The joys of being a classic car owner, no really

It starts off as a dream. Born from a passion for the heritage, design and of a time we’ll never be able to fully experience. For some, that dream becomes a reality and the joy that comes with it is something hard to describe, but I’ll try anyway. I am of course talking about being a classic car owner.

Ask anyone walking down the street what their favourite car is, chances are they’ll respond with a car not from this decade nor the last for that matter. There is something special about a classic car, whether it’s the swooping lines that were prominent during the Sixties, immortalised in Ferrari’s 250 GTO, or the futuristic shapes from the Eighties — who could forget the iconic DeLorean?

For many, taking on a classic car is a passion project. It’s the closest thing we can get to a time machine, for the moment anyway. We are transported back to a time when things were perhaps simpler, a time where we have most probably fantasised as there is no way of experiencing it first-hand. The joy comes from finding a model close to their heart and restoring it to its former glory. It really is a labour of love that we not only enjoy for ourselves but for others, in sometimes the smallest of ways.

I’ll give you an example; you’re walking down the street to the shops, the sun is shining, then in the distance you hear this almighty roar that you’re not used to hearing. It echoes through the street, silencing all other road traffic, commanding the attention of everyone around. You turn to see where this supreme sound is coming from, and there you see it, it looks like something from an old Hollywood film set. It clearly doesn’t belong amongst the everyday cars you see on the same street you’re walking down; this car is special and something that you might not see ever again. You watch it drive past you, almost in slow motion and you are unable to look away from its polished framework, trying to take in as much of it as you can before it inevitably speeds off into the distance. For a moment, no matter how fleeting, you forgot what you were doing and can feel yourself smiling at the little bit of joy that just drove by.

With lockdown now easing in the UK, I have a good feeling we’ll see more classic car owners driving about, especially now as the weather is finally turning around after a long winter. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open to the wonders of the classic cars that will be unleashed. If like me, you are thrilled that live events are back on the calendar there are plenty of historic car shows where there are classic cars as far as the eye can see, some of my personal favourites are Goodwood Revival, London Concours and Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble.

We at Marc Brunel Recruitment are passionate petrolheads, always striving to put the best-placed candidate in roles for classic and specialist vehicle recruitment. For those who understand the skill that comes with these projects, they will be in no doubt the importance of finding the right skill set for the job. Which is why we screen candidates in a multitude of ways, to ensure that only the best are presented to our clients. If you are looking for someone to bring on board your team, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Marc Brunel Recruitment to see how we can help.

-Akash Cheeda