An empty gesture
Your special on 1990s cars (12 September) reminded me of my trip to Le Mans in 1993, aged 30. On the Monday following the race, we called in at the pits to see the teams packing up for their homeward trips. Gathered on the pit apron were four chaps, similar ages to myself, with
four cars: a Ferrari 348tb, Lotus Esprit S4, Porsche 911 Turbo and Honda NSX. Presumably because the returning team didn’t want to take fuel back with them, they were giving it away and these chaps were the happy recipients. Noting their similar age, and having hitherto been reasonably happy with my progress in life so for, I was rather envious of their apparent material success, especially contrasting their home trip with mine as one of five aboard a fully loaded and rather tired Ford Sierra Estate. My mate consoled me and I took my underachieving self off with those thoughts.
Two weeks later, I bought the latest issue of Autocar, and on the cover were those four cars featured in a Le Mans road trip adventure. I had, in fact, happened upon four Autocar writers, one of whom I feel sure was Andrew Frankel, with more hair. Assured now that those four chaps were driving borrowed cars, my selfesteem was restored. A lesson in life: all is not what it seems. Mike O’horan Retford Andrew vividly remembers the trip, Mike, specifically because he wasn’t on it and was none too happy about it – MB