According to a report by car parts retailer Halfords, the average age of car on the road in 2022 is 8.7 years, up one year from a decade ago, and is set to rise further given the ongoing cost of living crisis. There are also 8.4 million cars much older than this, and Halfords projects that very soon the average age of car being driven daily will be 10 years, bringing more servicing and repair business to workshops across the country.
Chris Dear, Technical Director of Britain’s leading wheel alignment equipment seller Absolute Alignment, says that the findings back up what he’s seeing on a day-to-day basis. “Workshops are seeing more and more older vehicles through their doors, which with sufficient servicing and care can be just as safe and reliable as their modern counterparts.”
One of the areas of servicing that is of particular interest to Absolute Alignment is attention to suspension components to keep them correctly adjusted and fit for years to come.
“Suspension systems have ball joints and rubber bushes that take a pounding on under-repaired roads,” continues Chris. “At Absolute Alignment we have the equipment to make sure they are re-set to the correct specification whether they are replaced or just re-adjusted.”
Absolute Alignment’s range of cost-effective wheel aligners bring the profits of proper suspension adjustment into the reach of most workshops. The country’s ageing fleet of vehicles is not a problem either, as each aligner comes with a built-in database covering nearly half a century and some 25,000 vehicles! With products ranging from the entry-level Bluetooth Lite to the Bluetooth 3D - destined for busy garages - Absolute Alignment is at the forefront of wheel alignment technology. With benefits such as working from a quality Android tablet, towerless technology and drop bracket adaptors which allow the workshop to use a wide range of ramps, lifts and pits, Absolute Alignment have options to suit all uses and budgets.
"Never has the old adage 'look after your car and it will look after you' been more important," said Chris. "With the current cost of living crisis squeezing incomes, these findings show regular preventative servicing on your existing car will extend its life and save you money - and give an ongoing profit centre to workshops."
For information as to how your workshop can profit from this growing market, contact the Absolute Alignment Technical Team on 01252 549340 or see www.absolutealignment.co.uk .