How lucky we are in Britain, Europe and North America. Here, where classic cars are now used a good deal more, the scene is stronger than ever

I’m just back from spending Christmas with my family in Cape Town and what struck me about the Cape – aside from the hot sun, cool ocean and flavoursome Chardonnay – is how the daily driving of classic cars had diminished since I left in the late ’80s. You just don’t see old Alfas, MGs and Beach Buggies buzzing about the seafront anymore. Replica automatic Cobras and decrepit Beetles are all that seem to remain.
 
This has struck me on travels around other parts of the world as well. In Argentina, where there is an enthusiastic classic car hardcore, most classics are seen only on the excellent 1000 Millas rally. Argentina, having hit tough financial times on a couple of occasions over the years, has seen many exotics exported to the US and Europe so numbers have dwindled, as has happened in South Africa. In Australia, exciting imported sports cars have always attracted huge taxes so the numbers are limited, and Australians are subjected to draconian traffic controls that make driving as much fun as having a barbie in the rain, the mad Targa Tasmania and tight Phillip Island Historic racing being the exceptions.

I drove to Cape Town’s Crankhandle Club meeting on Boxing Day in my friend Charles Arton’s rare Porsche 356 Convertible D. The range and quality of the vintage and classic cars at this 50-year-old Club’s gathering, from a superb Riley Imp to Jaguars, Porsche convertibles, Mercs, vintage Fords and Bentleys, was impressive. Pity it’s the only time you’ll see such cars there.

It made me realise how lucky we are in Britain, Europe and North America. Here, where classic cars are now used a good deal more, the scene is stronger than ever. The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance leads in this regard, adding the ‘must-do’ Pebble Beach Tour to its itinerary. The exciting Mille Miglia from Brescia to Rome and back is always oversubscribed and, of course, the Goodwood Revival meeting positively encourages enthusiasts to arrive in the right car – its Pre-’73 car park is an event in itself. And other events such as the Tour Britannia, LeJog, Peking to Paris, the Grand Tour and countless more encourage the serious and proper use of classic cars.

While driving back from the Crankhandle Club with Arton in the 356, he told me that he is about to buy a new Lexus. What?! It’s a fine car if you have no interest in motoring, but Arton is a dedicated petrolhead whose daily driver was a Porsche GT3. He races classic cars and a monster Mustang V8. What has gone wrong?

His explanation is indicative of the modern world of classic cars. He uses his classics for drives on sunny weekends and gets speed thrills at the Spa Six Hours and racing at his local Killarney circuit. But for the daily commute he wants a quiet and efficient modern car.

Everything changes all the time and this is true of the classic car movement. I imagine I am part of a dying breed that aspires to use a classic car on an almost daily basis. There used to be more like me – impecunious drivers, I suppose – but today’s well-heeled enthusiasts, and certainly most collectors, don’t. This is where a divergence has occurred and there are now different approaches to classic motoring. Historic racing cars and top-flight collector cars have to be totally original and correct. Top money is obtained for the best matching-number ‘no story’ cars that are then used for specific races, events, or shows. They are generally trailered everywhere and pampered in workshops between outings.

Fortunately there has been strong concurrent growth in ‘user’ classics as well, even if they are not actually used on a daily basis. If improved and modified sympathetically, classic cars can be enjoyed to the full in the real world. There has been an enormous growth in specialists who now look after these ‘drivers’, and they offer a raft of upgrades that make older cars superb to drive. Most collector cars are better than they were when they originally left the factory but so are ‘drivers’. Long-distance rallies and tours are full of excellent examples of well-used classics.

My old Jaguar looks pretty much as it did when it left Coventry in 1955 but drives much better. It starts on the button, the original engine is more powerful, the brakes work every time, the handling is surefooted and the XK will loaf all the way to Le Mans and back in some comfort. I, for one, am not yet ready for that Lexus!

Robert Coucher
Robert has grown up with classic cars, having owned a Lancia Aurelia B20GT, Alfa Romeo Giulietta and a Porsche 356C. He currently uses his 1955 Jaguar XK140 as his daily driver, and is a founding editor of this magazine.