Restoration at the coachbuilder
04/05/2026
Is it even possible to speak of a "technical term" when even experts no longer use it? Or to put it another way: is "technical term" still a positive quality if even experts consistently use the wrong terms?
Recently I was at a leading company for the rebuilding of million-dollar German fifties sports cars, whose owner always said that they were doing "restoration". So much so that, as my stomach began to growl more and more, I repeatedly asked myself when I was finally going to get something to eat. It was only when I had to reach for an emergency sandwich in the afternoon, completely famished, that I realized that the man had actually meant "restoration".
He then occasionally clarified that they were mainly focusing on the "bodywork". Whereupon I repeatedly wondered about the absence of wood, horses and South African fur garments. Instead, I saw quite a few "car bodies", i.e. a whole lot of bare and unpainted sheet metal. Which somehow seemed more logical to me. After all, the company called itself a "body builder" - and not a "coachbuilder".
It's perfectly all right to mix up terms in colloquial language or not be so precise with the definition. But as soon as you give a specialist lecture to future specialists, you should make sure you use the correct terminology. Imagine if your family doctor constantly confused "operation" with "amputation". How long would you continue to consult him if you were concerned about your limbs?
Speaking of limbs: In any case, I soon began to wonder whether the speaker was pulling my leg and whether I wanted to take my legs in my hands because of it. Because of course the "restoration" would also include the "rims". And, of course, all the cars in his garage would have classic "rear-wheel drive". The bottom drawer is also a compartment...
