I have a certain horror of museums. Of course, the exhibits are pleasant to look at, and any museum worthy of the name will act as a centre of learning for the historian — and speaking as something of a historian myself, I am grateful for that. But I look at things like the Elgin Marbles, and of the Egyptian statues and Sumerian Cuneiform tablets in the centre of London, and I think that surely, they would be better back where they were meant to be. Obviously, were they there then it is possible I would never get to see them and perhaps, I would be ignorant of their existence and their story, but I feel that where they originated they had a certain vibrance which they lack in the somewhat dead air of the museum. Which is why I have always maintained that the best way to get the most enjoyment out of your classic car is… to drive it! Why did you buy it — always assuming it wasn’t given to you by a most generous/most sadistic benefactor, of course? Of course, people buy classics for all manner of different reasons: to some, they get a rosy glow of smug self-satisfaction when they show their friends/enemies/neighbour’s dog around their latest acquisition, and I daresay that a Lamborghini Miura, when it’s not doing its „waltzing fireball” party-piece, attracts enough of the right kind of attention to make its anti-social traits sufferable. There are, too, any number of cars that, while they tend to pirouette with more reckless abandon than Gordon Brown, are nevertheless very important pieces of tin history. From the Czech Tatra to the German Porsche — whose family lineaments are quite clear, if not widely acknowleged — any historically-inclined petrol-head will recognise their importance. Of course, if you have a Bugatti Royale — of which about 15 were made and whose market price would be counted in as many millions — you may be somewhat reluctant to mingle with the suicidal maniacs on Oxford Street, but then what end does putting it in a bank vault, surrounding it with armed guards and stuffing the crate which is its immediate environs with cotton wool? Yes, you have it, yes you can brag about it and, yes, it can be a most charming investment. But it is a work of art — and works of art deserve to be seen. Otherwise, you may as well be putting your money in pork futures. But neither will a museum do. Of course, it is lovely to see row upon serried row of pristine machinery — but again, what pleasure is there in the permanent exhibit which Category:Home › Autos • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 2 • You should never use after-market auto parts when maintaining or fixing your car • Should a new car be rust-proofed? • Will the trend toward economy-size car models lead Americans back to buying smaller-sized cars? — part 1 • Five safest cars in North America • How to ensure your teen drives safely after getting a license • Pros and cons of using an hydrogen generator for your car • DIY automotive maintenance: How to change the oil
Dodaj komentarz