Frankfurt, June 26, 2025
82 percent of the driving population say they enjoy seeing a classic car on the road. This is one of the key findings from the latest BBE Classic Study, presented at the Frankfurt exhibition grounds by Wolk & Nikolic together with the associations VDA, VDIK, ZDK, and numerous other partners from the automotive industry.

“Classic cars continue to enjoy a positive image among the public and remain economically relevant.
Owners of classic cars spend around 90 cents per driven kilometer solely on vehicle maintenance – excluding taxes and insurance,” says study author Gerd Heinemann.
Because these vehicles are only driven about 2,500 kilometers per year on average, their environmental impact is low. In fact, classic cars account for just 0.6 percent of all kilometers driven in Germany, where the average passenger car is driven more than 12,000 kilometers annually.
Even though growth in the number of registered classic cars (defined as vehicles 30 years and older) – currently around 1.45 million – slowed slightly last year, the industry remains optimistic that the market for classic and youngtimer vehicles (20 to 29 years old) will remain stable.

Study highlights:
The study also identifies some challenges. On average, owners of classic and youngtimer vehicles are now over 60 years old. However, a new generation of younger enthusiasts is entering the scene, especially those with vehicles from the 1990s and 2000s. This is helping to make the community younger and more digital.
Two issues that will require more attention going forward are the shortage of skilled workers and the supply of spare parts. According to the survey of over 2,000 vehicle owners and more than 100 workshops, only a few brands have truly reliable parts availability, and market differences are significant. To counter the shortage of skilled labor, knowledge transfer must be reorganized. Older business owners need to plan succession and preserve know-how early on.

“The market will remain stable over the next 5 to 7 years and will continue to shift toward more affordable volume models. Further development will also depend on political discussions and the availability of spare parts. In the worst-case scenario, the extremely poor availability of certain parts could lead to the decommissioning of some models. We need new solutions here – for example, more collaboration in the spare parts sector,” says Zoran Nikolic, Managing Director of Wolk & Nikolic.

The 6th edition of the study is supported by 14 key industry players.

Classic Studie 2025 Sponsors

About the study: National online survey (Germany)

Owners of youngtimers and classic cars:

  • 2,254 total interviews
  • 2,104 owners of “classic cars” (30 years and older)
  • 775 owners (also) of youngtimers
  • Detailed information on 4,185 vehicles

Industry Survey:

  • 104 owners of workshops involved in the classic segment
  • 38 industry experts, including retailers, appraisers, etc.

Desk Research:

  • Vehicle registration data from the KBA, industry studies, Internal databases

The full study spans over 130 pages and is available for €895 plus VAT from Wolk & Nikolic.

About the authors:
Wolk & Nikolic Aftersales Intelligence / BBE Automotive GmbH
As of January 1, 2025, the two companies operate under the Wolk & Nikolic brand. They are independent partners in market research and market analysis for the automotive aftermarket, providing neutral market data, data-driven decision-making tools, and strategic consulting focused on the global aftermarket for automotive parts.

Contact:
Wolk & Nikolic After Sales Intelligence GmbH
Sachsenring 69, 50677 Cologne, Germany
Phone: +49 221 93655-24
Email: agnieszka.sion@wolk-aftersales.de
Website: https://www.wolk-aftersales.com

Press contact:
Gerd Heinemann
Lead Author
Mobile: +49 (0) 171 7779926
Email: gerd.heinemann@wolk-aftersales.de