No hero tales, please!
02/15/2025
Every now and then you have to look at yourself. Michael Jackson already recognized that. Because I see a cause that should not be underestimated, from which new classic car enthusiasts are only hesitantly growing, in the current classic car owners – by no means all of them, but in an archetype that appears quite frequently. Namely, the one who likes to talk to visitors without classic cars at meetings about the problems and adversities he has overcome, and thus – whether intentionally or unintentionally – puts off many potential newcomers. Somehow the hobby sounds more annoying than fun. Who wants that?
I even once had a colleague (not at zwischengas) who wrote in all seriousness in a buying guide for beginners (!) that regular breakdowns were part of the charm of a classic car. Obviously, he has never had his alternator break down on a winter's night in the pouring rain on the highway. So is it any wonder that nobody wants to buy an old car anymore? Or to put it another way: how many dog owners think that visits to the vet are the best thing about having a pet? "Hooray! After months of walking, playing and having fun, the beast finally has a kidney stone again!"
Perhaps mastering old technology should not always be portrayed as a mixture of skill and luck, or driving without power assistance should not be hyped up as a heroic feat of strength swollen with pride. If you really want to get more people interested in classic cars again, you should make them more accessible and spread the word: It's not so bad. Old technology is actually much less complicated and therefore more manageable. But above all: old technology is reliable if it is in good condition and is maintained. But this fact in particular seems to be ignored – whether for the sake of self-promotion or out of ignorance.
When I am approached with interest by my peers or younger people about one of my 58- to 71-year-old classic cars, I always hear the same clichés (unfortunately also spread by some specialist media): expensive, unreliable, difficult to drive and drinks like a fish. Of course, I could then say how incredibly strong, wealthy and adventurous I am and how much I don't give a shit about the environment – but all of that would be a lie. Instead, I prefer to try and shatter these myths, which are somewhere between heroism and masochism. It's nice to look good in front of others. But it's silly if you end up standing alone.
