Difference between old car and obsolete car

There have been many amazing innovations and technological developments in the auto industry over the years. From the first car to give us disc brakes as standard, to Volvo giving the world three-point seatbelts, the evolution of automotive technology has pushed the boundaries of how safe, useful and efficient a car can be.

The problem that arises here is that, as technology advances, old cars start to look old and perhaps even obsolete. It depends on what car buyers want most when shopping for a replacement daily driver – a vehicle that’s safer, faster and better equipped than their current vehicle. Naturally, newer models offer such improvements, but aging doesn’t automatically make a car obsolete.

See, there is a very clear difference between obsolete and old. Merriam-Webster defines obsolete as “no longer in use or no longer useful” and usefulness and age are two completely different matters. A simple analogy would be a mechanical watch from decades ago and a floppy disk. The watch can still tell time, be serviced and work as well as it did when new, so it is useful to the user and is far from being obsolete. However, floppy disks have been replaced by better technology and modern computers can no longer even accept floppy disks, making them obsolete for the most part. We see the same pattern with cars – some older models are still perfectly usable, reliable and enjoyable, while others have become obsolete.

Not all old cars are obsolete. To illustrate the point, there are companies recreating iconic vintage models like the Cobra and the original Corvette Grand Sport, so despite being decades old in design, the world clearly still finds uses for them.

For a car to completely lose its usefulness outside of hardcore enthusiasts, it needs to be largely impractical to maintain or use, and some early EVs are now beginning to align neatly with this description. They may not have been introduced in the US, but a trio of small EVs from the early 2010s are excellent examples of cars becoming technologically obsolete. Of course, we’re talking about the Peugeot iOn, Citroen C-Zero, and Mitsubishi i-MiEV – coincidentally, these are some of the silliest names ever given to EVs. When they were new, they were among the first mainstream EV models to feature 16 kWh battery packs. Officially, the range was estimated at 93 miles, but with mixed real-world driving, most owners were only getting between 45 and 80 miles.

This range may be fine for short distance travel, but may be reduced due to battery degradation and extreme weather. Combine impractical range with early-generation charging systems, and these older EVs quickly begin to seem obsolete to modern motorists. Advances in technology have made these early EVs no longer useful – an electric bicycle might be better than that nowadays.

So if a modern EV from 2011 may already be obsolete, what about cars that are over a century old? Well, perhaps the best example of old still being useful is the Ford Model T.

Between 1908 and 1927, more than 15 million Model Ts were produced. While they may not be ideal for daily driving – they sport a top speed of 40 mph and have nothing in the way of safety aids – Model Ts are still extremely capable off-road vehicles. In 1911, the son of a Ford dealer took to Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis. Even today, enthusiasts love to tackle tougher routes.

Even “regular” old cars can still be considered useful. Take the W123 Mercedes or the original Lexus LS400 as examples. Their powertrains are weak, inefficient by today’s standards, and their infotainment is incredibly basic. On paper, they seem like the floppy disks of the auto industry, but that’s far from the truth. Such cars are extremely reliable, and some enthusiasts really like the analog charm they offer. Also, unlike modern machines packed with technology, they are easy to repair and maintain from a DIY approach. Provided this remains true into the future, it is likely that many old cars will escape the obsolescence trap.