Richard’s Almanac: Classic car time warp
I stuck my head inside the dark blue MG MGA at Saturday’s Historical Society car show and I was transported back in time to 1963 when I got my first car — a 1959 racing green MGA.
The scent of an old British car is unmistakable. It’s a blend of smells consisting of leather, oil, “ petrol,” mildew and tobacco smoke. And it’s not just MGs. Jaguars, Triumphs, old Rovers and Morgans all smell the same.
I once met a state driving tester who said she could be blindfolded and still tell when she was getting into an old British car.
The scent is also pretty evident in American cars of the 50’s. There was an iridescent green 1953 Studebaker at the show that transported me back to the 1950’s and our family car, which was a Studebaker.
Old cars have a way of doing this as I said in my story last week about the show. They have the ability to trigger memories of simpler times in our lives. That’s why so many seniors are interested in old cars and love to go to car shows. That was evident here last Saturday.
And the cars from the 50’s and 60’s mean the most to seniors now.
These were the cars of youth for current septuagenarians and octogenarians. There were not too many people at the show who could get nostalgic about Fred Ogar’s 1914 Model T Depot Hack or Steve Koller’s L-29 Cord. But I suppose there are some who can remember riding in something like that as a child.
I enjoyed the obvious care that was taken to restore some of the vehicles. Some had paint jobs that were better than when the cars left the factory. There was a first generation Camaro that was like that.
Then there were those cars that are called “survivors.” Not restored. Just in original condition.
There were a few replicas at the show too. One was made to look like an Austin Healey, and three others were Cobra replicas. Cobras were put together by Carroll Shelby in the early 1960’s when he dumped a Ford V8 into an AC roadster. The cars were very fast and very popular. Many companies now reproduce facsimiles.
One of the Cobras at the show was a stunning polished aluminum example.
One reason why these shows are so popular with seniors is that many of them now have the extra cash to get the cars they always wanted in their youth. And if you want to learn more about the old car hobby, watch the Velocity channel.
I do and I love it.
