WHY CLASSIC CARS ARE IMPORTANT

As I have recently acquired a sixty-one-year-old Wolseley – you can read about it in a blog later this month – it is a timely opportunity to pay tribute to the people who are essential to the world of classic cars. As many readers already know, putting together an event can be a ‘challenge’. To see a small display a village fete is to enjoy the result of hours, days and weeks of organisation; the ‘phone calls, the emails, the compiling of lists; all voluntarily. Now imagine such an undertaking on a far larger scale to arrange a stand for The Lancaster Classic Car Show.

Furthermore, each of the exhibits at the NEC will have its own story. Some are once familiar, and now incredibly rare machines have undergone a painstaking refurbishment that took literally years. Some are exotic machines that the owner once dreamt of acquiring when they were ten years old and have finally realised that goal. And some of the cars on show will be virtually unique, from a Wolseley Hornet with Crayford Convertible bodywork to a ‘Limited Edition’ model that was last glimpsed circa 1989.

With every vehicle is the story of their custodian. At an event, you might encounter those who wish to preserve the sort of modern classics that became endangered during various scrappage schemes. After all, when did you last see a Ford Mondeo Mk. I, or a Rover 600 on the road? Then, there are those enthusiasts who actually worked in the factory that built their Morris Minor 1000, or who drove a 1970 Nissan Cedric back from Finland. Plus, the many family narratives; one that resonates in this writer’s mind is the Ford Cortina Mk. II Estate that led the funeral cortege for the owner’s father.

Of course, nostalgia is a crucial element in classic cars; vehicles that were once as commonly seen as Little Chefs on major roads to the automotive stars of film and television. One Practical Classics shoot in Acton is especially memorable, as a passerby was virtually in tears on seeing the actual Minder Ford Capri. Incidentally, I emphatically deny having the same reaction to seeing Genevieve at the start of the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

Finally, classic cars are a pastime that is inclusive in the very best sense of the word, ranging from aficionados who are too young to drive to motorists with decades of experience. It is a hobby for everything, regardless of age, background or state of health. With regard to the last-named, this writer is wary of the term ‘trailer queen’. For one, it is an awful pseudo-American phrase, and for another, there is a myriad of reasons why a vehicle might not be driven to an event. Its owner may well have a disability, visible or otherwise.

These are just some of the reasons why classic cars are important, with reasons for their purchase as diverse as their owners. Including having seen a black Wolseley in the chase scene from The Fast Lady decades earlier...