EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION: WHAT�S GOING ON WITH CLASSIC CARS?By John Mayhead

2:15 AM

•

Hagerty

The other day I was reading an old classic car magazine from 2005, researching past values for the Hagerty Price Guide. But it wasn�t the values that caught my eye, rather a ranty letter from one reader who warned of �what I�ve been dreading for years � transverse engine front-wheel drive hatchbacks being considered as classics!� His ire was not limited to the �new� cars either, but also the man who started it: �If it hadn�t been for Issigonis and his wretched Mini being the forerunner of the Volkswagen Golf, the hatchback may never have happened!�

Poor man. If he�s still alive today, we can only hope he�s living on an island somewhere with no internet or television. Or magazines. Or cars. Because whether you like it or not, the market is going crazy for 1970s and �80s classics: from the Ford Capri to the Ferrari Mondial, everyone wants �modern� classics.

Many commentators think this marks a shift-change in the classic car world. Their rationale is that a new generation of owners � people in their 30s and 40s with spare cash � will buy cars that they can relate to. They will be attracted by drivable classics which are comfortable to drive, powerful, and full of the gadgets you would expect of a modern car: air conditioning, ABS, power steering and the like.

The theory continues that earlier cars won�t have this �cultural reference� for the new generation of owners, and interest in them will dwindle as the current owners get older and shuffle off. So Wolseleys, Alvis, Sunbeams, and the like will all be left to rust.

So are we looking at a total change in the classic car world, one where anything more ancient than 45 years old is written off as a has-been? I don�t think so.

It is true that a lot of first-time classic car owners have been attracted by the comfort and complexity of 1980s cars. But with that complexity comes � well, complexity. Open the bonnet of any 1960s car and you�ll see an engine, coil, distributor, a bit that controls the fuel entry, a bit than controls the air entry, and an exhaust. With a bit of logic and a workshop manual, all things seem to be possible, and if you get it a little bit wrong the engine will probably still work (of sorts).

Open the bonnet of a BMW E30, a Porsche 944 Turbo or an Audi Quattro Ur and the story is different. You have an ECU to deal with for a start, lots of sensors, and much finer manufacturing tolerances. Add in the need for a range of specialised workshop tools and it all gets a bit complicated.

Now, I�m not saying that owning an �80s classic is a bad thing � I personally own two myself � but I think that having made the step into classic car ownership, having experienced the thrill of driving and nurturing an old car, the love will spread. I�ll use myself as an example. Last year I bought my first ever Porsche, a 944 Lux. Now I want a long-bonnet 912 more than anything else. Do I have any cultural references for the 912? Absolutely not. They stopped making them when I was two, they weren�t driven by my favourite movie star, nor did they feature in the TV shows of my youth. No, I want one because I love my other Porsche, I LOVE the look of the early 912/911 cars, and I quite like the idea of an engine that is roughly similar to the one in the back of my VW camper: basic.

So I welcome the influx of new owners, even if they start with a �wretched� VW Golf. Because for every new classic owner who gives up the first time their car breaks down, there will be another whose love will spread. Maybe the Golf owner will yearn for a Karmann Ghia or an early Beetle. Maybe he or she will attend a rally and be introduced to the pure driving thrill of a vintage car. As their confidence grows, the whole world of wonderful, diverse classic motoring will be opened up to them. And that can only be a good thing.

Text and pictures courtesy of Hagerty Classic Car Insurance. If you enjoyed this, there's more at www.hagertyinsurance.co.uk/Articles-and-Resources.

READ MORE

THE GOODWOOD 73RD MEMBERS� MEETINGBy John Mayhead

8:08 AM

•

motorsport

For a few years now, some people have criticised the Goodwood Revival for being too much of a fancy dress party and less of a race meeting. Then last year the Members� Meeting arrived on the scene- the critics are now well and truly silenced.

The 2015 Members� Meeting- entitled the �73rd� to carry on the tradition of the BARC meetings that took place from 1949 to 1966- took place last weekend and provided something for pretty much everyone who likes cars. With his finger ever on the pulse, Lord March has given the public two things they want: accessibility and special cars, lots of them.

The accessibility is superb. There are very few restricted areas and no VIP enclosures. Drivers, mechanics and the public mingle freely and all the paddocks are open- with the single exception of the modern Mercedes F1 car. Whether that says more about the nature of modern F1 or the fragility of the car, I�ll let you decide.

Then the cars themselves will cater to almost every taste: pre-war single seaters, �60s GT cars, �70s and �80s touring cars and my own favourite, the high air-box F1 cars of the Hunt/ Lauda/ Peterson era.

With so much to report on, we have chosen a few of our favourites from the weekend. First, we spoke to Anthony Reid, ex- British Touring Car ace and captain of the winning Methuen house. �It is a real privilege to be appointed by Lord March as one of only four House Captains for this unique event. The idea of having four Houses competing for honours is a great way of engaging all the members of the Club their families and friends whether they are Racers or Spectators.�

Reid�s own on-track contribution to the event was by driving a Triumph Dolomite Sprint in the Gerry Marshall Trophy. �It was really competitive through the field with very close racing and a bit of paint trading just like in the day.� With a field containing names such as Rob Huff, Emanuele Pirro and Tiff Needell, the scene was set for an epic battle, but it was the Mini of Nick Swift and David Clark�s Chevrolet Camaro that set the pace, with the latter coming out on top.

The Aldington Trophy, for pre- �67 Porsche 911s and 901s was a highlight for many. Although BTCC�s Andrew Jordan took an easy win, the battle for second between Mark Bates and Phil Hindley was epic and thoroughly enjoyed by all watching.

Well known VSCC racer Julian Majzub was a pre- race favourite to win the Earl Howe Trophy for pre- 1935 Formula Libre cars. Unfortunately a recurring ignition problem plagued his 1927 Bugatti 35B, and despite dashing up to fourth place by the end of the start/ finish straight, the issue re-emerged and Julian sadly had to limp home.

The high speed demonstrations were also superb. The high air-box F1 cars included Lauda�s championship-winning 1975 Ferrari 312T, Hunt�s Hesketh 308C from the same era, a brace of Lotus 72s and Fittipaldi�s 1974 McLaren M23, to name just a few. As they screamed through the chicane and along the start/ finish straight, I was transported back to my childhood. My ears bled from the noise, but I savoured every second. Later, the biggest ever gathering of McLaren F1 GTRs took to the track, and then Mercedes let us see what their ex- Lewis Hamilton F1 car could do in the hands of Anthony Davidson.

In the car parks, we ran the first Hagerty UK Car Park Concours. We�ve noticed how many lovely cars are parked in the public areas of classic car events, and decided to acknowledge them. We took photos of our favourites from both days, then posted our shortlist on our social media. Our followers then decided which won best in show: a superb AC Aceca was judged to be the winner. Look out for our teams at shows later in the year!

Being Goodwood, there is still a �fancy dress� element to the Members� Meeting- on the Saturday night the place transforms into a street party, complete with circus performers and a fun fair. A huge hangar had been transformed into a communal meeting hall and lavishly decorated in the manner of a Hogwarts-esque public school. This won�t appeal to everyone, but it�s not central to the event- that is firmly left to the cars and racing. If you can afford the �80 day ticket cost, this is a superb meeting where you really can get closer to the action than pretty much anywhere else.

Text and pictures courtesy of Hagerty Classic Car Insurance. If you enjoyed this, there's more at www.hagertyinsurance.co.uk/Articles-and-Resources.

READ MORE