A new generation is picking up the spanner!

After our article about the new generation of pre-war car rescuers, we received a lot of response for the 2015 calendar (and you can still send in your photos to [email protected]).
A chap in his early thirties thought he was probably the youngest nutter in the hobby, but hey read about Tom Barrett. He writes: "I am a 14 year old enthusiast coming 15 this weekend. I am doing construction, sports, history and all the main subjects in Wolgarston high school in Penkride. The amazing fun family tradition started with my Great Grandad, Tommy Barrett.

He was a scrap man, scrapping the Rolls Royce Ghosts when they weren't as expensive, he used to drive a 1947 V8 flathead ford Thames. Next it is my Grandad, Anthony Barrett, who is a vintage and classic specialist with a big collection of vehicles, he also is a scrapman and mechanic. After it is my Dad Anthony Barrett jr with a ( edit. Bentley) 4 litre in a 4 and a half chassis, he is a mechanic like my Grandad. Next it is me, an enthusiast looking for a project. I caught the bug when I joined the Bentley club in 2008.

I have had an Austin 7 project before but after I put the chassis all together I found out it was too late for vscc trials. I help my Dad with the Bentley when I'm able to, so I can build my knowledge of vintage and veteran I have read books like Bentley 50 years of Marque, the Vintage Years, Austin 7 specials bill Williams."

Thumbs up to you Tom! Looking forward to hear more from you in future.

Pubblicato:

sabato ottobre 4th, 2014

Sconosciuto

08 Ottobre 2014, 11:15

I think my comment is being misunderstood. It's great that younger people get mechanical training and learn how to work on their cars. I do believe that all old car enthusiasts should know how they work and what may go wrong. However, we are all different and not everyone sees working on the cars as a particularly pleasurable activity, whereas other people work on them, never drive them and then sell them when there is no more work to do! I am simply saying that there is room for those not so inclined- they should not be discouraged because practical engineering is never going to be their interest.

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Sconosciuto

08 Ottobre 2014, 01:11

I am a prewar car nut in his early thirties. I am glad to see that their are some younger people. I was brought up around the cars and will continue to try and get younger people involved. Also, my dad worked on all his cars. That is why I am interested in the cars. I would encourage all car nuts to get some mechanical training. Modern auto techs are trained to replaced parts, so the skills for working on old cars are disappearing.

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Sconosciuto

05 Ottobre 2014, 15:55

Good for Tom. Each to his own, Ralph, some of us do like the spanners, some don't. What concerns me about the hobby is that there are fewer and fewer Dads around who work on their own cars, which is how many of my generation were infected by the bug in the first place. I don't have any idea what goes on under the bonnet of my modern car but watched my old Dad under the Morris Ten and then the Traction Avant that replaced it. Now that cars don't need a decode every 20,000 miles and a bottom end job every other decode how are the younger generation going to get infected?

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Sconosciuto

05 Ottobre 2014, 14:48

It's great that young Tom is 'picking up the spanner', but I'm a bit concerned about the assumption that this is essential to interest in the pre- war enthusiasm. The truth is that I've had a pre war car for nearly all my 50 years as a motorist, yet have never really enjoyed the 'out and under' thing. I am really more of a historian with a huge interest in every aspect of the pre war scene (which is why I comment on many subjects on here). Of course I know how things work and can do all the basic stuff, and rather more, but I prefer driving the cars and--err--polishing them! Today a whole industry supports the hobby and very useable cars can still be had for modest money.- so I would encourage people like me as well as all the budding master mechanics.

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A new generation is picking up the spanner!

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