Classic owners' Q&A

Just what is a McPherson Strut? What's a reliable classic from the 1970s? And can you get a vintage car with airbags?

As a current or prospective classic car owner, you're likely to have a wealth of questions swirling around in your head. That’s why we’ve compiled some of the most-asked Q&As to help you on your ownership journey.

Your burning question not answered here? Fear not! You’ll find lots more advice elsewhere on our site, from how to prepare your classic for a car show to what you need to know when driving your classic in the EU.

When does a car become a 'classic'?

Good question, and an important one to nail down for anyone investigating classic car insurance. When it comes to claiming Benefit in Kind (BIK), Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs has defined a car as a classic when it is both 15 years old or more and valued at £15,000 or more – which makes your lovingly preserved 2005 MG ZT a classic car, you know.

However, providers of classic car insurance will often tell you that defining a car as a classic relies as much upon the way the car is used and looked after, as its age.

If a car is lovingly maintained (featuring all original parts and equipment) and driven sparingly, even something younger than 15 – and something worth less than £15,000 – may reasonably be defined as a classic and thus become eligible for classic car insurance.

What are some of the most common problems I might experience with a classic car?

Some of the most frequent problems to afflict classic cars include:

• A variety of factors can induce overheating in your classic, among them low coolant level, a damaged cooling fan, a broken fan belt (these won't last as long on classics as on their modern-day counterparts), problems with the car's thermostat, and blockages in the radiator pipes.
• Brake problems. These crucial items get a lot of wear and tear, and typically aren't as robust on classic cars. Another thing to be aware of is that your modern car will come equipped with a brake warning light, giving you time to get to a mechanic and get the brakes sorted. Not so with a classic car – and, for this reason, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the condition of your brakes and to keep the brake fluid regularly topped up.
• Engine failure. Once again, engines on classics typically aren't as robust as on newer cars and can sustain damage if they run for too long without enough oil. It's a good idea to perform regular oil level checks.
• Paintwork damage. The paints used on classic cars weren't generally as hard-wearing as today's formulations, so you'll need to treat them a little more gently. Avoid any harsh cleaning agents, which could take the sheen off as well as damaging any chrome fixtures.

I’m a first-time owner. What are the most reliable, low-maintenance classic cars?

You have a great many classics to choose from here and, unsurprisingly, the more recent you are prepared to go, the more reliable (hopefully) the cars will be.

If we take, say, the 1980s as a benchmark decade, some super-reliable cars from that time include the Mercedes 190 (the forerunner of today's C-Class), the MK2 VW Golf, the second-generation (E30) BMW 3 Series, and the robust Saab 900.

Many Japanese cars from the era, such as the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Nissan's Sunny and Cherry, will also prove super-reliable.

Bulletproof cars from the 1970s include the Porsche 911, Honda Accord and Toyota Celica. We'd add the Volvo 240, a car so reliable and well loved by its sensible family buyers that it got a 19-year production run from 1974 to 1993 – famously outlasting the car built to replace it, the 700 Series.

From the 1960s, the Volvo P1800 remains legendarily reliable, with one example to have clocked up an astonishing 3 million miles; and the Peugeot 504 is another car that has been known to go on serenely munching the miles, year after year.

In power terms, what are the differences between bhp, hp, PS and kW?

While browsing for your next classic car (and especially if you lean towards the sports and performance end of the spectrum), you will probably have come across different measurements of a car's outright power – respectively, PS, kW, hp and bhp.

What these units all share is the measurement of power produced by an engine – meaning that, in general, the higher the number quoted, the faster a car can ultimately go. Also, as power has a direct effect upon acceleration, a car with higher PS, kW or bhp will also speed up faster.

Brake horsepower or bhp is the traditional unit of measurement for car power and still the most common, here in the UK at least.

Measured at the wheels, bhp defines the amount of power left over after other parts of the car (such as the gearbox and alternator) have all consumed what they need to keep functioning. Unlike its close companion horsepower, brake horsepower considers the power that is lost through friction.

Next up, PS (from the German pferdestärke, or 'horse strength'), also known as metric horsepower, is actually very similar – 1 PS is 98.6% of 1 bhp, so you'll get a very slightly higher and more-impressive reading if you measure your car's power in PS. Most German and Japanese manufacturers tend to use PS, while we Brits remain loyal to bhp.

Kilowatts (kW), meanwhile are a standard measure of power used in many everyday objects – indeed, they are the EU’s standard of power measurement. One kilowatt of engine power is around 1.34 bhp, so totals measured in kW will come out lower.

That's the reason that, so far, manufacturers haven't been that keen to display power outputs in kW, preferring the higher totals that PS or bhp give them. But the advent of electric cars means we'll all get more used to kilowatts (the standard measurement for battery capacity) over the next few years.

Do classic cars have airbags?

The answer to this question will depend on your definition of 'classic'. After all, most car makers didn't start adopting airbag technology until the mid-1990s – Ford put them into its Mondeo and Escort models in 1994, Vauxhall added them to the Cavalier in 1993, and Renault loaded them into its entry-level Clio in 1996. So, if you're after something from the early 1990s or earlier, you're going to face more of a challenge finding a car with this safety feature.

However, a select few 1980s cars got the benefit of an airbag. The first production car to feature airbags was General Motors' Oldsmobile Toronado in 1973. UK buyers had to wait until December 1980, and the second-generation Mercedes S-Class, to get a car with a driver-side airbag.

The first car to fit them as standard was the Porsche 944, in 1987 – a wise choice in a car that owners liked to fling around. Airbags started cropping up as options during the 1980s: the S-Class' smaller sibling, the E-Class, added them to the options list from 1985, while BMW's E34 5 Series made them available from 1984.

The facelifted Saab 900 got airbags as an option from 1991 onwards. And did we mention Volvo? A byword for safety, and with good reason: their 240 saloons and estates offered airbags across the range from 1992 onwards.

What is dry weight, kerb weight and gross weight?

Nice and simple, this. Dry weight is the weight of a car without any fluids, such as fuel, water, or oil. Kerb weight is the car's weight when a tank of fuel, plus essential amounts of water and oil, are factored in. And gross weight includes all those fluids plus the maximum load (passengers and cargo) that the vehicle can safely carry. You'll mostly see kerb weight quoted in information and statistics about cars.

Which classic cars have an auto gearbox?

Hang on, you may be thinking: why are we even asking this one? Surely a key part of the joy of classic car driving is working that manual gearbox to the best of its abilities? And yes, we'd agree that most of the time, a manual gearbox is what you want in a classic car. There are a few exceptions, though.

For some (typically larger and more luxurious) classics, it's all about the comfort of the cruise – of having as little as possible to think about as you glide down the boulevard or country road. For example, in the 635 CSi, BMW's big, beautiful 1970s grand tourer, you just want to sit back and lap up the cosseting comfort of it all, just reaching for the auto box for the occasional kickdown when you overtake.

A Jaguar XJS is another car in which it's best to simply waft around in serene comfort, doing as little as possible other than keeping your eyes on the road, tickling the steering wheel when required and enjoying your opulent surroundings. A second-generation (1994-2002) Range Rover is another car where we'd prefer to sit back and not worry about any pesky gearchanges, thank you.

Incidentally, US firm Oldsmobile gets another first here: its 1940 Series 60 saloon was the first production car to feature automatic transmission.

What are the different types of suspension in classic cars?

Suspension – the system of springs, wishbones, dampers (or shock absorbers) and links that attach a car to its wheels – are an essential part of a car's safety, handling, and ride comfort. There are a few different types of suspension available on classic cars – some geared towards comfort, others towards sporty, nimble handling. They include:

Independent Front Suspension – where the front wheels can move up and down independently of each other. This can be great for ride comfort, steering, handling, and stability – but it is quite complex in design.

Featured on: Morris Minor, Triumph TR2

Independent Rear Suspension – very similar, but this time it's the rear wheels that have independence of movement.

Featured on: Jaguar XK8, Aston Martin DB7

Leaf-spring suspension – one of the oldest and simplest suspension types, this features various curved metal strips, all clamped together. It's great for lighter cars and sporty handling.

Featured on: Chevrolet Corvette (C3 and C4 generations)

MacPherson Strut – where a coil spring is placed over strut with shock-absorbing properties. This is a simple, lightweight form of suspension, with few parts needing replacement, and especially suitable for smaller cars. Also known as the Chapman Strut, as it was preferred by Lotus founder Colin Chapman.

Featured on: Lotus Elite (1957-63), Lotus Elan (1962-75)

As a classic car owner, why should I choose classic car insurance over normal insurance?

You may be wondering: just what is classic car insurance, and why might it be a better idea for me than traditional car insurance?

In fact, classic car insurance can bring with it several benefits that may make it more suitable for classic car owners. Key features can include laid-up or SORN cover, salvage retention, and cover while you attend events such as static shows or historic rallies. If you're a member of an owners' club, meanwhile, you may be eligible for discounts on your insurance.

Better still, you may well find that your classic car insurance premium comes out cheaper than a regular car insurance policy – particularly if you do relatively low mileage in your classic and look after it well.

Classic car insurers know that many of the vehicles they insure will, by and large, be driven less than modern 'daily driver' cars. They are there to be enjoyed, on a peaceful Sunday drive for example, rather than flogging up and down the bypass on the daily commute, and as such they are less susceptible to damage and accidents.

It's been shown that classic cars get driven less than modern cars – in fact, on average the former cover around 1,200 miles a year, compared to the nationwide car average of 7,200 miles.

Specialist insurers like Lancaster can also find you cover for unusual, hard-to-insure cars, motorcycles, and even military vehicles.

Contact us to find out more.