For some of us a car is simply a convenient means of transport, but for others their car is a treasured possession, part of their identity and a real passion. People dream of winning the lottery in order to afford their dream cars and cinema goers are excited by the latest Bond car or Batmobile.
No matter whether we are seeking a reliable run around, a zero emissions car or a luxury vehicle, buying a car is an expensive purchase. We want to know that our car will last.
According to research the lifespan of a typical car is 200,000miles. If we drive the average of 15,000miles per year, we could therefore expect our car to last for 13 years. Having said this, the longest running car was a 1976 Mercedes Benz, which clocked up 2,858,307miles! Mercedes Benz and Volvos both reward high mileage drivers when they reach certain mileage landmarks up to 1,000,000kilometers.
London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
On the first Sunday in November around 450 cars that were built before 1905 took part in the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. These vehicles may not have travelled as far as the record breakers in terms of mileage, but they have certainly stood the test of time. Leaving from London’s Hyde Park, they follow a traditional route down to Brighton’s Madeira Drive.
These old vehicles are built with simple yet effective engineering. When things do go wrong, it is usually relatively simple to lift the bonnet, identify and rectify the issue and then head back onto the road. The owners of these vehicles typically develop sound engineering skills and along with a good tool kit and thorough knowledge of their car, they keep the car running.
Car Maintenance & Repair
Modern cars are a highly engineered collection of components and technology. This makes them high performance vehicles, but it also makes it more of a challenge to diagnose and fix the problem when things go wrong. We need garages with specialist diagnostic tools and expert knowledge to help us fit replacement parts and undertake mechanical work.
MOT
We also need a reliable and professional garage to undertake our annual MOT. This is essentially a health check for your car. It ensures that things are in good working order, that the vehicle is safe to be on the road and that it complies with legislation. The MOT can provide an early indication of potential problems and gives you the opportunity to take action before a serious problem occurs.
Car Maintenance
Having said that we are now more reliant on garages, there are a number of on-going maintenance tasks that we can undertake to keep our cars in good working order. Simply keeping your car clean can remove corrosive materials, which helps to keep the body work in good condition. Regular checks on the car fluids will help you to identify when oil changes or coolant top ups are required. Checking tyre pressure and topping up with air as required will improve fuel efficiency, braking and road safety.
Your vehicle may not drive for over a million miles, but you can help it to keep running with some regular maintenance, a good MOT. Holmer Green Service Centre is a VOSA approved, Class 4 MOT garage, which has been helping customers to keep their cars running since 1992. Can we help you?
