A Seismic Shift: From Pebble to Patina

For the last quarter Century, many car enthusiasts in the United States were aiming high: The owner of the best-restored car would win anytime. Collector cars were "restored" to a standard that could often only be described as "better than new." Cars were detailed for months on end, then trailered to prestigious shows and displayed on ramps, with mirrors underneath.

Above: Undercarriage of Chevrolet Chevelle

We've seen a restored Shelby GT 350 that had to make do without his lifeblood--oil, fuel, and coolant--for fear of leaks, costing valuable points come judging time. A win at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance was the highest honor that could be bestowed on any vintage automobile (and its proud owner). Recently, however, a new philosophy, closely following the well-established British approach, has gained momentum in the US collector car scene, and that's a good thing. Suddenly acceptable, even desirable, are cars displaying paint that's worn thin, chrome parts that have lost some sheen, upholstery that has aged, and engine bays that are dusty, smelling of oil and fuel. Hands-on cars that have a story to tell, that have been driven--preferably in racing events--and whose history is not noted on a placard, but visible to even the uneducated eye.

Above: Spectacular Jaguar XK-140, featuring all original paint, at British Car show in Woodley Park, Calif.

Character is the keyword here. Creased leather, mellowed paint finish, a slightly weathered overall look is hip. Like the image of Count Trossi on a faded sepia photograph, piloting his SSK Mercedes, wearing stringback gloves, a cigarette dangling from his lips, patinated vintage iron evokes nostalgia for past times of daring, carefree motoring.

Above: Our very own MG-A, featuring all original leather interior, as found in the Professor's garage.

Let's face it, just like Grandma's highboy dresser or Uncle George's heirloom oil painting, a vintage automobile is an artifact with a story behind it. Part of the charisma of an old automobile has to do with the fact that this inanimate family member has lived a long--and hopefully satisfactory--life and was allowed to age gracefully and with dignity. Imagine somebody stripping a wonderful old hardwood table of its original finish and "restoring" it to a high luster with a surface like liquid glass, better than it's been back in 1927, when it was new. Don't shake your head, people do this all the time. Gone is what no money in the world can bring back, something that only time--a looong time--can possibly duplicate: patina. Funny thing, that restored table, in "better than new" condition, is worth much less than the aged, worn, patinated original.

The same maxim applies to classic cars and motorcycles. The original, beautifully aged example that is allowed to tell the rich story of its long life is far more desirable than the aseptically clean, restored one. While you admire a concours winner for its beauty and cleanliness, the sight of an original survivor is guaranteed to make your heart beat faster.

And that's what it's all about. Your heart!