Many young Germans are not interested in buying a new car, according to a survey which charts the ages of domestic buyers in one of the world's premier car-manufacturing nations.
In German cities, a growing number of young people are deciding against buying a car.
It has ceased to be a symbol of status or freedom, as it was four decades ago.
Many potential buyers opt to hire a vehicle from a car club, rather than endure the expense and hassle of owning a vehicle.
The data is worrying, because solid domestic car sales are the foundation for Germany's ability to export its cars worldwide, regardless of blips in the economies of other nations.
"Carmakers are running out of young customers," warned Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, Center for Automotive Research (CAR) at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
The average age of Germans buying a new car went up to a statistical 52.2 years in 2013 compared with 51.9 in 2012 and 51.3 in 2011, said the report.
"This is an age record," said Dudenhoeffer. The average age of buyers in 1995 stood at 46.1 years.
The figures also showed just 27.4 per cent of private individuals who bought a new car last year were aged under 45 - compared with 48.1 per cent in 1995.
