Passionate Owners of Classic and Vintage Cars
The older they get it seems the more popular they become. The history of the motor car is an amazing story and every vehicle of the type described is without an age when it comes to the love and devotions owners attach to it.
The colours, styles, smell and fun enjoyed in riding in them went a long way to ensuring that someone would always be as passionate for them now as the first owners were when they came from the show room. The quality of the seats, the timber-framed dashboard and the often peculiar windows added to the romance and mystique of their day.
There was a running board on the side on which passengers could stand when entering or leaving as the vehicle was often much higher on the road than we are used to today. The bumper bars were just that, solid pieces of equipment that allowed you to bounce off anything you accidentally hit, such as the vehicle in front or behind when parking. They comprised chrome and rubber and were a statement in themselves.
The headlights were larger and often sat between the mud-guards and the bonnet like 2 eyes patrolling the view in front as you drove along. The former were always separate from the engine compartment and when bright young kids wanted to be different they could be stripped off and the old jallopies they enjoyed had a certain element of the dare-devil look about them.
Some vehicles were like tanks to drive because of the steel in the body work. Doors were huge and the top was often of a material or fabric to compensate for the weight below. As the car aged holes could appear in it and stripping the top off was another feature of many a run about driven by teens.
The wheels were huge as well and a spare wheel could be suspended on the side of the vehicle near the driver. The tyre on the other hand was narrow and contained a rubber tube which held the air that pumped them up. Punctures were common and the inner tube had to be removed and repaired and then replaced. That necessitated carrying a spare at all times for a quick change.
Roads were unreliable and often just dirt tracks which is possibly responsible for the height from the road to the floor of the car. Sitting in one today feels strange after all the modern innovations that have vehicles of far less weight, height and reliability than the great classics of yesteryear. Is it any wonder then that enthusiasts still return to days of old to recapture the romance and excitement of that era.
There is enough enthusiam today to bring back the old classics as this site demonstrates
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