What an interesting set of opinions. I've just waded through three
digests on this one thread and really enjoyed the thoughts expressed.
The 'Trailer Queen' seems more well known in the US than in the UK and
I remember seeing a few on my travels in years past. Mostly, while
certainly proudly owned and displayed, it seemed the idea of actually
driving them seemed anathema to the owners I spoke to. This saddened
me - and the trailering of a more than superbly pristine vehicle to an
event didn't seem to far removed from getting the family silver out of
the bank for Christmas and then putting it on the sideboard under
bulletproof glass just to look at.
Surely the car was made to be driven - and if it piddles down with
rain in the process of going to or from the event, or a wandering cow
drops a liquid load in the road which you don't see until its too
late - so what? As an individual, I have scant regard for a car that's
trailered to an event rather than getting there under its own power -
unless its ultra special/valuable, something critical is missing or
its not yet finished in time to be driven. Perhaps the best example of
continuing use is our own London to Brighton Run each November where
nothing younger than a 1904 (?) build date is eligible. The car has to
drive from London to Brighton (70 odd miles) under its own power and
mostly with a full complement of passengers. As this takes place in
November and its damned cold - and often pretty wet as well, the cars
get good and dirty. So what? You just spend a year cleaning them off
and do it again a year later.
Looking back, the 'trailer queens' I've seen in different places were
mostly way better than anything ever put on a motor show stand - and
those were never representative of the real thing that came off the
line anyway. Their paint and plating was of an unacceptably high
standard and they were really nothing more than being clones of
something that never existed in reality. Yes, they're fun in their way
but they're just too good, too phoney, too over-restored, too patina-d
and quickly become boring - so I move on. There's lots more of
interest from a well-restored car all the way through to what I call
WYSIOWABT 'what you see is often what's always been there.'
And then there's what Dad called the 'bloody miracle' sector. Simply,
its been so neglected (but still very loved) that it's a 'bloody
miracle' it made it to the event in the first place!
I suppose we all see our cars in different ways, we use them in
different ways, we show them in different ways. For my part I USE THEM
and there's nothing that gives me greater pleasure than pitting my two
old Triumphs up against something a lot more modern, annoying the hell
out of the driver in front by hanging close to his rearview mirror -
and then having a damned good thrash. That's what I'll be doing next
weekend on a 620 mile/24 hour charity run. We'll get home, laden with
squashed flies, mud spattered, brake dust grimed, smelling that
familiar smell of burning oil on something that shouldn't be burning
it, gritty eyed, very tired, food wrappers on the floor - and probably
very relieved that the unusual noise we heard just after the start
hasn't got any worse. If it has - oh well, its dig into the wallet
time again and spaghetti for a treat until the next pay day.
Drive them!
Jonmac
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