Unlike the disposable mentality of the 21st-century family, a new car in the driveway of the 20th-century family was often rarer than welcoming a new sibling and was treated as a member of the family.

From the 1950s onwards, the car was central to almost everything a family did.

Without the trusty family car everything from Friday night drive-in movies to family holidays couldn't happen, and shopping for new four-wheeled transport was very much a family affair.

Days spent driving from car yard to car yard, marvelling at the shiny chrome and deep enamel paint was heaven to any young car nut.

Arriving home in the new chariot all but guaranteed a rock-star welcome from other families in the street.

The past two decades have seen a dramatic change in our motor vehicle buying habits, and whether these changes are good or not will be determined by which side of the sentimental dial your needle wavers on.

A recent study by Kantar/TNS revealed a major shift away from traditional motor vehicle purchasing practices, and it appears the Parramatta Road car yard crawl is a 20th-century relic.

The tradition Ford or Holden family no longer exists. More than 65 brands accounted for the million-plus new car sales in Australia last year, and 65 per cent of new car buyers purchased a brand different from their previous vehicle.

The way we shop for a new car has also changed dramatically. Up until a decade ago, Aussies visited an average of five car dealerships before settling on a new car. Today, they visit just two.

The ever-expanding world of e-commerce is driving these changes. Consumers are now making major purchase decisions based on a few mouse clicks and the opinion of online reviewers.

According to the Kantar/TNS study, almost half of all car buyers decide to buy a vehicle after just one test drive.

"The vast majority of Aussies we surveyed (89 per cent) did their research online," a Kantar/TNS spokesperson said. "Digital research is even more prevalent among first-time new car buyers, 95 per cent of whom did research online at some point."

The report revealed new car-related searches have grown by 26 per cent year on year, and it appears that by the time Aussies visit a dealership, they have already made up their mind on the purchase.

Interestingly, almost all car purchases still happen at a dealership, but advancements in technology may see the car salesman go the way of the service-station driveway attendant, and to the next generation of car-obsessed youngsters, that would be a shame.