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| Triumph - 1954 |
Beginning in the 1890s, racing automobiles
was a way for companies to promote the sale of their
vehicles to wealthy sportsmen owning a horse and buggy.
Cars made a personal statement of wealth. They were
challenging, fun to drive and provided the excitement
of speed. Watching race car drivers have serious fun
with their machines enthralled auto enthusiasts the
world over. Sports cars put those enthusiasts into a
"race car" that they could drive on the road.
From the American Stutz Bearcat, British Bentley 3 Liter
to the French Bugatti Type 55, sports cars throughout
the world were created that we now shower large amounts
of money on in an effort to capture their racing history.
Few of us can own those pre World War II cars unless
we purchased them years before they were in vogue. They
are now highly sought after investments.
The end of the War brought forth a surge of exports
from Britain, Germany and Italy to the U.S.A. to help
them pay off some of their war debt. G.I.'s returning
home were lured by the sporty machines and their low
cost and shipped them over in great numbers. Sports
car clubs began popping up initially in New England
and California and spread throughout the U.S. The Sports
Car Club of America introduced club sports car racing
and, as Air Force bases closed after the end of the
War, runways were converted to race tracks. Concours
and tours became increasingly popular. Today we enjoy
these cars as everyday transportation.
The popularity of sports cars has always been dependent
on their costs. They are not as attractive if you do
not have the extra cash to spend on one, if you have
children, or if the cost of gasoline is high. They are
meant for fun and transportation and fun often takes
a back seat to transportation.
We are currently going through poor economic times but
things change. In the 1970s and 1980s the currency exchange
rate of the US dollar was much like it was in the period
after WWII when overseas goods (cars for example) were
cheap. During these periods we saw sport cars and collector
cars pour into America. Many collectors including me
were buying bargain cars from Europe and selling them
right back (to them) many years later when the market
situation reversed. I love telling the story of the
two Aston Martins I bought in 1974 and 1975 from England
for a total of less than $5000 including shipping. In
1989 I sold both cars together to a collector in Germany
for a total of over $100,000. The cars were in the same
condition as when I purchased them and maintenance had
been minimal. So fun can also be a great investment.
We are now at the beginning of a new cycle as we see
the economic decline of Europe. Again, overseas (i.e.
"overseas" for U.S. customers) are just beginning
to become less expensive. As this continues, Europeans
will soon be selling off their goods to create cash
in order to survive. History keeps repeating itself.
Their collectibles can become our collectibles if we
take advantage of these opportunities. America has the
strength and ability to remain strong in the long run.
When Europe recovers years from now, they will have
the advantage again. But now it is our time. Prepare
by doing your research and decide what it is that you
would like to own by purchasing sports car literature
that puts you in the driver's seat.
A sample of literature available at McLellan's Automotive
History www.mclellansautomotive.com
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