The privilege of driving an open-top classic car
Sometimes everything is just right! The weather brought us almost spring-like temperatures, the sun was shining, the roads were dry ... and the Englishman, which had been stationary for several months, started up without any problems!
So nothing could stand in the way of a late winter drive. And how I enjoyed it. Shifting gears in the TVR 's crisp gearbox again after months is a real pleasure. The engine hummed its V6 song and the air fanned around my head.
And as I drove along, it occurred to me that it was actually a real privilege to be able to drive this old car on our roads.
It could be different, because the Ford Essex V6 engine is admittedly louder than is usual today and the exhaust emissions are also factors above what modern cars produce. Of course, the car also doesn't have ABS, ESP, airbags, etc., but as a driver I think I can compensate for this by keeping my distance and driving carefully ...
The fact that old cars are allowed to drive in normal road traffic may seem normal to us today, but it is not actually a matter of course. Legislators could, for example, require new technologies to be retrofitted or restrict the freedom of choice of roads and areas. The fact that it does not do so is thanks to associations and lobbyists who are committed to our classic cars. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them, in the hope that this will also be the case in the future, when our modern cars are networked, computer-controlled and "zero emission".
A few kilometers later, my train of thought was abruptly interrupted when a nice policeman stopped me and kindly pointed out that (in Switzerland) lights are now mandatory during the day. Of course, my English oldie doesn't have LED daytime running lights that switch on automatically either ...
