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Back to the 1990s: how ostentatious car modification is making a comeback

Back to the 90s: how ostentatious car modification is making a comeback - Alamy
Back to the 90s: how ostentatious car modification is making a comeback - Alamy

The Covid pandemic is responsible for many things, not many of them good. But one positive seems to be an increase in the popularity of modifying cars. Whether it’s companies supplying parts to tweak them mechanically and style-wise, insurance to cover those that have been expensively modified, or events to celebrate the scene around them, all are booming.

First, let’s correct a popular misconception. People who modify cars aren’t simply boy racers of the 1990s stereotype, keen to impress their mates by performing tricks and stunts in the car park on the nearest edge of town. Increasingly, it’s more mature drivers who are keen for their cars to perform better or stand out from the crowd – and preferably both.

Magenta custom car driving past arches restaurants along Western Esplanade, Southend on Sea, Essex, UK. - Alamy
Magenta custom car driving past arches restaurants along Western Esplanade, Southend on Sea, Essex, UK. - Alamy

What’s Covid got to do with it?

“We’ve seen a 20 per cent increase in modified car business since Covid,” Gary Moulson from specialist insurer Keith Michaels told us. “People had extra income and they couldn’t go anywhere on holiday, so they were spending their money on modifying their cars instead.”

Ed Fisher, the managing director of tuning company, Bluespark Automotive, added: “Around Covid we saw more interest in our products. I think it was one of the few joys people had during that period.”

Who is driving this trend?

Cast your mind back to the 1990s and the seminal magazines devoted to modifying cars, called Max Power (1993-2011) and Revs. The people who read those magazines during their teens and 20s are now in their 40s and 50s.

Moulson said: “A lot of it is these people reliving their youth. They maybe liked the cars when they were younger, couldn’t afford them but now have more disposable income.” Fisher added: “It’s people who’ve moved on and got decent, well-paid jobs now.”

Classic car wheels and shiny rims. Image shot 2007. Exact date unknown. - Alamy
Classic car wheels and shiny rims. Image shot 2007. Exact date unknown. - Alamy

Events are more popular than ever

“The bounce back from Covid was massive and the number of people going to modified car shows hasn’t slowed down since,” said Mark Starzynski from motoring events website Car Calendar.

The biggest modified car event in the UK is called Gravity. Held at Birmingham’s NEC every August, it attracted 25,000 visitors in 2022. For 2023 it will be held over two days rather than one. It’s a far cry from the first Gravity event in 2016, which attracted a crowd of 2,000.

90s car show - David Burges
90s car show - David Burges

Part of this popularity can be attributed to social media. SlammedUK, which runs the Gravity event, has 162,000 followers on Instagram and 58,400 followers on Facebook. Even the “Modified Cars for Sale or Swap” page on Facebook has 39,100 members.

What kind of cars are we talking about?

Back in the 1990s, we’d be talking about small, affordable hatchbacks such as Vauxhall Novas and Corsas, as well as the Citroen Saxo. But these days pretty much any car can be selected for the treatment. Even apparently workaday people carriers. Moulson said: “I was at a meet at Brands Hatch recently and there were 20 Ford S-Maxs, all lowered, with large alloy wheels and bodykits.”

Fisher, whose company supplies tuning boxes that you plug in under the bonnet to increase torque, power or fuel economy, said: “We even have people who want to get more power out of their Fiat Ducato motorhome.”

What are the modifications being done?

Modifiers broadly fall into two camps. There are owners who want to improve their car’s performance and those who want to make theirs stand out more. And, of course, there are drivers seeking both.

In terms of appearance, that might vary from lowering the suspension (known colloquially as ‘slamming’) to altering the camber of the wheels so that they appear to splay out, to modifying the exhaust, tinting the windows or even stretching tyres to make them look extremely low-profile – essentially, fitting tyres that are too narrow for the rims then stretching them to fit.

 green yellow modified USA Chevrolet GMC Camaro at the American Supercar event as cars and tourists arrive in the coastal resort - Alamy
green yellow modified USA Chevrolet GMC Camaro at the American Supercar event as cars and tourists arrive in the coastal resort - Alamy

What impact do modifications have on the value of cars?

The dichotomy is that you might spend thousands of pounds modifying your car but actually decrease its resale value. Research by sales site CarWow found that extreme camber on wheels reduced the used value by an average of £311. Lowering the suspension slashed the value by £286 and a modified exhaust by £239.

What about insurance?

The advice is always to inform your insurer if you modify your car in any way (and that includes fitting any non-standard wheels and tyres, even those from the car’s manufacturer). The insurer will then increase the premium accordingly. That’s why specialist insurers exist. According to Michaels, if you retrofit a turbocharger to your car, the average insurer will increase your premium by 132 per cent.

90s car show - David Burges
90s car show - David Burges

A styling bodykit will see premiums rise by 57 per cent and uprated brakes by 36 per cent, while spoilers or side skirts will result in an increase of 23 per cent.

Moulson explained: “The underwriters from mass-market insurers think that if someone modifies their car, they’re going to fall off the road at the first corner. On the contrary, with modified cars the claims ratios are great. People have spent a lot of money on their cars so they don’t want to scratch or damage them.”

What modifications are legal?

This depends entirely on the lengths you’re prepared to go to. Tinted windows are legal as long as they’re not too tinted on the front side glass and the windscreen.

If you’re considering altering your car’s lighting, the result must comply with the Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989. It is legal to add under-vehicle neon lights as long as they’re not blue, red or green.

Stretched tyres, meanwhile, are also legal, as long as they’re mounted correctly, have sufficient tread depth and aren’t damaged – no matter how absurd they look.

The super cars of the north west parade on the streets of Southport for the summer sportscar event held at Victoria Park, Southport, Merseyside. - Alamy
The super cars of the north west parade on the streets of Southport for the summer sportscar event held at Victoria Park, Southport, Merseyside. - Alamy

What’s the future?

As long as cars are being built, people will want to make their own stand out. Equally, people will want to improve their car’s performance. However, the advent of electric cars (EVs) could throw up challenges for tuners.

Fisher from Bluespark Automotive said: “Extracting more power from an EV can lead to thermal problems. And that extra heat puts a strain on other components. EVs have so much power but people still want more.

Jaguar S-Type V8 Auto 3996cc petrol saloon; UK Vehicular traffic, transport, modern, custom, Jaguar saloon cars, self adhesive sign vinyl flames, vehicle livery, wall art, vehicle wrap, fleet, commercial, vehicle wrapping on motors south-bound on the 3 lane M6 motorway highway. UK - Alamy
Jaguar S-Type V8 Auto 3996cc petrol saloon; UK Vehicular traffic, transport, modern, custom, Jaguar saloon cars, self adhesive sign vinyl flames, vehicle livery, wall art, vehicle wrap, fleet, commercial, vehicle wrapping on motors south-bound on the 3 lane M6 motorway highway. UK - Alamy

“At the moment, we’re doing a lot more sales of good quality tuning boxes [for internal combustion-engined cars] than before. It’s like people are falling in love with their car again.”

But the government recently consulted on car modifying, stressing: “We would like to emphasise that our policy intention is to prevent modifications that have a negative impact on road safety, vehicle security and the environment.”

How long our rekindled love affair with modified cars lasts is another question altogether.


Have you ever modified a car? Please join the discussion in the comments below.