When owners keep their cars for over 50 years
Yesterday, at the Zurich Classic Car Award, there was an interesting dichotomy among the classic car owners. On the one hand, there are the owners who bought their car 1, 2 or 5 years ago and are now proudly showing off their perhaps still perfected or completely restored treasure. On the other hand, there were also owners who had been driving their cars for over 50 years. They had bought it as students or young people just starting out in working life in their 20s and remained loyal to it to this day. The car accompanied them on trips to the south of France or on their honeymoon.
You have to imagine it. At some point in the 1960s, they packed their Lancia Lambda or Alvis TA14 full of vacation luggage and set off. At that time, the Lancia was already an oldtimer, the Alvis was almost a youngtimer and there was no sign of today's boom in classic cars. The special cars were probably viewed with suspicion and a grin.
But the two owners remained loyal to their car to this day. They drove their cars for over 50 years and gave them the care they needed.
After so many years, however, a new problem has arisen. The car will probably outlive him without any problems, said one of the owners, adding that sooner or later he will probably have to look for a successor to the car he has looked after for so many years.
Our report on yesterday's Zurich Classic Car Award (ZCCA) will follow shortly.
