This weekend, I took my best boy (my Lab Gooby) to one of my favorite car shows–The Queen’s English in Van Nuys.
Casual, friendly, and free, the Queen’s English is everything that’s cool about a car show. People getting together to bond over their shared affinity to a certain car, or in this case, a group of cars. In the case of the fickle, complex, and highly combustible world of vintage English cars, this passion borders on insanity, but that’s a different post.
Imperfect Cars Are Rare In These Parts
At the show, I found myself in a situation that’s all too common these days–I was bored by perfection. The lineup of flawlessly restored, flawless Rolls-Royces barely caught my eye. My heart beat normally as I passed countless impeccable E-Types. But then I saw this Series IIA (II?) Land Rover.
Imperfect Cars Make Memories
My arm hair stood on end as I inspected the faded roof, the mismatched passenger door, and the rusty undercarriage. Sticking my nose into the back seat, I was transported back to CT circa 1978, where my mother drove that exact car —without a thought in the world that it was special or collectible; it was just her daily driver. And for me, it was my playpen, my second living room, and more often than not, my rocketship.
Imperfect Cars Just Want One Thing
As cars become more collectible and the funds supporting them grow more generous, I worry that we are forgetting to do the one thing we were made to do — to really, truly enjoy them. Not for the sake of an audience or because of what it’s worth, but because they make moments special, like buying a jug of milk, picking up the kids from dance class, or just having a moment alone with the windows down, music blasting, and the phone nowhere in sight.
Here’s to the ugly and unfinished, the rusty and neglected, the unreliable and somewhat smoky. Here’s to the cars that we love and drive!