What is a banger?

[garethj]

This shouldn't be as complicated as when Classic & Sportscar ask "What is a classic?" The scrappage scheme and that feature in your soaraway Sun has brought the term "banger" back into use. But what is one, and do they really exist anymore?Does it come from the fact that a car makes banging noises, like backfiring? If so, when was the last time you actually heard cars run like this, driving down the road? Must be 20 years ago at least?You'll see the occasional Transit van belching blue smoke out as it struggles up the hill at 20mph but even they're few and far between nowadays.As mentioned in the thread about the Sun's article on the Maestro banger, it's just a bit rude referring to a car as a banger just because it's old. The 1987 Polo I picked up on Monday for £200 runs smoothly, provides adequate transport and yet it's twice as old as what most people would call a banger!

[VWPowered]

heres a mashed up banger

 

[Pillock]

Historically I guess, a banger was a car backfiring - when tuning was an artform, getting mixtures right was kinda important so a badly maintained car would backfire.Nowadays even a £200 shitter has ECUs and sensors and gubbins like that controlling mixtures so it's not as common. The last car I had backfire was my old beetle, which was down to the amount of exhaust that was no longer present. Lift-off backfire every time, accompanied by a flame. Was great when I got the ZoomTube - a sideways facing exhaust, directing the flame at the pavement.

[FredTransit]

it's a bit relative, what some people will call a banger others (like us) will call desirable! Also, I don't think many cars new today will reach banger status, or they will be called banger at a far newer stage in their lives, cos all the expensive microchips won't last as long as the plastic on the bodywork and once you have one £600 estimate for repairs no matter how tidy it looks it's out the door!

[VWPowered]

it's a bit relative, what some people will call a banger others (like us) will call desirable!

yep totally agree with that well said fred