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How would you keep classics on the road?
An anonymous comment was the inspiration behind today’s question, and there’s a lot to consider!
With Paris set to introduce relatively complicated rules concerning which vehicles are allowed to roam the streets, classic car aficionados like you and I are naturally curious if this will start happening in other locations. My take on this is simple, and it has two points. First, we can’t expect the world to understand our hobby. Second, our streets and cities are starting to change more quickly than you may expect.
Although we know classics are, in many cases, much more special than the average econobox, vehicles that interest us Petrolisti generally pollute more than a modern vehicle, lack safety equipment, are more temperamental—and have to be insured, maintained, and driven to a higher standard. That said, most jurisdictions see and treat road users in the exact same way, whether or not they’re in a stunning Aston Martin DB5 once a month to buy a mid-afternoon gelato or a dreadful Rover CityRover for an infuriating daily commute. Often, a lack of distinction between different road users means that when legislation comes to fruition, unless we’re consulted, the voice of the classic car hobby will be silent from lawmakers’ discussions. Thankfully, in Paris this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Second, driverless and electric vehicles are being developed much more quickly than you may expect—and it’s not all doom and gloom. Like horses before cars, it’s likely that within our lifetimes the “driven” vehicle is forced from city centers around the world. There’s simply more population moving to large urban areas, and often little space to accommodate more people without significant changes to our transportation systems. If you were to ride a horse in downtown Paris today, it’d likely be a massive hassle and endanger both you and your animal, and it’s possible that our cities of the future may create conditions just as hostile to classic cars. Right now, driverless cars, car sharing, bicycle sharing, and better transit options are being rolled out across the world, and they represent the future of day-to-day transportation for most people. If not, why would all of the world’s automakers be investing significant sums into technology to make this stuff happen?
Like horse owners before us, we’ll likely have to adapt and sustain our hobby by focusing on festivals, races, and celebrations of speed: Goodwood, Le Mans 24 Hours, the Monaco Grand Prix, the Monterey Historics, and other huge events won’t be going anywhere. In my estimation, we’ll still have incredible events, races, historians, and vehicles to appreciate long into the future. There will be exciting roads in the countryside to drive on as well. (And, not to worry, we’ll have a few decades to figure it all out.)
My question isn’t whether or not you agree with vehicles being slowly squeezed from city centers. What I’d like to know is this: if you were the mayor of a town, how would you convince your citizens to give special consideration for the remarkable classics that we enjoy so much? Leave your best pitch below!
Image Sources: waterandpower.org, waterandpower.org, dailymail.co.uk, we-make-money-not-art.com, blogspot.com,
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