Why do we buy new cars? We really don’t need them. We can satisfy all our needs for transportation with classic cars and old trucks. Well, maybe not all but most of them.
Of course we can’t just get rid of our new car factories, since they employ millions of people and they are very important to our economy. But some of us really don’t need new cars or trucks.
What do our classic vehicles have that compare them or even put them ahead of the newly manufactured ones? First there’s simplicity. Classic cars and old trucks don’t have all the computers that are found today in the newer cars. These computers offer comfort, safety and even economy but they are too complicated and don’t last very long. What new car or truck would be working 10 years from now? Very few if any at all… Many classic cars and old trucks, however have been on the road for 40, 50 or more years and they will certainly keep going for many more decades. They are simple, tough and reliable.
We buy new cars for their looks. In fact, many buyers of new cars don’t care at all if their new vehicles will last more than three or four years. They buy them for their looks, most of all and may end up buying a car or truck that gets lost in a crowd of vehicles which all look almost exactly alike. In fact, if today’s cars didn’t have their brand name on them you wouldn’t be able to identify them. They all look so much alike that it’s difficult to say which is which…
Well, the classics certainly have looks. They are very much different and they are attention grabbers. In three or four years they won’t be old clunkers but even more classic and even more different and better looking than the rest. Keep your classic car or old truck in good shape and you’ll be the envy of everybody around you.
What about economy? Certainly today’s small cars are more economical but they lack some qualities that classic cars and old trucks have. They don’t last long, they have little space inside, they are sluggish, noisy, light and dangerous. Expensive too, compared to what you may pay for a classic car or old truck in good condition. As for economy, if you drive sensibly you will not complain about the mileage in a classic vehicle.
Comfort? You can have any classic car or old truck with air conditioning, electric windows and door locks, remote locking, a good sound system and so on. And it’s so easy to sound proof our classic cars and old trucks that they may become even quieter than most modern cars or trucks.
Safety is a problem area for classic cars and old trucks. They don’t have airbags, ABS brakes and crumple zones in their bodies. But you can improve their performance in some of these areas. Seat belts may be installed in any car and disc brake kits are available for the front and the rear wheels. You can also improve the safety and the quality of their ride with modern suspension systems that are available for almost any make and model of classic car or old truck. Other than that, driving carefully will do a lot for your safety and the safety of other drivers around you. I mean, even if you have airbags, ABS brakes and electronic everything you still have to drive carefully, right?
And let’s be honest now about “owning” a new car or truck. You don’t really own your vehicle if you’ve borrowed money to buy it and haven’t paid the bank. And you don’t own it if you have leased it. I own my 1954 Chevy truck and nobody can touch it! It’s been mine for almost 20 years and it will be mine for a long time.
A classic car or old truck is not a debt but an investment. New cars lose value. Classic cars and old trucks gain value as the years go by.
There are more reasons why you should consider having a classic car or old truck but I think these are enough to provoke some thoughts from my readers. Let me know what you think by sending me your comments.
Old Trucks 
