To answer this question and get involved visit our dedicated
Why do all new cars smell the same? It is very distinctive and seems unchanged over decades and brands, but does it come from paint, plastic or something else? And if so, why is it the same across all cars? Or have the manufacturers bottled a fragrance which they secretly spray to seduce new car buyers?
鈥� The smell stems from small molecules called , added to the plastics that make up a large proportion of a car鈥檚 interior. Plasticisers spread throughout the plastic to which they are added, sitting in between the polymer chains so that they can slip more easily over each other. This makes the plastic more flexible and less brittle. However, it is relatively easy for the plasticisers to escape into the air, and in an enclosed environment they can build up to the point that we can easily smell them.
Advertisement
No discussion of the smell is complete without a mention of the writer , who is famously fond of describing it in his work. Here鈥檚 an example from his novel Count Zero: 鈥淎nd then he was in the cockpit, breathing the new-car smell of long-chain monomers, the familiar scent of newly minted technology鈥︹��
The smell has a sinister side, however. Exposure to some common plasticisers such as DEHP has been linked to .
Chris Harris, Charfield, Gloucestershire, UK
鈥� New cars tend to smell the same because they all have roughly the same blend of plasticisers, flame retardants, lubricants and other substances evaporating off interior components and outgassing from dashboard trim, seating foam, upholstery and suchlike. Most of these substances have been in use, little changed, over several decades, and vary little from one make of car to another, although a more expensive car with leather trim and upholstery is likely to smell a little less of plasticisers and a little more of leather-tanning oils.
The 鈥渘ew car smell鈥� has actually been synthesised and is available in aerosol cans. It used to be something of a trade secret among car dealers, who would routinely spray the interiors of used cars to make them smell like new. These days, the spray is advertised for sale in car magazines, and can even be bought over the counter at auto parts stores.
鈥淭he 鈥榥ew car smell鈥� has actually been synthesised and is readily available in aerosol cans鈥�
Why people would want to spray their cars is mystifying to me. Surely you can鈥檛 fool yourself into thinking that your car is newer than it really is.
Phil Stracchino, Gilford, New Hampshire, US