Our monsoon season brings not only cricket delays but also a flowering of local classic-car shows. Testimony to nostalgic enthusiasm, they prompt the reflection that man is never more innocently engaged than when he values something for what it is, rather than for what he can get out of it. Not that the classic-car world has ever been immune to investors seeking to translate value in the usual way. Indeed, now may be a good time if you’ve a few thousand earning no interest somewhere.
Judging by record auction prices at Brightwells, Leominster, classic cars have held up pretty well during the recession, especially at the top end (though Rolls and Bentley are harder to shift). True, there are fewer good cars at all levels and some auctions struggle for numbers because owners fear they won’t sell, but most of those that are there, do. It may be a sign of healthy demand that classic insurance brokers Footman James reported a 32 per cent rise in thefts in June this year compared with last.
My local show, at Hooe near Bexhill, surpassed itself on its 40th anniversary with a field full of cherished combinations of four and two wheels.
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