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James Walshe reckons a classic is a classic, whatever powers it
Pushing the boundaries (and our luck) as always, this month you are witness to the first ever instance of an all-electric line-up on the cover of a classic car magazine. It won’t go down well with everyone, naturally, but I am rather excited about the featured classics and urge you to dive into the words on page 52 with an open mind.
Personally, I find myself more and more interested in the idea of electrification. With the greatest of respect, some internal combustion engines are just… well… horrible. In many cases, in the name of originality, we are forced to put up with what is essentially a big leaky lump of expensive water-cooled, oily mechanical complexity – and for what reward? Just 55bhp and the drone of four miserable cylinders? Who wouldn’t want to swap that for a silent, simple, clean and efficient powertrain?
Peering through the window at my Citroën
CX, I’d jump at the chance. Back in ’74, the French firm went bust and took with it plans to fit Comotor’s stillborn ‘tri-rotor’ Wankel unit. The poor CX ended up with a tough-but-gruff four-pot, which I would love to hoik out in favour of a slicker, more powerful electric power unit that would be much more in tune with the CX’S smooth character. Put simply, it would turn it into a better car. Having spent a lot of time serenely whirring about in numerous Tesla vehicles, I am absolutely certain of that.
With inevitable advances in tech each year, leading to a smaller battery and longer range, we mustn’t dismiss the idea of electric classics. Admittedly, I’d leave my 2CV’S flat-twin where it is. I’d miss its joyful shrieking sound as much as a Stag owner might miss that glorious V8. But in reality, if it’s perfectly OK to swap one internal combustion engine with another, what’s wrong with one powered by electricity instead?
‘Once a classic car, always a classic car’