Nearly 70% of Classic Car Owners Respond That Heavy Taxation, Such as Automobile Tax, Could Be a Reason to Let Go of Their Classic Cars! Kings Road Co., Ltd. Conducts a Survey on the Impact of Aged Vehicle Heavy Taxation on Continued Classic Car Ownership!

Kings Road Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture; Representative: Kazuyoshi Goto), which operates the Rover Mini specialty store "Kings Road Nagoya," conducted a survey targeting classic car owners (males and females in their 20s-60s) on "The Impact of Aged Vehicle Heavy Taxation on Continued Classic Car Ownership." This survey revealed the burden classic car owners feel regarding aged vehicle heavy taxation, the impact of tax burdens on continued ownership, and the social support sought to maintain classic cars as cultural assets. With strengthening environmental regulations towards a decarbonized society and the arrival of spring when automobile tax notifications are received, there is growing interest in the nature of heavy taxation on aged vehicles. In particular, classic car owners are believed to be facing difficult decisions: whether to part with their beloved cars due to increasing maintenance costs, exacerbated by rising prices, or to continue maintaining them by changing their use from driving to preservation/display. However, while dissatisfaction with the old car tax system is scattered, there is a lack of actual data that delves into behavioral changes. Therefore, Kings Road Co., Ltd. conducted a survey targeting classic car owners on "The Impact of Aged Vehicle Heavy Taxation on Continued Classic Car Ownership." ・Among classic car maintenance costs, "automobile tax" is the most burdensome expense. ・Over 85% of classic car owners feel burdened by aged vehicle heavy taxation, such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax. ・Nearly 70% of classic car owners feel that aged vehicle heavy taxation, such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax, could be a reason to let go of their classic cars in the future. ・Nearly 70% of classic car owners have considered or actually let go of their classic cars due to increased tax burden from automobile tax and automobile weight tax. ・Nearly 60% of classic car owners are considering changing the use of their classic cars from driving to preservation/display, depending on the content of tax systems such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax. ・The main social support felt necessary to maintain classic cars as cultural assets long-term includes "preferential measures for automobile tax and automobile weight tax" and "a dedicated reduction/exemption system for classic cars." Survey Period: March 27, 2026 - March 28, 2026 Survey Method: Internet survey Survey Target: Classic car owners (males and females in their 20s-60s) Number of Respondents: 269 Monitor Provider: RC Research Data *Response ratios are rounded to the nearest hundredth, so the total response ratio may not be 100.0%. Among classic car maintenance costs, "automobile tax" is the most burdensome expense. First, in response to the question "What is the most burdensome expense among classic car maintenance costs?", the results were: 1st place "automobile tax" at 20.8%, 2nd place "repair costs for breakdowns" at 15.2%, and 3rd place "periodic inspection and maintenance costs" at 14.5%. From these results, it was found that "automobile tax" is the most burdensome expense among classic car maintenance costs. Over 85% of classic car owners feel burdened by aged vehicle heavy taxation, such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax. Next, in response to the question "To what extent do you feel burdened by aged vehicle heavy taxation, such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax?", the results were: 1st place "feel very burdened" at 44.6%, 2nd place "feel somewhat burdened" at 40.9%, and 3rd place "do not feel much burdened" at 7.4%. The sum of the ratios for 1st and 2nd place is 85.5%, indicating that over 85% of classic car owners feel burdened, to varying degrees, by aged vehicle heavy taxation, such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax. Nearly 70% of classic car owners feel that aged vehicle heavy taxation, such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax, could be a reason to let go of their classic cars in the future. Subsequently, in response to the question "Do you feel that aged vehicle heavy taxation, such as automobile tax and automobile weight tax, could be a reason to let go of your classic cars in the future?", the results were: 1st place "feel somewhat so" at 38.3%, 2nd place "feel very much so" at 29.0%, and 3rd place "do not feel much so" at 21.6%. The sum of the ratios for 1st and 2nd place is 67.3%, indicating that nearly 70% of classic car owners...