7th Jul 2016, 17:35
I think it is probably proof that people are lot poorer nowadays. Back then with unionization and Keynesian economic policies, the average worker could buy a new car quite frequently, and most people got rid of their cars long before they were even a little bit worn. Nowadays the average worker makes barely enough to get by, so tend to keep their cars till they're very near the end of their usable life.
6th Jul 2016, 19:06
Not at all true. It stands to reason that if you bought a new car in 1970 for example, that there would be more 1970s on the road than antiques 20 years earlier from 1950s. Factor in accidents, rust and decay, exports etc, there are less as they age. You can apply that analogy even today. Cars may be more reliable today, but at what cost. My family owns an automotive repair center. Cars are far more complex today and not all are easily repaired by an average individual. Shop rates are high. In the past cars were simpler and less costly to keep running with a small handful of tools. Even with expensive diagnostic equipment, many repairs are a process of elimination. Problems can reoccur. Many cars barely have enough room to get to where the issue is at. What I like most on my classic is the simplicity without TPMs and codes popping up. It's a real pain.