As I told you in one of my latest articles, there are a lot of positives to owning a collector car. You fall in love all over again every time you see it and you have your very own special piece of automotive history. That doesn’t mean common, everyday cars are terrible, though. Yes, they’re not as inspired or inspiring, but they have a lot of positive traits too.
Peace of Mind (and Body)
It’s great to have a restored vintage automobile or a limited-production car. It’s also stressful. No matter which car you’re in, you don’t want to dent or scratch it, but the stakes are even higher in a collector car. It’s not a travel appliance, it’s a symbol of accomplishment that you protect and keep looking its best. Nobody uses their diploma as a coaster or their wedding band as a key ring.
In a boring car, there’s not as much pressure. When things do happen (and they will), whatever nicks and scrapes it gets don’t feel as if a crime has been committed against automobiles. Going from an S197 Mustang Bullitt to a Hyundai Sonata, I can also tell you that nondescript vehicles can also be more physically comfortable than some of the cool cars out there. The ride quality during my ride to work is much more pleasant than before and potholes, pavement lumps, and parking blocks are less scary.
Slow and Simple
So is the thought of getting parts for my car. One reason is that it’s less than a year old. That means I don’t have to scour the internet looking for the one guy on the planet who happens to 3D-print a specific, ultra-rare component. Another reason is that ho-hum vehicles, such as front-wheel-drive, naturally aspirated four-cylinder sedans, are mechanically simple compared to more performance-oriented models. There isn’t a power convertible top, turbo (and its associated hardware), or center or torque-vectoring rear differential keeping me up at night.
Radar Deflector
I have one accessory for my milquetoast-mobile: a WeatherTech sunshade. That’s it. I have no need for a radar detector. That’s partly because I don’t drive like a maniac (perhaps I just haven’t lived in Phoenix long enough). It’s also because my car is a white sedan that doesn’t have four rings or a three-pointed star on it. I’m convinced it’s invisible to cops. It’s certainly invisible to civilians. I never have to worry about someone stopping me in a parking lot to chat Sonatas or being challenged to a street race.
Fellow drivers of forgettable travel machines, what are some of the pros you would add to this list? Tell me in the comments below.
