It's a bit of a weird time at the moment, but I don't think it's that people are poorer - they're just more aware that they could lose their job or savings at any time. People have money, but are spending it more wisely. People want more than 25mpg out of a car when fuel costs £1.30 a litre.

I drive a 58-plate Astra diesel for work, I can get it up to 50mpg without really trying yet it still has 230lb of torque. The car's worth maybe £5k nowadays, and hasn't even needed a timing belt yet. I just spec'd up the equivalent brand new car on Vauxhall's site - the new one has 260lb or torque, still does over 50mpg and I could have it for £426 a month with a two grand deposit.

That's nothing in the grand scheme of things. Mate of mine owns a '6 and the starter's gone and stripped the teeth from the flywheel. £250 for flywheel + £100 for starter + might as well do the clutch, and you're looking at spending £700 on a car that's barely worth that. Weigh that up against buying a brand new car with a 100,000 mile warranty, cruise control, more torque, more comfort and it's just a complete no-brainer.

No-one wants old shit cars any more because finance is so easy to get, therefore they are worthless.

I never said "everyone has a perfect credit history and can get infinite finance", I said it's easier than ever to get - which it is. None of this is my opinion - just go out and see what cars go past on a busy road in a minute, I bet the number with old-style plates could be counted on one hand. I remember even when I was young, the stereotypical "dad with an old banger" - the Skoda or Lada that backfired and smoked as he dropped the kids off at school. You would never see that any more, even in the poorest parts of the country.

We're a country that's coming out of (or still in if you ask some people) a recession, and look at us. Everyone running out and buying the latest iPhone, new cars everywhere, Playstations, massive TVs, even our 15-year-old Peugeots are being detailed and supercharged. Yes the country's had better times, but even at the deepest darkest point of the recent recession this country had more money and privilege than 90% of the other countries in Europe, and is probably in the top 5% of privileged countries in the world.