There are no rational explanations for owning an old car, or even driving one today. But yet, from an emotional standpoint, the experience is simply magical. Because vintage cars are from a time where they were seen as strong statements.
「從理性的角度來看，今時今日確實沒有需要保存古董車的理由，更加沒有需要用它來代步。但我們只需換一個感性一點的角度來看，擁有和駕駛古董車，其實真的很浪漫。」
Published in JANUARY 2020 Classic & Sports Car Magazine | Written by Kenneth E Y Wong
KENNETH WONG 黃恩揚- Classic insider 創辦人，經營高級經典及跑車買賣。對處理高檔車種擁有豐富經驗。曾是香港首間經典車拍賣行的營運總監。經常參與高端古董及跑車的相關活動，貼近市場脈搏
古董車，總是帶有一種教人着迷不已的魔法。它們不只漂亮非常，而且還擁有最真實原始的駕駛樂趣。這些都是現今新車未能媲美，更遑論是取代？而事實上，每一部古董車都有着截然不同的性格，即使是出自同一車廠、同一型號，甚至是生於同一年份，世上也沒有兩部古董車是完全一樣的。這是因為那個年代，每一部古董車都是經由人手製作！
從理性的角度來看，今時今日確實沒有需要保存古董車的理由，更加沒有需要用它來代步。但我們只需換一個感性一點的角度來看，擁有和駕駛古董車，其實真的很浪漫。事關這些古董車設計出來的時候，就是用來表達其擁有者的情感。
以嬌小、實用、一眼便認得的快意(Fiat) 500為例，當年甫推出便成為意大利隨處可見的人民之車。而愛快羅密歐(Alfa Romeo)就代表了意式激情設計出來的跑車，譬如是Giulietta Spider，那便成為了意大利Dolce Vita的代表作。
今時今日，這種愛恨分明、特別和極具個性的設計精神，已經無法在今時今日的大眾化汽車身上找得到，事關現時的新車全都是經過市場調查報告才設計出來，完全帶不出設計師的情感。
古董車能激起情感，如要真正感受和理解，那麼你必須擁有和駕駛它。古董車的一切都返璞歸真，只需用一條金屬鎖匙放進點火位置，用人手扭動去直接啟動引擎。沒有甚麼令人看得煩厭的按鈕、亦沒有配備多功能顯示屏，更加沒有甚麼電腦跟任何數碼化的東西。
有時候，古董車也不能一撻就着，有時把引擎啟動之後，它還會顫抖一番，活像老人家咳嗽一樣。但只要你細心了解它，並小心控制油門，你也可以慢慢將引擎的呼吸控制得暢順起來。當然，如果可以一跳上車便能夠把古董車順利撻着，亦是一種快樂無比的感覺。
不過，當啟動引擎後，我們又要征服下一個挑戰。事關古董車的手動波箱跟離合器，需要我們慢慢感受和準繩的操作，才能輕易駕馭它。至於引擎和其他機械部件，也需要有一定的溫度才能正常運作，所以古董車的一切，都需要無比的耐性。
開盡油門，引擎轉速不斷提升，這些都是古董車能夠帶給你無窮無盡的歡樂。彎路帶來強烈的感覺，每次上斜路，它也會透過小動作，去提示你要降低一個波段行駛。所以駕駛古董車必須專注和一定的駕駛技術。不論是汽油的氣味、引擎產生的震動，甚至是排氣聲音，你的五官永遠也不會忘記駕駛古董車的獨有感覺。亦因為這個緣故，駕駛會突然變得有意義，街道也變成你和座駕的遊樂場，而鄉村路則會變成越野賽的段落，高速公路更會變成跑道。
擁有古董車就有如擁有時光機一樣，把你帶到以前別具魅力的日子。沒有現代的配備，那些返璞歸真的感覺，就是最原始的駕駛感覺。這個時候，手動排檔需要你感覺到引擎轉速、扭動軚盤需要知道前方彎角的深度、剎車需知道距離、離合器需要你百分百專注的操作。
去購買和擁有一部古董車，正正就是展現我們對汽車最原始的一股熱情。古董車亦能令我們表現真我，那些天真、興奮、充滿幻想的童年回憶，得以重現，這份滿足感絕對不能用錢來衡量，情況就有如一些人對藝術、音樂和食物的興奮一樣。
古董車毫不造作簡單，活像是邀請我們慢活一下，讓身邊的風景飄過，停一停，深呼吸，慢慢感受生命的美妙。
There is magic in classic cars. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they also deliver one of the most honest driving experiences no modern cars can match. Each classic car has a unique personality, even if they were of the same brand and model, manufactured the same year, no two classic cars are exactly alike, that’s because the assembling of each car was done manually by hand.
There are no rational explanations for owning an old car, or even driving one today. But yet, from an emotional standpoint, the experience is simply magical. Because vintage cars are from a time where they were seen as strong statements. For example:
The Fiat 500 represents the mobility of a whole population like no other Italian automobile. Quaint, practical and with an unmistakable face. Alfa Romeo represents Italian grandeur, sportiness and passion. Giulietta Spider became an icon of Dolce Vita, a symbol of mindfulness and Italianità.
Today, these polarising, distinct characters could not be recreated by simple market research and fulfill the everyday needs of the owner.
Driving Vintage Cars Demands Feeling and Understanding
Vintage cars arouse emotion. To really understand it, you will have to own and drive one yourself. The whole car is reduced to the bare essentials. Only a metal key and the ignition. Stick the key in, manually turn it, and the motor starts. No flip switch, displays, computers or digital speedometers.
Sometimes the motor doesn’t start very smoothly, but rather rattles and coughs like a living being. Only with careful use of the gas pedal can the motor perform flawlessly and consistent. If you get it right on your first try, that pleasing, warm feeling fills your body.
Yet, the next challenge awaits you: the shifter has to be placed over the gearbox with precision and feeling. Your “Oldie” can only be set in motion through skilled use of the clutch. Patience is needed. The motor can only perform when it is warm enough.
Vintage Car Driver Needs Concentration and Driving Skill
What an indescribable feeling as you hear the motor rev up! Curves feel like curves, with every small ascent serving as a signal to switch gears. Driving vintage cars requires concentration and true driving skill. The drive itself will become an experience your senses will never forget. You smell the gas and burned oil, hear the rumbling of the motor and exhaust as you drive on. You shift, hit the clutch and make a turn. Braking is now just another effort and challenge.
Driving suddenly becomes self-purpose. The streets become your playground. Villages become stages and boulevards become runways.
The Magic of Classic Car ownership
A classic car ownership gives one a glimpse into the life of the automobile and conveys the glamorous feeling of life from the past with elegance and subtleness. To sit behind the wheel of a vintage car without modern electronics means to experience driving in its original form. Manual shifting requires a feeling for engine speed, turns require a sense of distance, while the clutch and brake need an active driver.
To purchase, own, and drive a vintage car is to manifest enthusiasm in cars. It helps us embrace the best parts of ourselves—the excited, curious, and gleeful bits that too many people abandon after childhood. The results are unquantifiable. You can’t attach a dollar amount to executing a perfect double de-clutch downshift, just as you can’t for the happiness you get from food, drink, art, or music.
A classic car invites you to slow down. Let the scenery drift past you. Stop. Inhale. Exhale. And Enjoy. We are talking about driving in its original form.
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