A constant nuisance – the supply of spare parts for classic cars

According to the German Automobile Association (ADAC), around half a million vehicles first registered in 1990 and older are on the roads in Germany. The number of registered classic cars is growing by about 10 percent annually, in stark contrast to the industry surrounding the spare parts needed to keep these rolling cultural assets running. Oldtimer enthusiasts of all makes and models are frustrated by supply bottlenecks and horrendous prices for new classic car spare parts.

Not to mention wear parts, there are many parts that need to be replaced in old and youngtimers. The ravages of time often gnaw away at all parts. Rubber seals dry out, plastic trim becomes brittle or the once chrome-plated trim is now rusty brown.

There is no legal minimum period for manufacturers to supply all spare parts for a model. However, it is customary for the original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers to hold stocks and the necessary tools for production until 15 years after the end of production of the respective model. After that, the idea is that the respective classic departments, such as Audi Tradition, VW Classic Parts or BMW Group Classic, will take over the supply. Often, however, these only sell remaining stocks and rarely commission new spare parts production. If a wide range of models is to be served, many different production runs with small quantities are necessary. This, together with the cost of storage, squeezes profit margins and makes reproduction unattractive to the original series manufacturers.
Wear parts are usually suitable for all models due to the modular principle. This means that the market is larger and for many models original equipment manufacturers can still obtain them at good conditions.

The sales market for the VW Beetle, the most frequently registered classic car in Germany, is so large that the supply of classic car spare parts is still worthwhile compared to most other vehicle models. In the VW online shop, you can find almost every part still on offer as a new part.
However, if there are no longer any original moulds and press tools for sheet metal parts, for example, new ones have to be built at great expense. In order to keep the parts affordable and profitable, savings are often made on the forming steps. This leads to well-known deviations in the area of fitting accuracy and gap dimensions in repair panels for classic cars.

The other Classic departments see the added value of supplying original spare parts again in customer loyalty. According to their studies, satisfied classic car owners are more likely to buy a new vehicle of the same brand. It remains to be seen whether this is motivation enough to resume the production of affordable spare parts for rarer models as well.

The biggest hurdle in reproducing parts is the extremely expensive production of the tools needed for manufacturing. This is a very good method for series production in vehicle manufacturing. However, it is completely unsuitable for the production of small series and individual pieces for rare classics.

This obstacle can be circumvented by using the most modern production methods. Cast parts made of plastic or metal can be produced without expensive custom-made tools using additive manufacturing processes, colloquially known as 3D printing for classic car spare parts.
Repair panels such as mudguards can be reproduced without the need for moulds or a press weighing several tonnes, using incremental sheet metal forming. If you want to know more about these processes, please have a look at our blog articles.
In summary, it can be said that innovative manufacturing processes will successively replace traditional manufacturing processes in the small-series business. Digital warehouses will replace classic high-bay warehouses and production on demand will revolutionise the spare parts market. So the outlook is good for classic car owners and car fans!

Do you also have defective, visually imperfect or no longer available spare parts on your vehicle? Then send us an enquiry using our enquiry form and we will get back to you as soon as possible!