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Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER
Michael in my post 53 I dared to mention Lotus Elans as crap built cars. I was surprised that I didn't get an ear bashing from the diehards. What always amazed me was the terrific roadholding they had for the day considering a Triumph Herald wasn't exactly the best handling suspension wise. Whatever they are a genuine "Classic" car. I wonder if the old Triumph would have been a gem if they had done away with the thirties transverse leaf spring ?
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Gordon:
Not ignoring this thread: I've been away at our second home in France.
Herald: Hmmm.........
Have a 1966 Convertible, gradually being restored. (It's my wife's and she loves it! been in the family since 1977.).
They corner OK, if you have the bottle to chuck it sideways well before the corner, before the swinging arm jacks.......................................otherwise, it can be exciting!
Corvettes: Hmmm again. Wonderful in a straight line if you have the Pro Traj Limslip fitted. Don't bother with trying to stop too much; or go round
corners!
Transverse leaf springs are OK, if you have good independant suspension.
Les Ballamy of course, designed and made split front axle IFS for E93A Fords, after which, the old Puddle Jumper handled reasonably well. For a haystack on wheels.
The Elan: awful car, but sort of value for money in terms of performance and handling, if you liked leaking, rattling doors, driveshaft doughnuts splitting, carbs frothing (until the flexible rubber mount plates) and so on. A typical "Chunky" Chapman car. Not designed for sale.
An old chum from the early Hethel days, (he was marketing manager and one of the few to actually tame a Lotus 40, after Ginther gave up!), reckoned that Chunky hated owners and designed the cars only to achieve his Cost-Weight-Performance targets!
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Any car can become a classic sooner or later, especially when you start realising how few of a once abundant model are left....so we can have classic examples of instant classics, and classic examples of "delayed" classics...like a BMW Isetta...
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Henk4:
I think the minor confusion here, is the difference between "Classic" and "Collectible".
As with all objects of old, rarity suddenly makes the most ugly and obscure objects collectible, since they tend to have an increasing value, only due to their rarity.
However, rarity and increasing value, for me, can never make an ugly old clunker into a "Classic" car!
Sow's Ears and Silk Purses, perhaps?