If you would like to revive your interest in history, then come on down to London! There is something about the city that brings back the enthusiasm you once had for history. You'll see the city in its full iconic automotive glory when you visit the annual event of Regent Motor Show. This vintage car rally flags off from London all the way to Brighton. The Regent street's classic architecture and the victorian garb of the revered car owners, complimented the theme of the motor show. The event was my personal European time portal.
Nature seemed to admire the gathering of a mere 500 people around these Victorian cars and gifted London with unusually clear skies. The sun's soft rays shone upon the rusty metal and warmed the hearts of wood carriages. The men and women were dressed in Victorian gowns and tall hats and kids learnt a thing or two about the cars that their great-grandfathers once drove. The leaked engine oil and fuel vapours that fused into the air gave the air a pleasant aroma. The entire setting was romanticized.
Most of the manufacturers on display were unknown to me. At the entrance of the street, the passionate owner of the 1901 and 1903 Renaults shed light on the art and beauty of coachbuilding. In his deeply insightful voice, he talked to us about how most of the cars on display have the same 1 or 2 cylinder sub-10 HP engines. He also told us that no two cars have the same body work! It is important to realise that this was a time when car manufacturers only made the powertrain and the chassis, commissioning the body work to various other coachbuilding firms. This philosophy, not only allowed different car companies to have vibrant and unique design languages, but also allowed for the same car to have different personalities. It was as if you could dress up and groom the same car in different attires for different occasions. This might be difficult to relate to- especially if you're from the generation where mass-production is name of the game. The magnificence and attention to detail in some of these cars just cannot be replicated, and, I say this with a certain degree of vehemence.
Merely owning a car in the early 20th century involved a sense of pride. However, the real pride comes from commandeering it. The owners talk about how the fuel flow, valve timing, spark ignition and oil levels have to be preset by the various levers and pedals around the large wooden steering wheel for different driving conditions. You might underestimate how difficult this can be as any incorrect setting could result in the engine blowing out. At that moment, the only rescue service available might have been the horse you recently estranged after you bought your car.
One can then say that a fair amount of technical know-how about the car was required before it was purchased. The manufacturers understood the customers' technical intelligence and eventually, this would create a market for breakthrough innovation (The same cannot be said for American manufacturers though. Check out the description for the 1903 Cadillac below). Take, for example, the 1903 Renault. This car pioneered the use of telescopic suspensions as the wheel rims itself. Ingenious. Another example would be the 1901 'International Charette', which is one of the only three belt driven cars in existence today. The likes of White Motor Company boasted of their steam powered vehicles, which in all its complexity, looked profoundly majestic.
Having said all that, I would give the Mercedes 1904 the "best car of the event" award. While most of the car manufacturers were still experimenting, Mercedes set a standard through this 1904 model-a standard that is used even to this day. It is the genesis of modern personal transportation; the automotive stencil that other companies blindly borrowed. With an advanced chassis layout, a honeycomb radiator, vertical 4-cylinder front mounted engine coupled to a 4 speed gearbox with H-pattern gear change, it was (and I quote) "a quantum leap forward in automotive design that outdistanced itself from other cars in the market".
As I passed through the Peugeots, Knox and Darracqs and Cadillacs, my appreciation for the progressive evolution of engineering intensified. My pace slowed down and my thoughts deepened (Insert Frederic Chopin music here).
Suddenly my time portal went berserk and I was catapulted into the future. The machines I was surrounded by reminded me of Tesla's introduction to AC current when society was just getting used to lightbulbs. My eyes were blinded by lights that seemed to dazzle from inside the cars, and I shut my ears to this strange electric whizzing sound they emitted. It was as if a flash grenade was thrown right next to me and I couldn't run away (Insert Electronic/Rave music here).
What I am ranting about here is that car manufacturers like Tesla, BMW, Renault had set up their latest offerings for display right after the vintage car zone. This sudden break in time caught me off-guard. For a classic car connoisseur, I had gotten comfortable with those Victorian cars more than I should have; the sudden leap in time and technology took a while for my eyes and ears to adjust. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly fascinated by the modern hybrid and electric vehicles, but, it felt like I was woken up from my dreamy trance without prior warning.
What I am ranting about here is that car manufacturers like Tesla, BMW, Renault had set up their latest offerings for display right after the vintage car zone. This sudden break in time caught me off-guard. For a classic car connoisseur, I had gotten comfortable with those Victorian cars more than I should have; the sudden leap in time and technology took a while for my eyes and ears to adjust. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly fascinated by the modern hybrid and electric vehicles, but, it felt like I was woken up from my dreamy trance without prior warning.
Unmistakably though, the older age group was mesmerised by the BMW i3 and Model S as much as I was by the 1902 Panhard-Levassor and the Cadillacs. Some of them, ingenuous at best, even asked the Tesla salesmen where the engine for the Model S was. But their questions probably weren't as silly as mine were to the owner of the 1904 De Dion Bouton- "What is the fuel economy for a typical car like yours?". Even the timing of my question was bad, as he seemed to be more interested in his 21st century fast-food while sitting in the back of his 110 year old car. Talk about the generation gap!