Calling All British Cars!

I often think about all of the good times I've had with my little British car over the years, and like a lot of people, I can't imagine being without it today. There's no better feeling than heading out the door on a beautiful summer morning, and rolling the car out of the garage to prepare it for an entertaining seat-of-the-pants drive. First I take a look at all of the important vitals by checking the crankcase oil, tire pressure, oil level in the dashpots, and making sure all of the lights work. Then I wash off the accumulated garage dust, dry it off, and then hop into the drivers seat to prepare for my journey. I pull the choke knob, switch the ignition key, and then push the starter button to get things underway. I can now feast my ears to the wonderful burbling sound of the engine.

Once the heat from the engine has warmed the oil in the dashpots, I'm heading off for a beautiful drive in the country to wake up the cows, chickens, roosters, and horses, so they can begin their day too. Before I know it, I'm discovering some of the many seldom traveled roads and exploring the many hidden places that I never knew existed. By the time I return home several hours later, I'm a totally rejuvinated man, and I'm ready for another adventure!

By the end of the driving season, especially here in the northern states, we tend to take our little British cars for granted because we've already forgotten what life was like without them. In most cases we have to store our cars in a garage during the winter months because we can't fathom the thought of subjecting them to the nasty road salt, or allowing them to slip and slide into something that might cause them harm. To help us cope with this lack of driving time during the off season, we spend a lot of our spare time reading books and magazines about our cars, and we also take the time to work on them to prepare them for the next anticipated driving season.

There have been a lot of changes within the British car industry thoughout the years. Some of those changes have been good, and some have not been good. The original manufacturers produced some very interesting and entertaining cars for all of us to drive and enjoy, and they have provided us with a lot of rich and interesting automotive history to learn about. But the other side of the coin is not so good. Most of those original British car companies have stopped producing these wonderful cars, and that has left us with a lack of crucial support.

Fortunately, after the manufacturers stopped producing cars and parts, there were others who noticed the urgency to pick up where they left off, and quickly came to the rescue to help us keep our cars on the road. Those people have done a superb job of manufacturing and supplying quality parts for our cars, and if it weren't for their much needed efforts, our hobby wouldn't be as we know it today. Many have written books, numerous clubs have been formed, and others have made their livelihood making sure our cars stay on the road. Our little British cars are an American icon. An icon that we all need to help preserve for years to come and enable others to enjoy them as we have.

Many of the people who own British cars today, do so because they were attracted to them during the car's production years many years ago. Maybe it was a family member or a neighbor, or maybe they noticed them driving on the streets of their town. Whatever the case may be, they had the opportunity to see and admire these cars, and then decided they'd like to own one for themselves someday. But what about the next generation? These cars are getting older, and they're no longer a popular subject in today's most read car magazines. Will there be anyone to continue maintaining these cars in the years to come? This may not be of importance to some people today, but when I'm too old to enjoy my car many years from now, I'd like to be able to sell it to an enthusiastic wide-eyed whipper snapper who will treasure it and care for it, and carry on the fine tradition of classic British motoring. Having to turn the car over to some guy driving a truck with a hook on the back, and then hauling it to a scary place is a thought I'd rather not think about!!

During recent times, classic British cars are rarely seen on the roads, and when they are, it's usually only when there is a British car gathering somewhere in the area. Then, with the exception of a few, most of them are put away and covered up until the next year when there is a reason to drive them. Unfortunately, lack of exercise has adverse effects on the car, just like our bodies. After sitting idle too long, the battery drains, seals dry up, tires go flat, the gasoline gets stale, and the next thing you know, the owner rolls the car into a dark and scary corner and decides to deal with it later.....bad decision. Well, now there's a new reason to drive your British car!!

British Car "Drivers" Week was initiated during the springtime of 1997 as an awareness week for those who never get the chance to see these wonderful, charming cars on the roads. British Car Week is also a commemoration to all British cars and their owners who have so proudly maintained them over the years, thus allowing the rest of us to enjoy them and listen to that magical sound burbling from out of the tail pipes. British Car "Drivers" Week is an awareness week that takes place during the last full week of May every year. This is a time when British car owners can get their cars out on the roads in full-force and provide the opportunity for all of those wide-eyed whipper snappers to see and hear what these old British cars are all about. And maybe, just maybe a few of them might have that same exciting gleam in their eye's that we had many years ago when we decided to get involved with this wonderful fulfilling hobby.

So during British Car Week, take the time to dust off your little car, and drive it for all to see and appreciate. Take the long way to wherever you are going. Slow down, smell the exhaust, and take the time to appreciate your car, its heritage, and your surroundings. Take the time to show it off! Answer questions from that curious little kid down the street that always watches you and your car as you drive by. Help another British car enthusiast get his or her car on the road. If your car isn't quite ready for the road, then pull it out onto the driveway and work on it, and get it ready for next year. Give it some kind of exposure to the rest of the world, and it just might catch the eye of another budding British car enthusiast. This is our chance to try and recreate the days when these cars were a much more common sight on the roads.

So put on your goggles and driving gloves, and be sure to top off those dashpots! It's time to have some fun!

See you on the road......