There are more than six million cars on the UK road network aged 13 years or over according to data published by the Department for Transport - which begs the question… why?

With cars more affordable than ever and modern trim options offering a wealth of entertainment and driving options, the motoring consumer is literally spoilt for choice. Particularly those browsing the CarSupermarket.com website where the variety suits all tastes and budgets.

But the data, which has been collated by Retro Motor found that in 1994 the percentage of cars over 13 years old on the road was just 6.3 per cent. Twenty-six years later and that percentage is 19.1 per cent. The same report tells us that the average age of all cars on UK roads is 8.3 years, up from 6.7 years in 1994.

Richard Aucock, Retro Motor founder, said: “You have to remember that a 13-year old car in 1994 was an early Eighties model with extremely high emissions and no catalytic converters, whereas cars from the mid-2000s were already starting to meet new Euro emissions legislation.

“In addition, there’s been a huge boom in the popularity of modern classics in recent years, which means that models from the Eighties and Nineties in particular have developed into collectors’ items. Throw into the mix the much-improved build quality of cars from this era and it’s easy to see why many of them remain loved and cherished by enthusiasts, rather than just be used as old bangers.”

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