Over 60% of Car Owners in Their 20s and 30s Want to Buy a Retro-Design Car
Key facts
- Over 60% of Car Owners in Their 20s and 30s Want to Buy a Retro-Design Car
- A survey by King's Road Co., Ltd. reveals that over 60% of car owners in their 20s and 30s are positive about purchasing retro-designed vehicles. The study highlights dissatisfaction with the homogenization of new car designs and a stronger appeal of retro cars among younger generations.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: June 4, 2026
Direct answer
A survey by King's Road Co., Ltd. reveals that over 60% of car owners in their 20s and 30s are positive about purchasing retro-designed vehicles. The study highlights dissatisfaction with the homogenization of new car designs and a stronger appeal of retro cars among younger generations.
- Citation
- Over 60% of Car Owners in Their 20s and 30s Want to Buy a Retro-Design Car (June 4, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- June 4, 2026
A survey by King's Road Co., Ltd. reveals that over 60% of car owners in their 20s and 30s are positive about purchasing retro-designed vehicles. The study highlights dissatisfaction with the homogenization of new car designs and a stronger appeal of retro cars among younger generations.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: June 4, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: June 3, 2026 at 15:21
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: June 6, 2026 at 23:28 (80h 7m after Collected)
King's Road Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Komaki City, Aichi Prefecture; Representative: Kazuyoshi Goto), which operates the Rover Mini specialty store "King's Road Nagoya," conducted a survey on "Awareness of Retro-Design Cars" targeting men and women in their 20s to 60s who own a car. This survey revealed the impressions of recent new car designs, the appeal of retro-designed cars, and future purchase intentions among these car owners.
In the modern automotive market, the design of new cars tends to become homogenized due to the globalization of consumer preferences and the pursuit of safety and efficiency. On the other hand, there is a movement towards the re-evaluation of retro-designed cars. Behind this lies a difference in values between generations. While it is an object of "nostalgia" for the middle-aged and elderly, it is thought to be accepted as "freshness" and "expression of individuality" for those in their 20s, who are often said to be "moving away from cars." However, there is a lack of information to objectively grasp the actual state of acceptance of "retro cars" today, how different generations perceive their appeal, and differences in purchase intentions. Therefore, King's Road Co., Ltd. conducted this survey.
- Approximately 40% of car owners in their 20s to 60s feel that "all cars look similar" in terms of recent new car designs.
- Over 55% of car owners in their 20s to 60s find retro-designed cars sold by various automakers in recent years appealing, with this tendency being stronger among younger generations.
- The most appealing point of retro-designed cars is "aesthetic beauty not found in modern cars."
- More than half of car owners in their 20s to 60s are positive about purchasing a retro-designed car, with this tendency being stronger among younger people (in their 20s and 30s).
Survey Period: May 13, 2026 – May 14, 2026
Survey Method: Internet survey
Survey Target: Men and women in their 20s to 60s who own a car
Number of Respondents: 550
Monitor Provider: RC Research Data
*Percentages are rounded to the second decimal place, so totals may not equal 100.0%.
Approximately 40% of car owners in their 20s to 60s feel that "all cars look similar" in terms of recent new car designs.
First, in response to the question "How do you feel about recent new car designs?", the top answer was "All cars look similar" at 39.5%, followed by "Each car has a distinct individuality" at 34.9%, and "I don't feel anything in particular" at 25.6%. This shows that about 40% of car owners feel recent new car designs are becoming similar. By age group, 26.6% of those in their 20s gave this answer, compared to 50.9% of those in their 50s, revealing an approximately two-fold difference between these age groups.
Over 55% of car owners in their 20s to 60s find retro-designed cars appealing, with this tendency being stronger among younger generations.
Next, in response to the question "To what extent do you find retro-designed cars sold by various automakers in recent years appealing?", the top answer was "Somewhat appealing" at 40.2%, followed by "Not very appealing" at 30.4%, and "Very appealing" at 16.6%. Combining the top and third answers gives a total of 56.8%, indicating that over 55% of car owners find these cars appealing to some extent. By age group, the combined percentage was 63.3% for those in their 20s, 63.0% for those in their 30s, 60.0% for those in their 40s, 49.1% for those in their 50s, and 48.7% for those in their 60s. This reveals a stronger tendency to find retro cars appealing among younger age groups.
The most appealing point of retro-designed cars is "aesthetic beauty not found in modern cars."
Next, targeting those who said they find retro cars appealing, the question "What aspect of retro-designed cars do you find most appealing?" was asked. The top answer was "Aesthetic beauty not found in modern cars" at 34.0%, followed by "A nostalgic atmosphere" at 22.4%, and "Ability to express one's individuality" at 20.2%. This shows that the most appealing point is the unique aesthetic beauty. By age group, "Aesthetic beauty not found in modern cars" was the most common answer for those in their 20s to 50s (20s: 26.1%, 30s: 41.2%, 40s: 25.8%, 50s: 47.3%), while for those in their 60s, "A nostalgic atmosphere" was the most common at 35.2%.
More than half of car owners in their 20s to 60s are positive about purchasing a retro-designed car, with this tendency being stronger among younger people.
Finally, in response to the question "Would you like to purchase a retro-designed car in the future?", the top answer was "I do not want to purchase one" at 46.4%, followed by "I would like to purchase one if I have the chance" at 41.3%, and "I definitely want to purchase one" at 12.4%. While "I do not want to purchase one" was the most common single answer, combining the second and third answers gives a total of 53.6%, indicating that more than half of car owners are positive about purchasing a retro car. By age group, the combined percentage was 62.4% for those in their 20s, 65.7% for those in their 30s, 54.5% for those in their 40s, 46.4% for those in their 50s, and 39.6% for those in their 60s. This reveals that younger people, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, are more inclined to purchase retro-designed cars.
This survey revealed that approximately 40% of car owners in their 20s to 60s feel that recent new car designs are becoming similar. It also showed that over 55% of these car owners find retro-designed cars appealing, with this tendency being stronger among younger generations. Furthermore, it was found that the most appealing point of these retro cars is their "aesthetic beauty not found in modern cars."
FAQ
What was the purpose of this survey?
To understand consumer acceptance and purchase intentions for retro-designed cars.
What was the main finding of the survey?
Younger generations find retro cars more appealing and are more positive about purchasing them.
What is the business of the company that conducted this survey?
It is an automotive sales and maintenance company that operates the Rover Mini specialty store 'King's Road Nagoya'.