Unrestored is top nowadays. Cars and motorbikes that bear the burden of years at the latest - RECOVERY: have patina - are often worth more than restored ones
At least: More is paid for it
A car or motorcycle that has been used for more than half a century bears the mark. And then we are not talking about a Rolls from 1954 that has only had two owners since its purchase and has not yet driven an 25.000 mile. Although such a find is also not without value or charm.
We are talking about classics where you can see that they have lived. That they may have been waiting for new opportunities in a southern French or Portuguese shed for the past thirty years. The weathered, dull, possibly because of polished paint, the weathered interior, the dry rubbers ... All this is currently highly appreciated. In fact, the trend is so serious that a lot of money is being invested in making classic cars and motorcycles as 'authentic' as possible and making them seem ravaged by the ravages of time. Sprayers can brush paint so brilliantly that they can spray worn spots and 'rust'.
Little news under the sun
In that respect, there is little new under the sun. A few years ago the owner of a brand new Range Rover, Hummer or other Jeep-like could take his 4WD to a company where the car was so damaged that it seemed as if he had come to bounce over the Himalayas. The applied mud was fixed with matte clear varnish ...
But a real authentic find? It has its charm. And its limitations. Because such a car is unprotected against rust. And here in NL, he can already suffer seriously within half a year from such a brutal excess. Furthermore, the technical state of maintenance is generally in accordance with the appearance. The block, the radiator, the hoses and cabling, the bushes of the suspension, the body, the synchromesh rings of the body, the cross piece of the cardan, these are all points for attention. All things that, if they need to be sorted out, can make the case run smoothly.
Unrestored: a fashion phenomenon?
In the end you have a classic that is technically okay, but doesn't look good. And that can't be more than a fashion whim? Classics that have been over-restored have lost their soul. But classics that are cherished in a state of outward decay are the other extreme.
