Kurt Oblinger wrote:
> The drivers vs. concours discussion seems to be a never ending story.
I can
> relate to both sides, however I have some aversion to trailer queens.
Amen Kurt. I dont fancy these kinds of concourse, prefering to
drive, rather than show.
However, I do respect the folk that restore the cars to this level; it
requires as much hard work, patience, money and "desire to win" as winning
C-prod SCCA. Its just another avenue for this car hobby of ours, and we should
allow them to enjoy it. Remember too that it is photos of these concourse
cars in the mags and glossy coffee-table books that younger generations will
see, and say "I want a car like that"; grainy black and white film of the
Le Mans Spitfires dont cut it with the MTV generation, but kids will ogle
bug-eyed over a TR3 trailer queen in some 8"x11" arty-photograph.
In a sense, we may even "owe" the concourse people for preserving
memories across the greater population. We drivers will touch only a few
folk when we give a real "wind-in-yer-hair" drive to a neighbours
teenager. Of course the effect of such a drive will be more permanent
and ingrained than some visual-cue only.
Of course, we Triumph (and other LBC) owners are lucky. We get to see
and hear our cars on the road all the time. Think of the less
fortunate owners of V16 Caddies, Bentlys, V12 Ferraris, older Jags, ...oh
the list goes on. These folk NEVER get to wave to a fellow classic
driver. What a bore.
Shane Ingate in San Diego
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