Classic Cars Script:

What is the future looking like for our classic cars? Why do
classic cars still need to be around? What is behind the
current craze for classic cars? These are all questions that
need to be answered, with classic cars being the latest buzz,
for all car enthusiasts.

To all listeners, hello and welcome to the pilot episode of

‘The Fast Lane,’: a podcast with a passion for cars. I am your
host Charlotte Baker and across all episodes, I will be
discussing several sub-topics circulating cars and answering
the biggest questions that people may have surrounding them.

Today we start with our first episode: ‘Classic Cars – The

Recent Craze,’ where I will be answering those all-important
questions that need answers, as well as getting to the bottom
of what this ‘recent craze’ is all about. In order to help me
answer these questions, I will also be talking to a few
special guests, including independent car audio and car
security specialist John Kleis and a friend of mine, David
Didziulis, who is a classic car enthusiast.

Firstly, I wanted to really delve in to what was determined by

‘Classic Car,’ so that there is a clear picture to what is
being spoken about. As a result, I did some research and found
that a classic car doesn’t really contain a specific
definition, however there are a few unspoken rules, when it
comes to determining what would really make it as one.
However, ultimately there are a few factors that really help
justify what would be classed as a classic car. These factors
include:

1. Rarity – A classic car is one that is rarely seen on the

roads and are out of production
2. Value – Rather than with ordinary cars, the value of
classic cars is slowly increasing or remaining static, as
opposed to decreasing over time.
3. Wow Factor - Certain factors that really make a classic
car stand out include style, engineering, marque, history
and personality.
4. Nostalgia - These classic cars for some people are what
they grew up with and what helped them first start to
appreciate cars. They're an emotional attachment.

Despite nostalgia being a huge factor that helps make classic

cars so unique, I feel like it’s not only felt by classic car
owners, but felt by those younger classic car fans. Here to
talk more about classic cars and their popularity among the
younger generation is David Didzilius.
Building on to what David said, I wanted to make it my aim to
discover what it really is that makes classic cars so popular.
I created a list of several factors and wanted to use this to
help establish a definitive answer. Many of these are linked
to the factors that make a classic car, a classic car, however
I think this shows how unique and special they are. The fact
that the definition of the classic car is what makes it so
popular just shows how timeless and fascinating they are.

Popularity with classic cars could be down to several reasons,

but I did some research and selected a few that stood out to
people, when it comes to what particularly draws them to these
spectacular mechanisms.

The first factor that I think makes them so popular is the

design and how much it differs to standard cars you find on
the road nowadays. We need to realise that classic cars were
designed in a society where pencil and paper was the main
basis for generating design ideas. This enabled designers to
create beautiful flowing shapes that Computer Aided Design
would struggle to replicate, therefore allowing creativity to
flow and allowing the car to reflect the designer’s nature.
Simple factors that could affect classic car range from the
mood of the designer or trends and influences at the time.
Prime examples of this include the Jaguar XK120 and the
Ferrari 250 GTO. The smallest details such as metal framework
had great influence on the final car’s structure, displaying
the lengths that the simplicity of pencil and paper could
allow you to reach.

Another way in which classic cars popularity built up over

time was also the character that could easily be developed
through the design. When you look at cars now, you realise the
taxing effect that endless lines of robots and factory
machines has had on today’s automobiles, stripping them of
their identity, creating soulless and dull final products.
This differs greatly to the incredible craftmanship behind
classic cars, which counter today’s main worries of
efficiency, profit and meeting targets. Instead, the
definition of classic cars emerged from the times where well-
designed cars, built with care originated.

Mechanically, modern systems are designed to aid safety and

improve efficiency, stripping the vehicles of their character
and taking away the intricacy of the delicate thousands of
individual parts needed to create the classic car. Classics
are designed so that the driver can get a desired output,
providing an authentic experience, which is irreplaceable.
Once achieved for the first time, the feeling is far more
rewarding and satisfying than driving modern cars. This
encourages the purchasing of classics, since this feeling is
something petrol heads thrive off of, something that no modern
car can replicate.

A huge factor helping the popularity of classic cars is the

individuality they hold. As mentioned, the style and design
are so unique and special compared to what’s on offer today.
What’s more, these cars are only on limited production lines,
therefore making them even more iconic. No money can buy this
experience, due to this limitation, but also due to the fact
that finding someone who would be willing to sell you theirs
in the first place. Owning a classic has become a culture,
meaning that owners gain great satisfaction, when showing off
their cars, reflecting them as a person and their own taste.

In order to hear it first hand from an enthusiast, who is also

an expert on classic cars, I decided to speak to automobile
audio and security specialist John Kleis. He is going to tell
us more about the individuality and uniqueness of classic cars
and how he feels this shapes their popularity.

Insert John K Interview

Towards the end of the conversation with John, I began to

think about the greatness of classic cars and their many
advantages, however a part of me still wonders about their
future.

As we discussed and as I previously mentioned, classic cars

are so unique and play such a huge part in society, This is
not only the case for car lovers but as a society in Great
Britain, we must realise how important they really are to us.
It is estimated that the classic car industry is worth around
£5.5 billion, so losing them would be a huge loss to everyone.
We must ensure that we keep our classic cars, especially with
the rise of electric cars in our roads and the demand to
reduce our petrol and diesel emissions.

With the feeling of driving in a classic being irreplaceable,

it will be difficult to recreate this, but classic car
manufacturers are desperate to keep this momentum going, as
well as sticking to new regulations that could be put in place
to prevent classics from hitting the road. Both Jaguar and
Aston Martin have decided to combat the concept of classic
cars being left to experience days only, by converting
classics to EVs. This means that it would preserve the classic
cars, by also allowing the driver to feel the same sonar
experience, due to the fact that the self-contained cell,
providing electricity will be sitting on top of the gearbox
and engine mounting. This process is still greatly in infant
production, with costs still being uncertain, however it’s a
definite possibility.

Overall, the magic and spectacle that classic cars provide is

a feeling like no other. With their style, individuality,
character and clever mechanisms, it’s no wonder that they’re
so popular. With an uncertain future ahead for our beloved
vehicles, there is still hope, with developments in progress
that will enable us to try and keep the experiences the same.
As of now though, it’s fair to say that classic cars are the
craze and for all the right reasons!