I’m done with vintage cars - not
Discussion
king for playing with my yo-yo whilst cycling, I was scared s
I am a bit late to the party but great to see some discussion here on Rene Lalique Mascots, one of my passions. It is easy to tell the difference between old and modern (or outright fakes) if you know what to look for. Lots of information here www.rlaliquemascots.com
On my one and (so far) only holiday in the south of France in the 1970s I was strolling along the Promenade des Anglais in Nice one evening and a large pre-war tourer drove past. I don't remember the make or model of the car, just that it was cream and had a Lalique mascot on the bonnet. The mascot was slowly changing colour and from memory was a Cinq Cheavaux; stunning to see, especially in that setting.
Delage D8 S at Hampton Court Concours of Elegance last year. This came over from the 'States. Coq Nain I think.
Regarding vintage cars , I have always loved cars from my era ( as most of us do) so '60s '70s '80s , the cars I craved growing up.
But more recently, and perhaps in response to the modern anodyne product available, I have changed. As an aside I have found it distressing to walk into a modern car showroom and feel nothing. Zip. Like "is it me or what?" Have I just become old and cynical? But no, I am being conned by junk.
But I am delighted to say it is not me. My interests now lie more in the vintage era where the cars seem to have an honesty and wholesomeness completely lacking in the modern car. And because of my business I see under the very thin quality veneer of the latest effort from the top manufacturers. I spend my time shaking my head. And as for design! It's just depressing.
Vintage cars have this lovely mechanicalness which gives them soul and a personality. I find it cringeworthy, but can understand why so many owners give their vintage cars names and seem to keep them through generations as they become part of the family, bonded to the collective family consciousness. They are endearing and charming, qualities so lacking in our modern life.
If you feel your enthusiasm for cars is becoming a bit jaded, try something from the '30s is my suggestion. Or get a Morgan 3 wheeler/super 3 which is like being in the '30s!
^^^^^^^^
What a great post, strange thing is the pre war car market is almost dead, apparently. Will the market recover as more people such as yourself realise the attraction in pre war cars.
Of course the top of market stuff is still sort after, but more about financial investment perhaps?
What a great post, strange thing is the pre war car market is almost dead, apparently. Will the market recover as more people such as yourself realise the attraction in pre war cars.
Of course the top of market stuff is still sort after, but more about financial investment perhaps?
Fairly epic thread recovery!
Since my last post we have joined the fold of vintage car owners, after a few calls and viewing a few local cars for sale an ex-wedding Heavy 12 Saloon and a Austin 20 tourer, the first day we where allow to following Covid I travelled down to Southampton and viewed a what shortly after become our Austin 12 Tourer which we will have owned two years in April.
Link to the advert for interest.
https://www.robinlawton.com/cars/1924-austin-heavy...
The car has been great fun so far, gave it a oil change and flushed out the sump, had to have the starter motor repaired and new batteries, but otherwise it has been very reliable.
We have taken it on a few longer runs, down do Hartlebury Castle (Worcestershire) for the VAR gathering, up to Windermere in the lakes to the SBA 50th gathering, over to a friends wedding (filmed for S4C) in Anglesea, and last year over to Stonehurst Farm in Leicestershire. As well shorter trips to local steam and vintage rallies, Cheshire Steam Fair, Astle Park, Acton Bridge (Liegh Arms) gathering as well as to friends houses and taking it to work a few times!
Since my last post we have joined the fold of vintage car owners, after a few calls and viewing a few local cars for sale an ex-wedding Heavy 12 Saloon and a Austin 20 tourer, the first day we where allow to following Covid I travelled down to Southampton and viewed a what shortly after become our Austin 12 Tourer which we will have owned two years in April.
Link to the advert for interest.
https://www.robinlawton.com/cars/1924-austin-heavy...
The car has been great fun so far, gave it a oil change and flushed out the sump, had to have the starter motor repaired and new batteries, but otherwise it has been very reliable.
We have taken it on a few longer runs, down do Hartlebury Castle (Worcestershire) for the VAR gathering, up to Windermere in the lakes to the SBA 50th gathering, over to a friends wedding (filmed for S4C) in Anglesea, and last year over to Stonehurst Farm in Leicestershire. As well shorter trips to local steam and vintage rallies, Cheshire Steam Fair, Astle Park, Acton Bridge (Liegh Arms) gathering as well as to friends houses and taking it to work a few times!
crankedup5 said:
^^^^^^^^
What a great post, strange thing is the pre war car market is almost dead, apparently. Will the market recover as more people such as yourself realise the attraction in pre war cars.
Of course the top of market stuff is still sort after, but more about financial investment perhaps?
It is a great post and one that very much reflects my own views. I am going through a gentle cull to build my 3 Litre Bentley fund. We already have an Austin 7 to practice on.What a great post, strange thing is the pre war car market is almost dead, apparently. Will the market recover as more people such as yourself realise the attraction in pre war cars.
Of course the top of market stuff is still sort after, but more about financial investment perhaps?
The prewar market isn’t dead at all - there’s a demographic shift underway but this pejorative view seems to have taken hold (I blame Bangers & Cash). Vintage sporting cars, proper veterans and Art Deco lovelies are in rude health and the market in the US is strong.
I’m hopeful that the move to EV and increasing strangulation on driving freedom and pleasures will lead to a renewal across the broader proper old car market. As others have said, they’re actually great fun and have a wonderful quality and mechanical character that is its own thing.
The 25 year rule is an important dynamic in the market but it is too crude as an overarching explanation. People love what they loved as youths but peoples tastes also change with age and fashion. This is true in art, architecture, furniture and fashion and even one’s tastes in food, wine and women!
Yeah, I'm 35 so younger the most into these sorts of things, but if anything it's worse for classic cars than vintage, steam boats are bad, and while there are Westfield owners my age most even if those are older!
Steam traction engines is the one area that appears to buck this trend, but there are also odd glimmers of other interests, a number of the younger traction engine lot have recently bought steam boats,etc. The internet, forums, Facebook, etc including threads like this do help raise awareness I think.
Main change for us recently is we now have an 11month old child, so while most of those trips where together (with dogs in tow and everything) the trip to Leicestershire was me on my own as the baby can't travel in the car without seatbelts. Sometimes my wife follows in another car.
But yeah, all good fun.
And as said, if you look at the likes of Robin Lawton and follow his FB and the number of cars he is shifting a month, certainly doesn't feel a dead market.
Steam traction engines is the one area that appears to buck this trend, but there are also odd glimmers of other interests, a number of the younger traction engine lot have recently bought steam boats,etc. The internet, forums, Facebook, etc including threads like this do help raise awareness I think.
Main change for us recently is we now have an 11month old child, so while most of those trips where together (with dogs in tow and everything) the trip to Leicestershire was me on my own as the baby can't travel in the car without seatbelts. Sometimes my wife follows in another car.
But yeah, all good fun.
And as said, if you look at the likes of Robin Lawton and follow his FB and the number of cars he is shifting a month, certainly doesn't feel a dead market.
dhutch said:
Yeah, I'm 35 so younger the most into these sorts of things, but if anything it's worse for classic cars than vintage, steam boats are bad, and while there are Westfield owners my age most even if those are older!
Steam traction engines is the one area that appears to buck this trend, but there are also odd glimmers of other interests, a number of the younger traction engine lot have recently bought steam boats,etc. The internet, forums, Facebook, etc including threads like this do help raise awareness I think.
Main change for us recently is we now have an 11month old child, so while most of those trips where together (with dogs in tow and everything) the trip to Leicestershire was me on my own as the baby can't travel in the car without seatbelts. Sometimes my wife follows in another car.
But yeah, all good fun.
And as said, if you look at the likes of Robin Lawton and follow his FB and the number of cars he is shifting a month, certainly doesn't feel a dead market.
Whilst I always found the steam traction engines fascinating, there used to be huge gathering at the Knowl Hill Steam Rally every year, I could not get into owning one. A steam launch however, on the Thames, would be great. Trouble is there's not enough hours in the day to enjoy too many toys so I should leave steam boats to others and do this sort of thing Steam traction engines is the one area that appears to buck this trend, but there are also odd glimmers of other interests, a number of the younger traction engine lot have recently bought steam boats,etc. The internet, forums, Facebook, etc including threads like this do help raise awareness I think.
Main change for us recently is we now have an 11month old child, so while most of those trips where together (with dogs in tow and everything) the trip to Leicestershire was me on my own as the baby can't travel in the car without seatbelts. Sometimes my wife follows in another car.
But yeah, all good fun.
And as said, if you look at the likes of Robin Lawton and follow his FB and the number of cars he is shifting a month, certainly doesn't feel a dead market.
dhutch said:
Fairly epic thread recovery!
Since my last post we have joined the fold of vintage car owners, after a few calls and viewing a few local cars for sale an ex-wedding Heavy 12 Saloon and a Austin 20 tourer, the first day we where allow to following Covid I travelled down to Southampton and viewed a what shortly after become our Austin 12 Tourer which we will have owned two years in April.
Link to the advert for interest.
https://www.robinlawton.com/cars/1924-austin-heavy...
The car has been great fun so far, gave it a oil change and flushed out the sump, had to have the starter motor repaired and new batteries, but otherwise it has been very reliable.
We have taken it on a few longer runs, down do Hartlebury Castle (Worcestershire) for the VAR gathering, up to Windermere in the lakes to the SBA 50th gathering, over to a friends wedding (filmed for S4C) in Anglesea, and last year over to Stonehurst Farm in Leicestershire. As well shorter trips to local steam and vintage rallies, Cheshire Steam Fair, Astle Park, Acton Bridge (Liegh Arms) gathering as well as to friends houses and taking it to work a few times!
That's awesome, and great that you've joined the fold of vintage car owners.Since my last post we have joined the fold of vintage car owners, after a few calls and viewing a few local cars for sale an ex-wedding Heavy 12 Saloon and a Austin 20 tourer, the first day we where allow to following Covid I travelled down to Southampton and viewed a what shortly after become our Austin 12 Tourer which we will have owned two years in April.
Link to the advert for interest.
https://www.robinlawton.com/cars/1924-austin-heavy...
The car has been great fun so far, gave it a oil change and flushed out the sump, had to have the starter motor repaired and new batteries, but otherwise it has been very reliable.
We have taken it on a few longer runs, down do Hartlebury Castle (Worcestershire) for the VAR gathering, up to Windermere in the lakes to the SBA 50th gathering, over to a friends wedding (filmed for S4C) in Anglesea, and last year over to Stonehurst Farm in Leicestershire. As well shorter trips to local steam and vintage rallies, Cheshire Steam Fair, Astle Park, Acton Bridge (Liegh Arms) gathering as well as to friends houses and taking it to work a few times!
I'm a 2nd generation vintage car enthusiast/owner - love of the cars from the '20s imparted (and inherited
) from my father. I grew up with the Gumdrop series of books, and wished we had a 'heavy 12/4' - something to share with your family?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Biro
RichB said:
hilst I always found the steam traction engines fascinating, there used to be huge gathering at the Knowl Hill Steam Rally every year, I could not get into owning one. A steam launch however, on the Thames, would be great. Trouble is there's not enough hours in the day to enjoy too many toys so I should leave steam boats to others and do this sort of thing
Especially if you go with something around max trailable length you have a very managed thing to enjoy. But it will take time as all things do! Are those your cars?
friederich said:
That's awesome, and great that you've joined the fold of vintage car owners.
I'm a 2nd generation vintage car enthusiast/owner - love of the cars from the '20s imparted (and inherited) from my father.
I grew up with the Gumdrop series of books, and wished we had a 'heavy 12/4' - something to share with your family?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Biro
Cheers very much, much fun!I'm a 2nd generation vintage car enthusiast/owner - love of the cars from the '20s imparted (and inherited
) from my father. I grew up with the Gumdrop series of books, and wished we had a 'heavy 12/4' - something to share with your family?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Val_Biro
My dad had a frogeye as a student, but somehow managed not to pass on his car hobbies directly as such, mainly due to mum being against it.
Very aware of the Val Biro books, also had them has a child. Have copies for our child, for when she's old enough to enjoy books which don't rhyme and have given copies to a friend with an older child. Also met the car at the centenary do.
Cheers
ettore said:
crankedup5 said:
^^^^^^^^
What a great post, strange thing is the pre war car market is almost dead, apparently. Will the market recover as more people such as yourself realise the attraction in pre war cars.
Of course the top of market stuff is still sort after, but more about financial investment perhaps?
It is a great post and one that very much reflects my own views. I am going through a gentle cull to build my 3 Litre Bentley fund. We already have an Austin 7 to practice on.What a great post, strange thing is the pre war car market is almost dead, apparently. Will the market recover as more people such as yourself realise the attraction in pre war cars.
Of course the top of market stuff is still sort after, but more about financial investment perhaps?
The prewar market isn’t dead at all - there’s a demographic shift underway but this pejorative view seems to have taken hold (I blame Bangers & Cash). Vintage sporting cars, proper veterans and Art Deco lovelies are in rude health and the market in the US is strong.
I’m hopeful that the move to EV and increasing strangulation on driving freedom and pleasures will lead to a renewal across the broader proper old car market. As others have said, they’re actually great fun and have a wonderful quality and mechanical character that is its own thing.
The 25 year rule is an important dynamic in the market but it is too crude as an overarching explanation. People love what they loved as youths but peoples tastes also change with age and fashion. This is true in art, architecture, furniture and fashion and even one’s tastes in food, wine and women!
Having said that I am currently in the market for an Austin 7, being a member of two ‘7’ club branches and no ‘7’ in my garage means Om missing out on a whole load of fun.
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