THE SEVEN AGES OF CAR

The market isn’t as black and white as used and new. James Ruppert explains the stages between car showroom and classic car show, with the long-lived VW Golf as his muse

- James Ruppert

Without doubt, there are at least seven ages of the average car – but only if it’s lucky. Progressing from the showroom to your driveway via a used car lot or two before morphing into a banger and then either being terminated in a scrapyard – sorry, recycling centre – or becoming a cherished classic in your garage.

Then again, some marques are more special than others. Is a Ferrari ever truly ‘used’ in the accepted sense of the word? Certainly, they become pre-owned, loved or cherished, before missing several pre-terminal stages to become a classic. Indeed, are Caterhams ever truly used, with their marginal mileages? They pass go and straight to classic. Meanwhile, Jaguars usually tick all the life stages.

However, for the purposes of explanation, let’s take one model that has been around seemingly forever. One that has lived several lifetimes over many decades and perfectly demonstrates the Seven Ages of Car. That’s right: it could only be the Volkswagen Golf.

1 BRAND-NEW

Brand-new cars are showroom-fresh and have delivery mileage, which can vary hugely. This is where all cars come from. The advantages are a manufacturer warranty and the peace of mind that goes with that, and the excellent news is that you can get a deal without trying too hard.

For instance, at Beadles Volkswagen, an unregistered Golf 1.5 TSI 150 Life is yours for £22,952, down from a full retail of £25,645, saving you a tidy sum of £2693.

Interestingly, there are still some brand-new Mk7 Golfs around. I found an unregistered 2.0 TDI GT DSG at Ipswich Volkswagen on sale at £26,495, down from £29,795.