I hope I am not opening a can of worms here, but can anyone please tell me what the attraction is in classic cars?
My son is a 6ft 3" rugby player and delights in squeezing his large frame into an old Triumph Herald. It constantly breaks down and yet he never looses enthusiasm for this beast - even the RAC have now put his phone number on block! I can see that it is 'only' £600 insurance and no tax so that is a major plus as he is only 19. BUT why does he seem to relish the discomfort, the inability to corner without great care, the petrol fume filled interior, having to manually lock the doors and the constant changing of hoses, engine parts and all those breakdowns???
Then there is his father, my ex-husband, who proudly removes the cover from his Herald to puff his chest out, stand back and glow with pride - in the same way as when he first held our son! Perish the thought of driving it anywhere - it may get soiled and 'they don't make toothbrushes small enough to clean it properly'.
Yeh, sure I remember the joy in driving round in my old Frog Eyed Sprite, the Anglia that made me bite my knees if I braked too hard (yes, they really did called them brakes then) and trying to tip the bubble car going round the locally famous Deadmans bends. The joys of my old Triton onto which I dared to attach a double adult Busmar.... But that was over thirty years ago! I look back in a haze but am jolted back when I think of the wind howling through the windows, my freezing cold knees and hands, the obligatory oil can in the boot, the doors that flung open at will and the bumpy, bumpy ride. I'd sure buy the man a drink who invented suspensions (and proper brakes come to think of it!).
Now I can be warm, comfortable and fuel efficient - why revert to the old days? Where is the pleasure in that? Rent one for the day by all means just for nostalgias sake, but let someone else get all the grief! If I wanted to give something 24/7 attention, I'd have a baby. Mind you, even they can get worse and present more problems with age.
So common folks, what's it all about?
Dribbler