Specials definitely welcome
12/29/2014
So-called "specials" in the style of pre-war racing cars often appear at classic car events. But specials already existed back then.
Back in the 1920s and 1930s (and before), creative engineers and hobbyists built individual and sporty vehicles to their own taste. They used chassis that they could buy new or used and usually used the newly bodied vehicles in racing events and for record drives.
In the 1950s, "specials" based on stripped pre-war chassis offered an inexpensive (and often the only) opportunity to acquire a sports car.
The appeal of sporty one-offs in the style of pre-war racing cars remains unbroken to this day, and in fact they are still being built today. Newer designs are often based on a (seemingly less valuable) saloon from back then, the body is sacrificed and replaced by a sports car body on the sometimes shortened chassis. The licensing authorities view these vehicles with suspicion, and fans of originality have little use for these fantasy creations.
We asked the readers of Zwischengas what they think of "specials" and the vote is clear: 58% are in favor of building "specials" and prefer a salvaged chassis with a new body to a completely scrapped saloon.
However, 42% reject the special vehicles built in the modern era.
"Live and let live" is a good motto for the classic car scene and this "poll" shows that it works.
Previous "Questions of the Week" and their results are summarized in a separate topic channel. And, of course, we have already launched the next "Question of the Week", which revolves around the question of whether the wheels of a classic carshould also match the original ...
