Moss on Motoring

These days, it’s really not cool to like cars.

You know what I mean. Rising fuel prices, an ageing car population, ever-tightening emissions legislation, it seems like the whole world has got an axe to grind against car culture.

With the focus of the public being heavily pulled towards electric vehicles, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the petrolhead community would be driven back into the shadows.

However, and it gives me great pleasure to say this, we’re still going strong. Just this weekend, I’ve seen three examples of car culture standing out from the crowd, and making the world a better place as a result.

Firstly, a friend of mine has finished competing in the annual Britcar 24 hour race at Silverstone. He’s been running a Mazda MX5 around the legendary racetrack all weekend, eventually finishing 16^th and beating all sorts of supercars to the finish.

Secondly, I’ve seen a number of brilliant classics out on the road this weekend. On the way back from London on Friday night I saw a mint condition Mach 1 Ford Mustang standing at the lights. Here is a car which, in modern society, is about as acceptable as smoking in church. And yet, people were happy to stop, stare and wave the yellow beast by, listening as it roared into the distance. The Mustang enriched the lives of all those gathered for just a few moments.

Finally, this weekend gave my father the opportunity to take his classic 911 (993 targa, if you’re interested) out for one last spin. He’d faithfully packed it away as soon as the first leaves fell, packing it away in the garage under a blanket and hooking it up to its battery life support system. But thanks to the sunshine, he was able to take it for one last spin along the country lanes, and it was brilliant.

So really, there are still a lot of people out there who really love cars. And despite the increasing sense that liking anything on four wheels is a bad idea these days, it seems that petrol headed-ness is still in full swing.

And if anyone tells you otherwise, just remember this: cars are forever being blamed for the miracle of global warming. Greenpeace and other terrorist organisations like to claim that because you like to take your old MG out on a Sunday morning, the Earth will melt and many baby seals will die. They say the effects of all our terrible emissions will be catastrophic.

Yet I didn’t see them complaining about the nice weather we’ve been having this weekend, the warmest start to October since 1895. In fact, I think we can safely say that it’s thanks to petrol heads that you were able to do some sunbathing this weekend.

You’re welcome.

~ by darrenmoss on October 2, 2011.

Posted in Motoring Columns