New car interiors need to ‘stand the test of time’, says television’s George Clarke

Using recyclable materials in new car interiors could allow them to be ‘reinvented many, many times’, according to architect and TV presenter George Clarke.

Clarke, who has fronted a number of television programmes such as George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces and Old House, New Home, says that if “you build a car that’s just one big piece of plastic, it’s only ever going to be one big piece of plastic”.

He also told of the number of cars now that made him feel as if he needed a PhD in computer engineering just to get them started, saying: “It’s all getting very minimal and slick.”

Clarke added: “I love modern design and I love contemporary design, but sometimes I think designers can get gimmicky just for the sake of it. One of the problems is that tech becomes outdated quickly. But I think whatever you do needs to stand the test of time, because I think we need to be ecological.

“So you design [a car] to last a long, long time because that’s good for the environment. If individual components are beautifully designed and crafted, then they can be reused and repurposed rather than being thrown away.”

Clarke, who recently got behind the wheel of a specially converted 1975 MK1 Ford Transit for eBay’s Goodwood Festival of Speed debut, also touched upon the growing popularity of camper conversions as a way of exploring the world – something that his latest series of Amazing Spaces has looked at.

“It’s always been popular, but I think it’s just exploded in the last 10 years. So, you know, [they’re good for] someone who wants affordable holidays where they don’t have to worry about paying expensive rent for holiday lets, while some people – car or van fanatics – want to do a project.

“Really, it’s just a process, but you’re also jumping into the unknown – but I think that’s the joy of restoring converted vehicles.”