Unfortunately, too many old sports cars are still getting junked=2E It's ni=
ce=20
to hear that someone is taking care of a Spitfire because this is just the=20
type of "cheap" British car that people are throwing away=2E A Spitfire (ev=
en=20
an early one) isn't worth more than maybe $2K, so few people bother=20
restoring them=2E On the other hand, early MGBs are also in danger of=20
disappearing because so many are being shipped out of the country=2E Here i=
n=20
Los Angeles, where there ought to be lots around, I don't often see Mark I'=
s=20
come up for sale anymore=2E
----------
From: keithw@sand=2Enet
To: mgs@autox=2Eteam=2Enet; Karim Marouf
Subject: The future of Brit cars
Date: Tuesday, July 01, 1997 8:58AM
While nostalgia and old cars go hand in hand, I
hold the quite biased opinion that there's
"something more" when it comes to old British
sports cars=2E
It wasn't that long ago that I got to hold my hand
up and say "see, I'm young and I like 'em", but my
"kid" status is fading as creep towards 30=2E=2E=2EI knew
I had lost that status the day I was working on the
'B and had a "kid" ask me "sir?" (I was looking all
around=2E=2E=2E"where? where?") "what kind of car is that?"
Sunday found me standing in the middle of a parking
lot, for hours in the sun, reporting numbers over
the radio=2E A co-worker told me about his spitfire,
a car his grandfather bought new, a car his father
restored=2E=2E=2Ehe said he figured one day his son would
have that car=2E I commented on how you don't see
too many old cars passed down as family treasures,
other than old brit cars=2E It was a good day, my
times decreased each run (though the 'B needs some
lower springs!), and the father/son team with the
Spit once again posted times up there with the
Super Stock guys=2E Nothing like beating a $40k
car with an LBC! I however _need_ some autocross
tyres, but oh well=2E=2E=2E :)
There are plenty of younger people interested in
LBC's=2E My younger cousins love my cars=2E I remember
talking to kid of 16 who was incredibly excited
about reaching "manhood": his uncle took him out
in a lil brit roadster and taught him how to drive
a manual 'box=2E How many of us remember that? Would
it have been the same for us (or for this kid) if
it had been in a DeSoto?
I belive there is a difference between fashion
and fad=2E My young finacee went to the car museum
here in San Diego with me a couple of weeks ago=2E
She thought the '50's and '60's American cars,
while "interesting" looked old, dated, and overly
"styled"=2E=2E=2Ehard to say that about an XKE or an
Elan, or Spit, or Healy 3000=2E=2E=2E these "barchettas"
are something beyond just cars, and if the old
blokes will be just a little more understanding
and helpful to the young ones, these cars will
outlive us all=2E
"sing blue silver"
-Keith
|