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The Renaissance of Vintage

It seems that we can barely turn a page of a magazine, a street corner or a wheel without being reminded that ‘Vintage’ is the latest thing … everything from interior design to clothing has seen an upsurge in Vintage, but just what does Vintage encapsulate?

vintage car

Vintage is about the original, the long-forgotten and the unique style that only a truly original item can bring.​

This isn’t about retro, distressed or shabby-chic; they’re all taking new items and making them look old, giving them a lived-in look – making them something that they’re not.

Vintage is about the original, the long-forgotten and the unique style that only a truly original item can bring.​

Why ​Driving a Vintage Car is Sexy : The Renaissance of Vintage

The Original Vintage Collectors

Of course, there has always been a vintage movement among gearheads, but these tend to be one of two groups; rich older guys looking to reclaim some of their youth, or guys still living with their folks and consider a 1972 Ford Fairlane as the pinnacle of the American automotive industry.

But there is a middle ground, and it’s thanks to companies like Fiat that regular guys are switching on to it.

Retro designs are coming thick and fast, and they’re OK, but for true originality, snappy and sex appeal, you need the genuine article.​

Pop Culture Heroes

vintage car

You want sex appeal? Is there any one thing or person classier than James Bond driving a vintage Aston Martin DB5?

And it doesn’t even matter which Bond; Sean Connery or Daniel Craig (we won’t mention the others) – they are the ultimate in chic.

​Is it a surprise to hear that Steve McQueen was a major gearhead with some of the finest vintage cars?

No, because he was the King of Cool; women loved him and men wanted to be him.

Yeah, sure you can get modern cars that go-faster, handle better, give great gas mileage, but they’re like wearing a pair of Nike’s in a world full of classic handmade Brogues; they do a great job of everything apart from looking stylish.​

Style VS Practicality

vintage car

And that’s the point; you wouldn’t wear a pair of tennis shoes or sneakers for style, you’d wear them for comfort, it’s the same with vintage motoring – you want the ultimate in dapper, you drive a vintage car.

Leave the Honda / Mazda / Escalade for when you want something practical that will transport you and your date in relative comfort without the fear of it going wrong.

But if it’s a first date … Imagine it like a wrist-watch; a Chopard Mille Miglia or a $5 drugstore special?

They both do the same thing, but one is infinitely more stylish than the other.​

The Vintage Style

Truth be told, it doesn’t have to be a certain age for it to be cool and sexy, but loud, brash and ‘monied’ aren’t prerequisites either.

​There are a number of contemporary cars that could pull-off the look, that would accessorize the perfect style that we’re striving for, but they don’t have the soul of something vintage.

The very essence of cool, vintage motoring is the details that make it completely original; paintwork with decades of wear, the patina on the leather, even the smell makes it completely unique, you should even consider fitting vintage car tyres for that genuine look.

It’s the smaller details that make the car feels right and more appealing.

Think of the vintage car as the final piece of your outfit; if you’re laying on the style, you wouldn’t miss the cuff-links out, perhaps a dab of cologne and some clean boxers if you’re hoping to get lucky.

It’s the same with the car, it just finishes off the ensemble.​

Celebrity Cool Guys

You may be forgiven in thinking that eco-mobiles are all the rage, after all, you’ll see many a celebrity advocating them, but these celebs have a secret..,

Most of them have a vintage car or two, tucked away somewhere for when they just want to hang-out and be normal.

Better yet, while one or two succumb to having them restored to factory-fresh, the majority of them are completely unrestored and used – they don’t just get waxed and shown-off.​

​We aren’t talking about the car collectors like Jerry Seinfeld, Ralph Lauren or Jay Leno – they’re collecting cars because they love cars.

We’re talking about people like Ewan McGregor, David Beckham or Nick Cage who are buying these cars because they’re simply nifty.

They aren’t telling the world what money they have, they’re showing us just what it means to be cool and stylish.

Budget RESTRICTIONS

This isn’t about driving a Ferrari California, original Ford Mustang Mach 1 or Lamborghini Miura, although any of those vehicles would sit happily in our dream garage, it’s about the sense of style that only something vintage can bring.

It doesn’t matter if you have $5,000 or $150,000, choosing a vintage car tells the world that you aren’t just a regular Acura driver, that you’re different and that you know how to show the world.

Ben Affleck’s choice of wheels is a 1972 Cadillac Sedan De Ville, hardly classic Porsche 550 Spyder territory, but he isn’t driving it to make a statement, at least not that sort of statement.

Until last year, Ewan McGregor had a 1960 Volkswagen Beetle, only sold to make room for “another vintage toy”.

To conclude..

Growing a hipster beard and wearing a tight t-shirt to show off your gym work is so last year, if you’re looking for that final piece of style and coolness, then owning a vintage car is the way forward; if it’s something quirky or kooky (see McGregor’s Beetle) then there’s bonus points from the opposite sex for daring to show your artistic side

What do you think?

Written by Terrence Kennedy

Terrence Kennedy is the man’s man on a journey to self-discovery. A traveler, extreme sports aficionado, an observant wanderer, a DIY-Know-How, an ultimate outsider and a documentarist of culture, sex, dating, relationship, fashion, style and gentleman's etiquette. He has learned a lot through his escapades, and is happy to pass that knowledge on to you.