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ABOUT BRITISH CAR DAY

British Car Day is an event celebrating classic British cars. We believe that sustainability and classic cars go hand in hand, and we want to showcase this to the world. The next edition of British Car Day will take place on Saturday 26 April 2025, from 9:30 to 16h in the Zandvoortstraat in Mechelen, Belgium. We invite classic car enthusiasts to join us for a day filled with classic cars, classic car clubs, garages/specialists, food, and music! Click here to watch the after movie of the 2024 edition.

Vintage MG car arriving at British Car Day 2023. Spectators and visitors socializing on the driveway.

MORE INFO

CLASSIC BUT SUSTAINABLE

Footman James 2022 Indicator Report thumbnail: A colorful graph showing key data and trends for the year.

We, as classic car enthusiasts, believe that owning and maintaining a classic car is inherently sustainable.

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Living in a disposable culture promotes discarding and repurchasing, seemingly convenient. Yet, it's overlooked that each new product involves a production and delivery process, consuming time, energy, and money—often more than repair. Convenient for individuals, but a societal burden.

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Classic cars are often dubbed as smelly four-wheelers, deemed the cows of the automotive industry. However, the story might not be so straightforward. Measures against vintage cars aim to cut CO2 emissions, but this is often a small contribution. This year's theme invites a moment to reconsider – vintage cars may not be as polluting as commonly perceived.

Footman James, 2022 indicator report.

Vintage garage with classic Mini Coopers awaiting repair, captured from the Footman James 2022 indicator report.

UK insurer Footman James, for instance, released a report on the future of vintage cars in 2022, considering the developments in the automotive industry towards carbon-neutral vehicles. The study yielded some unexpected results.

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Conclusions of the 2022 indicator report
A vintage car covering an average of 1,300 miles a year (2,092 km) would need to be driven for 46 years to equate to the manufacturing emissions of an electric Polestar vehicle.


According to the report, it is:

 

"infinitely better to keep driving a classic car than to trade it in for a brand new electric car."

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"The production of one petrol car is equivalent to 12 years of driving a vintage car."

"There are more vintage cars now than there were 50 years ago, and the number will only increase."

 

You can download the full report below. Gocar.be also made a summary of the report (Dutch).

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Other sources

The FIVA also did a socio-economic investigation about the usage and the economic impact of historic vehicles on our society. Also see download button below.
 

Furthermore, the development of fossil-free fuels is also in full swing.  P1 Fuels is one such fossil-free fuel developer, which will also be present at our British Car Day. Find out more about P1 in the leaflet below. Improved fossil-free fuel for your classic car seems to be the best option for classic car owners for the time being. The P1 slogan "Don't change the car, change the fuel" sounds promising.

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There are also several articles published by classic car magazines related to the debate around the environment and the classic car. Another interesting link can be found below.

https://collectorscarworld.com/polkuting-driving-classic-car/

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We envision a future for the classic car, also in a CO2-neutral automotive environment. Join us, so we can unite forces to secure a future for this generation and the generations of classic car enthusiasts to come.

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