Motoring trends come and go and Windrush has certainly seen a lot of change in the motoring world over the 20 years since launching its classic car storage in the Cotswolds. As we come to the end of 2024 and Windrush’s 20th anniversary in the business, founder Tim Earnshaw reflects on those changes and looks ahead to what the next 20 years of motoring might look like (spoiler: it’s not all electric!).
The issue of sustainability
“One of the biggest dichotomies we face today is aligning our consumer, throwaway culture with being sustainable. Years ago, cars had an average lifespan of 14 years; today cars are designed to last no more than 10 years and that figure is reducing. We could argue that car manufacturers are trying to make cars so they are more sustainable, with the advent of EVs and hybrids, but the problem is we are not eking out the energy used to make the car in the first place.
Let’s say you bought a car in 2024 and beyond, with all the computers, the big ipad screen etcetera, in five years time that technology would feel ancient and the car would probably be recycled. In contrast to that, I have a 2004-reg Audi A6, that’s 20 years old with 160,000 miles on the clock. We nickname it the tank because it’s indestructible. It was so well built, and just keeps on delivering – I’ve got no intention of selling it because I think it’s got another 100,000 miles left in it if I service it properly and look after it.
The question we need to ask is which car is more sustainable? The ultra high-tech EV or my 20-year-old tank that still has miles left to run?”
The future of electric motors
“That brings me nicely to EVs. I’m going to be controversial here but I don’t think electric motors are the future. In my opinion, they are a short-term solution, a motoring trend that is a quick fix because everyone has a socket at home that they can just plug into.
There are better alternatives to EVs, but it all comes down to an issue with infrastructure. I think green hydrogen will be the ultimate fuel of the future because it is carbon neutral but it needs serious investment from the government to put in the infrastructure to support it.
I do think that the further we get into the future, the more expensive energy will become. Electricity will never be as cheap as it once was, so off the back of that we will need to question how we use energy. Perhaps people will have fewer ICE cars as a result, but I don’t think electric is the answer either.”
The future of ICE cars
“There’s no denying that we live in a world where the climate is changing and we will have to think about how we use energy more. So how do you make ICE cars more socially acceptable? You could argue that the cars we are dealing with – many from the 1950s and ’60s and some of them a hundred years old – are of historical importance and built to last, and that in itself is a tick for sustainability. And you could argue that because they are a form of escapism that people have worked hard for, they are generally only driven at weekends or taken out for special road trips, so they are not polluting the roads every day.
But I think an even bigger question is whether you will even be able to buy petrol at a forecourt in 20 years time? I think you might but I think you might not as well. Another route is to look at sustainable fuels.
Let’s just stereotype for a minute – imagine you pull up on a Sunday morning, outside the newsagent to buy the papers – are people going to frown at you because you have this V12 gas-guzzling Ferrari? Maybe now they might but when sustainable fuel is more widely available – say in 20 years time – it could be a different story. if you have a V12 and it’s running on sustainable fuel, no-one should have an issue with it. And the amazing thing is that there’s no change to the car needed – you just literally pour it in and it works.”
More than just a car museum
“At Windrush, we’re in the business of preservation. We deal with a lot of classic cars from the 1950s, the 1960s and even earlier, and they’re still here today. These cars have soul, they’ve got a story, they’ve had a life, and people feel connected to them in a way you just don’t get with modern electric cars. We also deal with the latest and greatest collectible cars, engineering marvels like the new Gordon Murray Automotive T50, that are like pieces of automotive art. People will always want one of those.
So we’re almost bucking this current trend of ‘throw it away, buy a new one’. But equally, we are not a museum. Often, there’s a misconception about car storage, a sense of ‘what a shame these cars are not being used and enjoyed’. On the contrary, we keep all of our storage cars alive and on the button, so whenever the client would like to use their car, they can. In fact, we proactively encourage our clients to use them because we get enjoyment out of them enjoying their car. Sure, we are running a business, but it’s deeper than that. We get a lot of satisfaction from doing what we do on a daily basis, and then when the client has the time to use their car and they come back and say they had an amazing time it’s nice for us that we helped them to make memories with their car.”
How to navigate the road ahead
“Some would say it’s a sad time because it’s the end of ICE. But I would say that it’s a fascinating time because there is so much potential change. There are some amazing collectible cars available right now that we hope will always be here, but we are also in the middle of a fascinating technical revolution. It’s a turning point in the motoring world. At Windrush, we sit somewhere in the middle – preserving the old and looking to the future, whatever that might be.”
Classic car storage with a modern outlook
At Windrush Car Storage, no matter what car you drive, you can be guaranteed that it will be looked after in the Windrush Way. Whatever the latest motoring trend, we know what works best for cars and we don’t compromise – we believe that our six-star car service is the future of car storage. Contact us to discuss your classic car storage requirements.
