems – and all the resulting batteries – is proving to be an issue far greater than the discarding of the so-called “relics” of yesteryear. Some even say that the cost to the environment during the building process renders
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the environmental benefits of the finished product redundant. And then we can’t forget the moneyhungry oil giants that buy out any ground-breaking technology promising to bypass the use of crude oil, remaining ignorant to the fact we’re past peak reserves. Ironically, I think that what technology, safety systems and the automotive climate have provided on one hand, it’s taken away with the other. Our new motoring world seems to have traded its soul of old to supposedly keep our hearts beating into the future. Ultimately, I think most consumers unwittingly embrace the cycle of the throwaway society, forever updating when they’re told they should and adding to a mass of metal and batteries we don’t quite know how to dispose of yet. On the other hand, the rest of us, still filled with nostalgia, can embrace the future of econoboxes as well as vehemently holding on to the past and the positive culture it fosters. For the time being we still get to have our cake – and eat it too. The million-dollar question is figuring out how many slices are left.
Our new motoring world has traded its soul of old to keep our hearts beating into the future.
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Benjamin Allen Casual Restorer What made you decide to restore a classic over trading in for something new? Restoring a classic was not a decision I made overnight and not one I made until I was out of my teenage years. My earlier years were punctuated by the impression that older cars were inferior to their contemporary counterparts, that new cars had to be better, because, well, they were new. A few years went by and my exposure to motor vehicles began to diversify, as did my perceptions, experience and knowledge. One aspect that grasped my attention was the fact that a car (or any vehicle) is just like a story. It has a beginning, a journey and ultimately, an end. Every vehicle continues into its journey of purpose, to faithfully serve the human need for transport. They haul families and consumer goods, become motorsport icons and contribute to the building of nations. As most vehicles dwindle into advanced age, their years of hard work and loyalty are brought to an abrupt end in the name of scrap metal. The story ends. But not for some. Many cars present an opportunity to continue the story, to let the identity of that machine live on. Many people do great justice to pay homage to historic automotive icons, restoring older vehicles of significance to a pristine state, exciting many and rekindling memories. To me, restoring a car was not about finding a ‘classic’ or ‘paying tribute’ to anything, but more so to keep a story going, so many more people and experiences can be a part of it.
Do you find maintaining an older car a hassle? I can’t say in my experiences that maintaining an older car has been a hassle, but that it presents a challenge requiring skill, knowledge and patience. Maintaining an older vehicle can actually be a very rewarding experience. The feeling of owning and using a car that you maintain yourself is one that is rather satisfying and not only adds much to your skill base, but will allow you to really have a real sense of ownership. In an era where cars are becoming more and more reliant on their ‘home bases’ (dealerships) to maintain a state of mechanical harmony, it is refreshing for it to be possible for car owners to be self-sufficient with their older models. Do you find a greater understanding/appreciation of the car to be beneficial? I do believe that understanding and appreciating a car is important to having an enjoyable and genuine ownership experience. Knowing and appreciating a car need not amount to a full chassis rebuild, bare metal respray and spending hours studying its history. It could be as little as identifying it as yours, knowing its capabilities, recognising its faults or even giving it a name. No two cars are truly identical, and the same can be said for their owners. Ultimately, every ownership experience will be unique.
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Many cars present an opportunity to continue the story, to let the identity of that machine live on.
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Timothy Carlton Young Enthusiast
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The older cars’ parts can be fabricated and engineered to perform better than the originals.
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Do you think the reputation of a car adds to its value? I drive a R34GT Skyline and I bought it because of the social stature and image that comes with the car. They gained popularity with young drivers because for their generation they were one of the best performance cars on the market for a lot less money than their rivals. These cars have a huge following because they turn more heads compared to something more average. I guess it’s like a fashion with clothing; Skylines are like a designer label that everyone wants but few have – clothes are the same. With older cars, it’s about the design and look and the name that comes with a car. Obviously with the older they are, the less of them are on the road, which makes them more unique.
Would you be inclined to go new or old for your next car? Being a young person, there’s more I can customise with the older ones; creating a personalised car with different parts inside and out. I am actually thinking of a ‘70s Datsun 1200 ute for my next car as they are pretty quick with the right things done to it. New cars are too smart for their own good. They have complex computers monitoring and controlling almost all parts of the mechanics, which is very hard to interfere with – today’s cars basically drive themselves. There is a problem where finding parts for a ‘90s car can be difficult because they have stopped making them; but with that, basically all the older cars’ parts can be fabricated and engineered to perform better than the originals.
Do you think there is an appreciation of classic cars from younger generations who weren’t around when they first came out? The young generation knows and understands when they see an older classic, and they can appreciate the design of it – but it’s only the enthusiasts that can appreciate what’s under the bonnet, as well as the history of the car. I think the car’s history is important to know what the car has been through in a previous life; how and where it has been driven and what has been done to it can really effect the value of it but the younger generations are interested in the newer cars because of the performance and gadgets that the new technology provides. People want personal gains out of a car. They don’t care if it costs the environment, they want performance and fuel efficiency. For them, the newer, faster cars are better than something considered old and slow. I think classic cars will eventually die out because the young generation won’t take as much care for them as more attention is brought to the newer cars.
John Carlton Classic Car owner Any reason you decided old over new?
Why have you always wanted a Porsche 911? I fell in love with the shape of the 911 when I was 16. That shape had just come out in early ‘70s and luckily they have closely maintained it since. It was the dream to work hard and have one of my own some day. I think the way the 911 drives lives up its namesake. I like the old muscle cars and everything but people I have talked to that have them say they were pretty rugged to drive, whereas the 911 has a really good balance which is still great by today’s standards. And compared to some of those muscle cars, it’s bullet proof – with proper servicing, it just keeps going - you only have to look at how many classic 911s are still on the road and racing today to see that it ages very well.
The money that I paid for it would have probably bought a new one. I think it’s the basic simplicity of sitting in a car devoid of the gadgets. I would say it drives as well today as I imagined back then. This Particular model is an ‘89 model so it’s the last year before they started changing the shape from the original look, so I would say this 911 is one of the best as it’s the end of the run of the original 911s, they were updated and everything and got it all sorted. People say the new one is too comfortable to drive – it’s the old one that keeps the raw feel of driving. The new ones are good, there’s just too much helping you drive the car, especially for an older car enthusiast.
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It was the dream to work hard and have one of my own some day.
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What drives you to preserve a car? I just think the more attention you give a car, the better it’s going to treat you. With any cars, probably more so with the older cars because of fewer computers, if you look after it, it will run forever. If you are looking at the older cars, you have consider that now, the cars that are well preserved are increasing in value because collectors want them if they have been looked after – the cars become an investment.
Howard Bray Classic Car race Spectator What draws you to classic cars? Why did you come out today? I came to see the cars that relate to the time when I started getting an interest in cars in the first place all those years ago, and to pass that down to my grandson, Aaron. I like the excitement of the noise and speed of them. I think the disappointing thing about racecars of today is that in the old days, they used to be production-like cars where as today, they’re high tech and nothing like something you’d buy in a showroom. Do you own one yourself? Would you like to some day? I wouldn’t mind one of the older style cars getting around when I was growing up. However, cost of maintenance would be one of the main reasons why I don’t have one already; they’d be sitting in a garage too long, there would be a lot of money invested in it not doing much on a daily basis. How did you get interested in them? Growing up with the old Bathurst race, they used to have Minis, Holdens and everything else mixed together. They don’t really have so much variety on the track in professional racing these days, which is why I like events like these classic car revivals. You have a good mix and you can relate to the older style cars. Its always an interesting comparison too see a small Mini which is good in the bends go up against something with straight line speed like one of the big old Fords – it’s just good fun.
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They don’t really have so much variety on the track in professional racing these days.
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John Bowe Motor Racing legend
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Modern day cars are incredibly impressive but mostly boring.
I’ve always been interested in cars and motorsport since I was a kid so I guess inevitably as you get older you look to other categories to race in other than V8 supercars, and to race the cars I grew up with was a good option. I’ve been in professional motorsport for quite a long time and I still race a modern car and an old car. I have a Ferrari 458 GT3 and that’s extremely high tech and I race my ’69 Mustang in touring car masters. I have to say I probably enjoy driving the Mustang more but I think you’ve got to be a bit of a ‘car head’ to like historic cars and there’s a lot of ‘car heads’ around.
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The 458 has some amazing technology in it; lots of grip, really big tyres, a lot of aero trickery for downforce – just a serious modern day car. The classic cars are more freestyle – more of a handful and it’s just a different way to drive. I have driven a lot of cars in a lot of races over a lot of years and I can’t say I don’t like driving the Ferrari, because I do – I like driving all types of racecars as long as they behave themselves and you can have a bit of an input into them, so I couldn’t say I love the old one more than the new one – but for the drivers of my vintage, its just appropriate that we drive historic racecars.
The modern day road car culture is evolving quite rapidly with the development of technology such as the hybrid systems, but there are hundreds and hundreds – perhaps millions of people that are more interested in period ‘60s and ‘70s cars and even now with ‘80s cars. I think that’s because back then, the cars were interesting – there was a lot of variety and they were simple, where people can get their head around them. Modern day cars are incredibly impressive but….mostly boring.
I know young people are interested in cars. I don’t think it’s a generational thing, that there’s a new wave of people being interested in cars. The enthusiasts will always have a fondness for the cars they grew up with, although the ‘60s and ‘70s was a pretty special time for muscle cars – they had big engines and little bodies and not much else. Generationally these days the kids are interested on a Playstation on wheels because there is so much technology. Not as many people are interested in the reality of classic car ownership, but I honestly don’t think it’s dying out.
Jim Richards 7-time Bathurst 1000 winner
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For me it’s about enjoying the cars and remembering what they drove and sounded like
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Why race a classic car over a modern one?
What are the pros and cons of each?
Do you think classic revival races help car culture?
I race the classic cars now because I have done all I have needed to do in the modern cars and the classic cars are an easier, more relaxed class. I raced these cars when they were new, so to go back and race them is nothing strange. For me it’s about enjoying the cars and remembering what they drove and sounded like – plus the spectators enjoy it.
With classic cars, you basically drive it like it was in its era – with minor modifications depending on the class that you’re in, so it’s a bit slower and more analogue than the modern stuff – there aren’t any drawbacks to driving them, really. Driving the newer cars now, while they are fast, you need a much bigger budget. With V8 supercars, you need millions and millions of dollars – to race a classic car in a smaller series, it’s really a tiny amount in comparison, so its cost effective, its fun and we all have a good time.
These sorts of classic car revivals certainly help keep the culture alive. There are so many dads coming out to the muscle car masters and the classic touring car races with their kids who have never even seen the cars, let alone seen the race – so for the dads to pass on what they can remember of it instills in their sons and daughters what it used to be like, so if it sparks an interest, they can pass it down through the generations and keeping the tradition and an interest in classic cars alive.
Michael Betar Audi Sales executive
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I personally think it’s going to be a shame for the culture and industry that all cars are going down the electric route, but you have to move forward.
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Do you think it is sustainable focusing on new cars instead of trying to preserve existing ones? Why do we buy new cars over old ones? You are going to find the general public has a high demand for the latest technology; you can’t get what’s in a new car in an old car – the new shape, new design, new technology as well. This technology is developed for a reason – it’s to genuinely improve all aspects of the vehicle, including safety and environmental impact. The build quality of these cars don’t change all that much in a short space of time, but there’s going to be something specific the new car is going to have that pushes a sale over an older car. From a marketing perspective, when you see a car winning world car of the year, like our Audi A3 for 2014, it’s a reason people come in inclined to buy that car; it’s the latest and the best package.
We have to move forward with time – you have to be open to new technology that’s being developed as well. The factories are finding a way to make buyers inclined to buy new cars. Our warranties mean that owners are turning over their cars every 3 years. Cars are manufactured and disposed of in a much more sustainable way than they used to – we learn that through product training where we get run through our products inside out. Cars in general are getting greener as well – shown with the e-tron hybrid technology in our Le Mans winning racecar, which helps develop our road cars. I personally think it’s going to be a shame for the culture and industry that all cars are going down the electric route, but you have to move forward. They don’t perform any worse; it’s just something enthusiasts will eventually acclimatise to.
Do you think the culture should be keeping up with technological changes seen in the automotive climate? There is no way we would be able to continue to sell new cars in the prestige car market unless we are offering leading technology. Our pre-owned section does amazingly well; they are easier to choose from as they are an individual choice sitting right in front of you, but our new car sales have always done better as people want to be able to equip the car with options, which buying a new car offers. The culture is reacting well to that as we have more new cars sold than our second hand range.
Last Thoughts After talking to different people from across the car scene, there is a general consensus that there will be an inevitable shift in the culture due to technological advancements that are being developed, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it seems that the popular cars of today will transcend time much like the classic icons already to have filtered through the chronological shift seen in the automotive climate. The once-thought concept that there will come a day where we will all throw out the old cars for newer variants seems like a thing of the past. There are enough people interested in keeping the older cars running and telling their stories to the younger generations to prevent any of them to be completely forgotten about.
While the automotive culture is under threat, it’s not as negative as once thought as it pushes us to change the things we need to in order to save the planet. New manufacturing and disposing processes constantly being developed as well as the introduction of recycled materials into more and more components mean that producing new cars will gradually bring less negative impact on the environment. And while this will refresh the types of cars on our roads today, it means the ‘everyday’ old cars will get recycled into new ones while the classic, iconic cars will remain as hailed as before – an exciting insight into motoring days of the past. The industry, while still a perpetual cycle of environmental harm, seems to be changing the irrelevant, mundane aspects that we don’t notice, while keeping the exciting and interesting ones that we do in an effort to save itself from an early extinction.
It is not sustainable to continue to make yesterday’s car, but also not sustainable to make an unexciting car.
Environmental sustainability aside, it is mainly the sustainability of the culture that is the main focus of this piece. From all the people I asked to take part in this zine, not one of them declined the chance to take 10 minutes out of their day to give their opinions. Ultimately this shows the passion of car lovers, reassuring the fact that the older stuff will always be just as loved and cared for as the new stuff, regardless of impending environmental regulations and fuel shortages. It also speaks volumes of the culture – while there are substantial differences between a young driver and two Australian motorsport legends with 9 Bathurst 1000 wins between them, they all responded with the same eagerness to tell their story. The culture will only die out when the interest in it does, which certainly hasn’t slowed down in the century that it has been around for. Much like the classics that shape it, the automotive culture is indeed an imperishable machine.
alastair brook visuals