Where once buying a car meant travelling to a dealership and speaking directly with forecourt dwellers, this is changing. It is estimated that at least 2,800 dealerships could disappear in the US alone by 2020. So in 2014, how exactly are people going about purchasing a new set of wheels?

The desire to own and drive your own car used to be a life-defining characteristic for young Brits – but its importance is fading. And it’s the same case in other countries too, from the US and Germany to Japan and Australia. But why? And how is the car industry responding?

As Millennials increasingly perceive ownership as a burden, car-sharing companies like DriveNow are changing the game. From Dusseldorf to Munich, they’re catering to an ever-growing percentage of young Germans for whom owning a car is no longer a viable or ‘cool’ thing to do.

The US car insurance industry is worth around $199 billion - but car use is declining, and one third of people sought a new insurer in 2013. Adapting to changing usage patterns and customer demands, Metromile makes insurance more customer-friendly with a pay-by-the-mile scheme.