Too Posh to Wash: Dirty Cars are More Likely to be Driven by the Filthy Rich

Only one in 17 car owners from professional and managerial backgrounds wash their vehicle once a week, reveals the survey. That compares with one in 12 among lower-income motorists, which includes manual and part-time workers.

Overall, a grubby 3 per cent of the 18,080 AA members surveyed admitted to washing their cars just once a year or not at all. Among women drivers, this figure doubled to 6 per cent.

The survey showed that drivers in Scotland and North-East England have the cleanest cars, with 11 per cent of owners washing them every week.

This compares to just 4 per cent in London and South-West England.

But the clean-car gap widens even more among those who clean their car twice a week.

Some 1 in 6 of lower-income owners wash their vehicle fortnightly, but only around 1 in 8 (11.5% ) of wealthier owners do so.

The AA report notes: ’Professionals and managers prefer more to wash their cars every couple of months.’

Some 35.5 per cent of professionals and 29.5 per cent of managers say this is the regular wash cycle for their cars.

Nearly half of all drivers wash their cars every couple of months or every six months.

And across the age bands, young drivers are put to shame by older motorists. Only half as many younger drivers washed their car once a fortnight or weekly (22 per cent) compared with those aged over 55 (44 per cent).

AA president Edmund King said: ’Many drivers do take pride in their cars and their Sunday morning car wash has become a ritual.

But our study suggests that you don’t need a Rolls Royce to show pride in your car.

‘The Victorian concept of the ‘great unwashed’ perhaps needs to be reversed as richer drivers have dirtier motors.’

He added: ‘Keeping your car clean, particularly windows, lights and number-plates, can keep you on the right side of the law.

'Regular cleaning can help preserve the value of the car by getting rid of salt and other corrosive substances.

'Hopefully the 3 per cent of drivers or 6 per cent of women who never or rarely wash their cars, do at least keep their cars legal by cleaning windscreen, lights and number-plates. ‘