You Can Drive a Classic Car
June 3rd, 2009
When someone buys a classic car – or has owned one since it was new – there can be a certain amount of reluctance to ever let its tyres meet the road. In much the same way as people will by Stradivarius violins and never play them, or buy rare vinyl records and never put them within a few inches of a turntable, there is a sense that buying a classic car is about purchasing art for art’s sake, rather than buying an item for the purposes for which it was originally made. Many people do not understand this, and there is every reason for their skepticism – it’s a car, you know. It won’t explode if you choose to drive it.
Yes, classic cars are great to look at. That is part of what lifts them above good cars. But there is an engine under the hood of the car all the same. If you just want a work of art, buy an old chassis and buff that up. A classic car can still be driven, and should be. You may well choose to enter it in a concours at some point, but as long as you are scrupulous in keeping it in good shape, it does not rule out actually driving the thing. Give it a go! Listen to the engine! That is design! All the rest is details. If you are going to buy a classic car, get all the enjoyment from it that the creators intended. Not to do so would be a waste.
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