I love to see such enthusiasts. I love cars but have not experienced such great cars and wonder with all sincerity what's all the fuss .. Are they more fun than today's cars and if yes , why?
Kind of a loaded question, Frantz, and I'll try to answer it without resort to my prejudices. In car-land, there are as many different kinds of enthusiasts, sub-groups, cults, snobs, anti-snobs, purists, frankenstein cobblers-together-of-odd-parts type cars, rich guys, poor guys, fast guys/slow guys, vintage guys/latest brand shiny new flavor of the month guys, bling guys, rat car guys, do-it-yourselvers and bidders for undislosed principals at private treaty guys as there are in the audio industry. There are probably as many arguments, too, if you go to the car sites.
There is certainly a school of thought that says older is better, much like the vintage audio types. Not because it is really 'better' in a performance sense- alot of the old cars could get beaten around a track by a well-tuned Subaru- but the quality of workmanship, style of bodywork, rarity, and, at least in the case of the sports cars, the visceral experience of driving something raw and primitive, which communicates to the driver in a way different than a high technology car, is thrilling. Granted, you could scare the hell out of yourself in a McLaren F1 or Ferrari F-40 (both of which are extremely desirable not new high performance cars which cost real money), but even there, you'll find schools of thought- both of those cars are in some ways dated (although the McLaren hardly bettered in performance) and others would say, give me that 50's Ferrari 375 MM plus, or Aston race car. (this stuff gets to the level of, nah, let's leave the Gulfstream and take the Boeing).
Not many collectors at that level- you can pretty much name them by who shows up at Villa D'Este, Pebble Beach or the like. At less than that top bubble, which is as much like owning major art as anything, you've got tons of people who drive rallies, race as amateurs, and just generally drive the hell out of their cars, whether they are Ferrari's, Porsches, Japanese supercars, Lotuses (Loti?), MG's, Morgans, Lamborghinis or whatever else is, or was, made at one time on this planet. At one point, I had a car that was a 1 of 15- and managed to talk with several owners of the others, scattered all over the world. Like a little club. On the other hand, if you own a Porsche, you can participate in driver events, clubs, rallies, and god knows what else, pretty much anywhere in the world- and these are not necessarily sponsored by the factory, but are independent owner's clubs that provide technical support, instruction and a sense of community. And so it goes, for everything from early brass era, up to the latest and greatest supercar. Parts sources are shared, along with information, fixes, and a sense of history and belonging.
Me, I like the old stuff for the reasons stated above. But, there is nothing like being behind the wheel of a well set-up sportscar, i don't care what it is- it could be a Miata (which are raced pretty seriously) and feeling the bite of the rubber and hanging on as you swing through the curve and put the power on.
I could go on, but I've said enough. I have books and books and books collected over the years, everything from Bentley 'specials' (souped up customized cars on old frames) and pre-war Lagondas to Ferrari, Porsche and Jaguar. I love 'em all.
Goodwood is one of the best historic motoring events, and is held on a British Lord's estate, but to his credit, it's not a snob affair, as I recall, they had Junior Johnson, a dirt track racer who learned how to drive by outrunning the feds in the South delivering moonshine, display his skills in one of his old cars a few years ago. There is an historic hillclimb up his driveway. And the various owners dress in period. It's like a giant costume party devoted to cars.
The sense of history, the research, the location of the old parts, the lore, the famous drivers of certain marques, the racing history, all plays a part. It can be just as all consuming as what we do here.
PS: one of the great joys is also the people you meet. Like audio hobbyists, alot of the car guys are nuts, but have great passion for interesting engineering and history, and can be wonderful friends to share far more than just the 'thing' that originally gave you common ground.
