GUEST SPEAKERS
Alex Manos and Craig Cullingworth.
During these challenging times we’re living in, roads free of their usual traffic, plus a desire to venture outside in a safe and secure environment, has made classic car ownership more important and more rewarding than ever before. As the old saying goes, it’s time to switch off your TV set and do something less boring instead...
Since the start of the pandemic, people have been looking for any excuse to safely escape from their homes for a few hours. Walks in the park or around their local neighbourhood are an easy fix, but when everyone else has the same idea, it becomes difficult to maintain the twometres of recommended social distancing. As a result, many Angelenos are taking to their cars, going on long rides around the city and along the coast, revelling in the lack of usual frustrating LA traffic. Even a simple drive by the ocean is a better way to spend your lockdown days than watching the same Netflix show for the hundredth time. Plus, a drive out is fully within COVID guidelines, which means for once, driving around might be safer than going to the grocery store.
Classic Porsches in particular are getting their time in the spotlight, not least thanks to classic car owners returning to the time-honoured tradition of cruising up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, showing off their highly prized and polished air-cooled possessions. On a Saturday afternoon, this state route is packed with classic cars, all the way from Santa Monica to Malibu. This mobile car show provides an outlet for socialising, albeit heavily distanced, and gives those who don’t drive classic cars inspiration to dream about one day owning their own.
When your car becomes your only refuge, you begin to notice all the details you may have missed during your pre-pandemic commutes to the office. The stitching in the seats, the sleekness of the dashboard, the aerodynamic body and, in the case of a classic Porsche, the aircooled engine. Every classic Porsche to is testament to hard work and craftsmanship. Next time you’re out on a pleasure cruise, take a moment to really appreciate the beauty of your vehicle.
Now to ask the tough question: what takes a car from just a vehicle to get from point A to point B to this is the car I will tell my kids about? The answer is simple: love. A car you really love will be in your stories for years to come, and will be there for late night taco runs, as well as those long drives along the beach. If you drive often, investment is really worthwhile in a Porsche you love spending time in. Put it this way, on average, North Americans spend just over four years of their lives behind the wheel.
As they become our one remnant of normalcy in an increasingly abnormal world, we are becoming more connected to our cars than ever before. Classic cars, especially, remind us of a time gone by — a time when life seemed much simpler. But what if you don’t own a car, or have a car, but it isn’t one you love? Now might be the perfect time to invest in a piece of automotive history. Less people are out on the roads, and we all have more time on our hands, meaning you’ll have plenty of opportunities to really get comfortable behind the wheel of a classic car and get familiar with its road-holding characteristics. Driving a classic Porsche is an experience like no other, and if you get the opportunity to do so, you may never want to drive a modern car again.
With lockdown restrictions easing, I encourage you to head out for a drive. Whether that be around your neighbourhood, a meandering cruise down a coast road or a backroad blast, take the time to get off your couch and into your car. Roll the windows down, listen to the engine roar and create your own bubble of nostalgia. You won’t regret it.
AS THEY BECOME OUR ONE REMNANT OF NORMALCY, WE ARE BECOMING MORE CONNECTED TO OUR CARS THAN EVER