If you were to extract the spare change from between the
cushions of your couch and invest in a new Porsche 918 Spyder, then store it in
a climate controlled vault and let it simmer for fifty years, it should be
worth like a billion dollars. But unless cryonics becomes a legitimate option,
you would be long gone and a tube of Fluoride Crest would cost about a grand
anyway. And am I sure that would improve its value?
Last month at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia
there was a special event and demo; a magnificent and eclectic assortment of
racing sports cars you will not find anywhere else in the universe. The founder
and archivist is Dr. Frederick Simeone, a Neurological Surgeon by trade and
collector of some seriously fine automobiles in his spare time.
While touring the facility, you are immediately struck by
the condition of these rare and unique machines. They were not pristine as you
would have expected; none were on mirrored displays with halogen lights; some
were actually sitting on cardboard blotters collecting pools of leakage from
one orifice or another. Many are driven regularly and maintained as if they
have some place to go.
The museum is a nondescript space with a warehouse motif,
and at this moment you realize what makes it unlike any indoor display of cars
you’ve ever seen; It smells like your grandfather’s garage. Oil and gasoline,
dried rubber, corroded metal and aged leather permeate the structure. This is
not a place for spotless presentation.
Later people gathered behind the building for the demo. Dr.
Simeone spoke briefly about four Ferraris poised in front of us, and then drove
them around in the parking lot. Consider for a moment that just one of these
beauties is worth about 40 million. This would be something akin to busting out
the crown jewels and sporting them at brunch.
He described a philosophy and contrast of restoration and preservation. At first you would think it was rather silly; if you have the choice, don’t you want a museum piece in faultless condition like your Porsche 918 Spyder? But as you listened to him you realized what a noteworthy point he made. After all, what would hold more value… a car in almost sterile condition, or a living breathing organism carefully and meticulously cared for throughout its long and exceptional life?
He described a philosophy and contrast of restoration and preservation. At first you would think it was rather silly; if you have the choice, don’t you want a museum piece in faultless condition like your Porsche 918 Spyder? But as you listened to him you realized what a noteworthy point he made. After all, what would hold more value… a car in almost sterile condition, or a living breathing organism carefully and meticulously cared for throughout its long and exceptional life?
Each car bears its own history with a specific personality
and uniqueness. Whether an interesting racing ancestry or lineage of ownership,
every example is in some way exceptional. Would you repaint the Mona Lisa or
rebuild the Parthenon?
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