Land Of Clunkers: America Breaks New Hooptification Record

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

When German cars reached the ripe age of 8.5 years on average, mentions of “Kubanisierung” (Cubanification) made the rounds. They did not shame customers to put their old cars in the shredder. Then, Germany put a bounty on old cars AND launched its “Abwrackprämie” (cash for clunkers,) The average age of all cars on the road immediately dropped. To 8.3 years. If 8.5 years qualifies as Cubanification, what do you call a country where the average age of all cars on the roads is pushing 11 years?

You call it America.

“The average age of a car or truck in the United States hit a record 10.8 years last year as job security and other economic worries kept many people from making big-ticket purchases such as a new car.”

So says The Associated Press (here fittingly via Northjersey.com.)

The trend towards aging cars is nothing new. Since 1995, the average age of all cars kept creeping up. Coincidentally, in 1995, the average age was smack dab in Cubanification territory: 8.4 years.

The data come from a study performed by the Polk automotive research firm, and it bases on state motorvehicle registration data.

Polk analyst Mark Seng looks at the bright side of the hooptification of America:

“The increasing age of the vehicle fleet, together with the increasing length of ownership, offers significant business growth opportunity for the automotive aftermarket. Dealer service departments and independent repair facilities, as well as aftermarket parts suppliers, will see increased business opportunity with customers in need of vehicle service.”

Polk doesn’t see an immediate end of the aging, but hopes that “the rebound in new vehicle sales in 2011 and for the next couple of years will most likely slow down the aging rate seen in the market over the past three years.”

How could we better illustrate this story than with a choice selection of Murilee Martin’s Down On The Junkyard series. Murilee is a prophet. Let’s age with dignity.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Felis Concolor Felis Concolor on Jan 19, 2012

    It ain't cheap, but it is easy. Sometimes you don't want a new car, but new parts in your car. The science of rebuilding a vehicle's powertrain was perfected decades ago, and the proliferation of adjustable aftermarket suspension systems means you can bring an older car's ride to equivalence with a modern family sedan, if not today's high performance variants. Replacement door seals and aftermarket sound deadening provide modern levels of noise insulation, and replacement upholstery materials are superior even when compared to what the best luxury cars of 15 years ago were equipped with. An older vehicle can be quickly brought up to today's power and efficiency levels with a plethora of fully warranted crate engine and transmission packages featuring fuel injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation technology. The more talented hot rodders and car crafters have created their own traction and yaw control systems integrated with retrofitted ABS, and it won't be long before some enterprising individual will figure out how to offer that level of functionality in a user adjustable box for the market. If you wish to keep an older engine series under the hood there are numerous ways to modernize its induction system, from the popular Megasquirt DIY EFI circuit boards to self contained TBI units designed to replace the carburetor atop an existing intake manifold. While the shaft-mounted aftermarket radio has gone to the same graveyard as the DIN.5 GM/Chrysler specific chassis (yes, I know there are a few shaft-mounted kits now but I forget who makes them), today's single- and double-DIN units provide similar levels of modern convenience when compared to new automobile offerings, with integrated Bluetooth, voice and on-screen navigation, traffic and weather alerts, HD Radio/DAB extensions and Android/iOS application compatibility, not to mention standard MP3/WMA/WAV and USB compatibility (and any radio which can't support those isn't worth mentioning anyway) and the aftermarket has already skipped ahead by abandoning SD card slots in favor of Micro-SD card readers. For those who enjoy their older motor vehicle, or who wish to update their classic or clunker, it's not cheap to roll your own, but it can be even more fun than buying new. You also get to paint it the color you truly want.

    • Joeaverage Joeaverage on Jul 25, 2012

      Yes, the classic can be updated but visit YouTube and watch the crash test between a 1958 Chevy and a 2008 Chevy. We have classic cars in the family and I think of that everytime I climb in one. Even with the updates and upgrades - if you go back far enough - the old cars are no where near as safe as something built since ABS and dual airbags became standard on most cars. I'm currently restoring an antique with another on standby. I have done a fair bit of soul searching about whether I want to put my family in that classic and go anywhere over 20 mph. I feel safe in the vehicle. I'm not going to run off the road. the vehicle is not going to suddenly explode. Something is not going to spontaneously fail. It's the other guy that worries me. Too many distracted drivers with no sense of self-responsibility. Maybe cars have gotten so safe that we take our safety for granted.

  • Dhanson865 Dhanson865 on Jan 19, 2012

    If you count my dad's truck sitting in my driveway right now (that I'll likely inherit any day now as he is 71 and in poor health) my household fleet is: 1992 Nissan Pickup D21 1998 Saturn SL2 2005 Toyota Prius 20 years old truck (engine has been rebuilt twice) 14 years old car (no major repairs in the last 7 years* at 118K) 7 years old car (no major repairs in the life of the vehicle 86K) So call it 14 years average or median with the truck in the mix or 10 years average without the truck. * The Saturn does use oil now. It'll likely still be a drivable car down the road but I'd rather not have to top up the oil between oil changes. Odds are when the old man goes we'll try to sell the pickup and the Saturn and grab another fuel efficient used 4 door car like the Prius. Dunno if it'll be another 2005 or something newer. Lets say in 2014 my fleet is 2005 Toyota Prius (105K) 2005-2007 Toyota Prius (95K) My average car age would be 8 or 9 years but then I'd be keeping both until they wouldn't run at all. I'm expecting the Prius to stay worth repairing well into the 300K range and assuming no accidents or unexpected failures I could drive that 2005 until the 2015 Prius C becomes the equivalent of today's Saturn SL2 (a cheap beater). I don't think I'll ever change the brake pads on it but if I do it'll be worth every penny because at that point the car will be well past the highest mileage vehicle I've ever owned.

  • Ronin It's one thing to stay tried and true to loyal past customers; you'll ensure a stream of revenue from your installed base- maybe every several years or so.It's another to attract net-new customers, who are dazzled by so many other attractive offerings that have more cargo capacity than that high-floored 4-Runner bed, and are not so scrunched in scrunchy front seats.Like with the FJ Cruiser: don't bother to update it, thereby saving money while explaining customers like it that way, all the way into oblivion. Not recognizing some customers like to actually have right rear visibility in their SUVs.
  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
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