Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

When I use my 1962 Series 2a Land Rover it always attracts friendly interest.
Recently I had parked outside our Post Office and who was waiting for me when I returned but one of the prominent local Green campaigners and her husband .
They were both very interested in the Land Rover, even more so when I revealed that it had a modern 200tdi diesel engine.

They were complimentary and added that my vehicle was an example of extending an old vehicle's life and suitable for modern use and thus commendable.

Now, I didn't ask for or needed their approval to justify my hobby bit it did make me consider the idea of the Green issue.

When Kenneth Clarke abolished the Road Fund Licence for pre 1973 cars in 1994 he added that the impact of classic car ownership and use had a negligible environmental impact.

Was he right then and is the old car tax exemption justified 20 years later.
Do we still deserve it?

Just to stir the pot a little, Formula One (F1) supporters maintain that their sport has little environmental impact. I disagree.

Your opinions, please.
_________________
Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[peter scott]

Thinking of the number of miles I cover in my modern relative to my old car I feel no guilt at all. What's more the proportion of the car owning population who also own an oldie is pretty small so I think zero rate tax is perfectly reasonable.

Peter
_________________
https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[D4B]

Just to stir the pot a little, Formula One (F1) supporters maintain that their sport has little environmental impact

If you include all the worldwide transportation of cars and equipment
(and lifestyle choices) that go with F1 it must have a huge impact......

[Ashley]

There's some sort of bicycle race going on around the UK at the moment and on Friday it came through Nailsworth accompanied by at least three times as many motorbikes and cars as cyclists, so I don't feel guilty at all about my 2-3000 miles a year in old cars.

This country's contribution to the world of non green-ness is 2%, so nothing to worry about anyway unless you've just wasted a fortune on a Toyota Pious.

[ukdave2002]

It's a really odd question to ask; because it depends what you are measuring

Mile for mile a classic is normally not environmentally friendly compared to any modern car......

However if one looks at the environmental impact over the life of a classic, it wins hands down especially giver the relatively low mileage most classic do.

And getting a bit Jeremy Clarkson.....I really don't care as the pleasure it gives me and others, outweighs any politically correct green!

Dave

[MikeEdwards]

I'm sure I read that the biggest harm a new car does to the environment is when it is made in the first place. So to continue to use an older car that's already been made, doesn't have to have all that plastic moulded and steel and aluminium smelted, or (according to the aforementioned JC) have all those batteries made in one part of the world and shipped to the other part, must be better.

Sure, mile by mile, a new car might stick out less CO (or CO2, or whatever it is) than an old one, but a new car is unlikely to do enough miles to make up for all the emissions created during its manufacture.

[baconsdozen]

The greens might be happy in their recycled clothes and sandals made out of old tyres cycling all over the place. I'm happy doing the odd few miles in a gas guzzling V8.
For now its a free world but given the chance,I'd imagine they'd want me to change far more than I'd do them.
_________________
Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Fatbloke]

IMHO if you are using a classic as your daily and don't own a modern you are doing your bit for the greens as you are causing a new car to be built that generates a massive carbon footprint.

However, most of us use Classics for leisure trips and also own a modern for daily use. so overall probably has a -ve impact on the environment.

BUT as others have said above, we are a minority of car owners and tend to do low milage so the impact would be neglegable.

BUT I don't care whether it's environmentally sound or not...It's jolly good fun

Make it rolling 40 year VED excemption though!
_________________
Mike,

A Fatbloke in a Herald.

[MikeEdwards]

[MikeEdwards]

[lowdrag]

I shall never forget seeing this over the collection Walter Hill built up in Florida.



I parked the car next to a Panamera the other day. My classic does 23 mpg, and I wonder what that monstrosity consumes?

[Keith D]

I have spent large sums of money to insulate my house, fit double glazing (very unusual and expensive in Oz!) smother the roof in solar panels to generate electricity for my state (I get paid about a quarter of what they charge me to buy back!) and a solar powered hot water service. I segregate my garbage into recyclable and refuse each week before collection.

When I meet up with a greenie dressed in animal skins, walking everywhere and living in either a cave or under a tree, then I'll take him (or her) seriously!

In the meantime, if I create a bit of pollution when I drive my oldies a few miles, then bad luck! Didn't they reckon that the Iceland volcano put the equivalent garbage of 50 years motoring into the atmosphere, just a couple of years ago.

Keith

[Richard H]

Have a read of the Green Party's transport policies if you get a chance. Surprisingly supportive of old car owners.
A chap I know has a '78 Scimitar, he was telling me about some people who recently accosted him in a supermarket car park, complaining about the fact he was driving such a high polluting car and that he should be ashamed of himself! Fortunately I've never had any such problems myself.

I've never owned a new car, and never plan on doing so. My new next door neighbour was extolling the virtues of his 62-plate Japanese hybrid thing to me the other day, while clearly not really understanding why I've got the Maestro parked on my driveway, and he obviously thinks the Somerset should be in a museum. Still, I'd rather have an old car with character, that I can fix myself with no complicated electronics to go wrong.
_________________
Richard Hughes