I’ve been enjoying my spurious stitching together of classic car ephemera with our national celebratory days. Hope you have too! So this month I shall continue.
By now you’ll all have enjoyed the long Easter weekend. You’ll be feeling a little queasy after the surfeit of chocolate you’ve consumed no doubt. But free days off work are always welcome. So long may the Easter Bank Holidays continue.
Hidden within of course are some religious messages. Lest we forget. Amongst the free time, copious chocolate and family feasting is the story of Christ’s death and resurrection. Easter eggs symbolise the empty tomb from which Jesus emerged. That’s why for many the symbolism of the egg at this time of year is important.
Easter, therefore, is at its core a story of renewal, rebirth and hope. Now how do I hop from that to cars while avoiding trivialisation?
Well, if we take the theme of rebirth and renewal as our central theme, then there is a story to tell. And it is one of hope too. You see, recently we have seen some examples of where long-forgotten car brands have been resurrected and have produced something new and wonderful.
Legendary marques that we thought we would not hear from again have returned from oblivion. In many ways, theirs is a little like the Easter story. Let’s have a look at some good examples.
The Bugatti Veyron
Bugatti is a mythical car brand known for its range of majestic, high-end machines. Beautiful in actuality and legend. A rival in reputation to Rolls Royce in luxury and prestige cars. Unhappily, the brand fell into disrepair when it was sold to Hispano Suiza in the sixties. Enter VW who bought the brand in 1998. Less than a decade later the Veyron emerged. A road-going supercar. Hair-partingly quick but with the road manners of a Toyota Corolla. The Bugatti brand has now moved onto the even more insane 1000hp Chiron. Where will it go next?
The Maybach
Another German luxury car brand that didn’t make it past WW2. Indeed it was the war that saw off many prestigious brands as their factories were pressed into making munitions. When the Daimler Group decided to resurrect Maybach, they stuck to the original brief. A sumptuous car with more gadgets than an overpaid millennial. Beloved of pound shop millionaires and almost always chauffer driven. If you can afford one, I have one question. Can I have a lift?
Lincoln
The Lincoln car brand was seared into the American psyche in November 1963. It was in a Lincoln Continental that JFK met his doom in Dallas. However, that didn't stop the brand falling into disrepair at the hand of marketers and seat of the pants corporate strategy. By the late nineties, Lincoln’s cars were perceived as gas-guzzling, badge engineered Fords. However, the brand is back and is as egregious as ever. Take for example the Lincoln Navigator. Favoured by Premiership footballers. It is a huge barge of an SUV that gets woeful gas mileage. Welcome back Lincoln!
Datsun
That’s now called Nissan you exclaim! Yes, you’re right. However, the Datsun brand is being brought back for a series of cheap cars in China. In doing this, the brand has gone full circle. Original Datsuns were cheap, reliable interlopers that gradually helped to destroy the UK car industry. Yes, they rusted enthusiastically. And yes, a rebrand to Nissan was required to relaunch what are today excellent cars. However, the Datsun brand still has a legion of fans, myself included. As a proud Datsun owner back in the day, I find this to be excellent news.
You’ll note I’ve excluded BMW Mini, Fiat 500 and the new Beetle. And don’t get me started on the new DS’. The list above is made up of cars that have retained the original USPs of the brand. Whether we like them or not they remain true to the ethos of the original cars. They’ve just been given a 21st-century spin. That’s a good thing!
I said this is a message of hope. Why? Well, there are many other treasured brands out there. To name a few, there’s Riley, Jowett, Morris, Austin, Sunbeam, and Singer. Maybe a dotcom billionaire will take pity, pick one of these up and do the necessary?
Let’s say my favourite; the Hillman Imp is chosen for rebirth. Great! I hope they stay true to form. It should be rhomboid-shaped, rear-engined, small and efficient. It would be great if it was made in Scotland and had a tendency to overheat the moment it crosses the English border. Every USP in place and no messing around with just the brand. Just as it should be.
When you think back, there are thousands of heritage brands that we no longer see. Products we remember fondly and would still buy if we could. From a simpler age where value for money and customer satisfaction was still important. Many will be up for sale if you’re so inclined!
I hope my missive has given you hope. That occasionally some treasured brands do come back and improve our lives once more. It that way they are at least tentatively like the story of Easter!
Happy classic motoring everyone
