Feature | The Joys and Woes of Daily Classic Cars
Joy; driving down a gorgeous A road in your classic car on a crisp autumn morning as the rising sun filters through the trees on your way to work, feeling at one with the road with every gear change and swooping bend.
Woe; driving on the motorway in rain only to have your stupid distributor cap get covered in lorry spray resulting in you misfiring until you resign and limp off at the next junction to dry it out.
Joy; finding that parking space in a rammed car park that only a classic Mini can fit into because Karen decided she needed one and a half parking spaces to park her Nissan Juke.
Woe; getting stuck on the M25 in crawling traffic and beginning to sweat with anxiety as you watch your temperature gauge slowly creep up.
Those of us who drive classic cars daily, or at least most of the week, will already know the joys and woes I’ve mentioned and have many to add. I’ve had my ’85 Mini for 10 years this month and I’ve laughed with glee in it whilst driving it across single track Scottish roads, shouted at it as I’ve waited in the rain on the hard shoulder to be rescued, yet I still continue on this rollercoaster of emotions whenever I have the need to get from A to B. People only seem to ask, ‘Why don’t you think about getting a more modern car?’ when the woes are present. It’s not even a thought when they’re in the passenger seat to experience the joys.
When buying a classic car, there’s not point Googling, ‘The most reliable classic car,’ because I can assure you, the results won’t mean a thing. You need to buy a classic car that you’ll love, even when you’re putting your third order in at MiniSpares this month. But the great thing about them is with the help of YouTube, a Haynes Manual and a basic toolkit and parts, you really can get yourself out of most sticky breakdown situations without the need to wait for the AA. You have a freedom and independence you don’t get with a modern car, let alone an electric vehicle.
There’s an element of daily adventure when driving a classic. You’re not 100% sure it’s going to start, so when it does, you still feel like you’ve had a little win. They’re undeniably less safe than modern cars, but therefore you drive with a heightened sense of the road, the scenery, resulting in a more intense but beautiful drive. You get to know your car personally, it’s own characteristics. You feel the road vibrations. The rattles. You’re not simply cooped up in a quiet little bubble listening to Radio 4. You experience more, and that feeling is addictive. Now, imagine being able to get that hit every day. This is why we drive classic cars daily.
words by Amy Shore
photographs by Amy Shore
special thanks to ‘the past’
