Cars We Drive!

[Blackhood]

I imagine it starts by accident. You get a big bonus cheque when you're doing well, and you pick up the new Ferrari, but you don't want to sell the Porsche you've been driving. Now you have two. The winds blow your way and you've got another cheque and you see an E-Type Jaguar and you imagine how wonderful it would be to own that, so you get it. You still love the Ferrari and the Porsche, and you don't need the money, so you stick them in a nice garage next to your S Class. Within 6 months the guy who sold you the Jag mentions he's found an Aston martin DB5 from the same year. Your business is thriving so you agree that it's a sound investment and a beautiful thing to own.

Suddenly you're a collector. When you've got the money not to worry about insurance costs, maintenance and storage there's nothing to stop you just buying more cars.

I know I do the same with computers - I must have 15 computers laying around the house from an original raspberry Pi to ultrabooks and gaming computers.

 

[culverwood]

Another article on the Lauren collection.

 

[horndog]



I'd never collect like either of these guys even if I had the dough. Always struck me as kind of a waste not using them.

I would buy nice cars I would use hard and just appall the **** out of everyone when they have birdshit on them and need cleaning and stuff. Hell, I'd stick snow tires on an LFA and drive it around in winter if it still wouldn't be a death sentence.

Some people have the collector's bug and some don't. My brother collects tons of **** from vintage star wars toys to vintage guitar equipment, and then builds shrines to them so that he can practice idol worship. I've always found it boring. You buy some things and stick them in a room and they collect dust.

 

[Dino944]

I'd never collect like either of these guys even if I had the dough. Always struck me as kind of a waste not using them.

I would buy nice cars I would use hard and just appall the **** out of everyone when they have birdshit on them and need cleaning and stuff. Hell, I'd stick snow tires on an LFA and drive it around in winter if it still wouldn't be a death sentence.

I think they both drive and use their cars a fair amount. Leno's Lamborghini Countach had about 70,000 miles on it a few years ago.

I think buying and driving the **** out of a car is a great idea in terms of maximizing your enjoyment, but its easier to do with modern cars. These guys are probably limited by the sheer number of cars they have, their actual time available to drive them, and probably collector car insurance restrictions (some policies don't let you drive cars to work, to run errands, or to anything except car events/shows/service to limit the exposure to them paying expensive repairs). Not to mention, once you are talking about vintage cars, especially Ferraris they just aren't that practical or easy to drive, resulting in them not being the owner's choice for puttering around town to do errands. I've driven vintage Porsche 911s and Ferraris and while they are a lot of fun to drive, they are high effort cars to drive. When you get to your destination you feel like you've had a work out. Its much easier to drive a modern sports car around town (with modern amenities, power steering, and a more conventional seating position), not to mention its easier to repair/replace if it gets damaged.

 

[ramuman]

I can completely see collecting things. If I ever make it, I want to have a room that's sort of a pathetic collection of things. The original white ceramic Intel 4004 microprocessor, one of the original first 50 MacIntosh 128ks, one of the F2004 Schumacher Ferraris (McLaren hoards the Senna cars), yada yada.

The Smithsonian has the US Constitution, the Wright Brothers Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module, the Enola Gay and other stuff that's not used today. Kennedy and Johnson space centers have the two complete Saturn Vs that never flew.

There's a coolness in appreciating history. I think Leno and Lauren do. So what if Leno doesn't DD his Miuras. For the engine love affair in the past few pages, the Gandini + the V12 should give you guys a boner which might last longer than 4 hours - keep your doctor on notice.

 

[HRoi]

Leno definitely drives his cars. Even those that stop working every couple of blocks. I lived in LA before and he was quite the spectacle

I totally get the collector mentality. I don't have the disposable income or the storage space to be a 'real' collector, but I've ended up with four cars in a household that needs to only use one per day. But i love the variety of driving experiences and probably would have more cars if I could find space for them.

It was actually a dream of mine since childhood, where I'd put all my matchbox cars in my fisher price garage and say "oh, what car do I feel like driving today "

 

[ramuman]



Leno definitely drives his cars. Even those that stop working every couple of blocks. I lived in LA before and he was quite the spectacle

I totally get the collector mentality. I don't have the disposable income or the storage space to be a 'real' collector, but I've ended up with four cars in a household that needs to only use one per day. But i love the variety of driving experiences and probably would have more cars if I could find space for them.

It was actually a dream of mine since childhood, where I'd put all my matchbox cars in my fisher price garage and say "oh, what car do I feel like driving today "

There was an interview in the New York Times with Seinfeld about his Mexico Blue 911 that he DD'ed and he had to pay 200k to get the garage spot and had to make a 10 point turn (exaggeration, but it was tough) to get out.

 

[ramuman]



Another article on the Lauren collection.

"Really, I don’t know if there are any cars left out there that I am crazy about." The cars he has acquired recently – a LaFerrari, two Porsche 918 and two McLaren P1

...

The reason there are two McLarens and two Porsches is simple. "I have two sons."

That's pretty baller - I think he'd have two LaFerraris, but couldn't get the allocation for the second. Small timer baller.

 

[jbarwick]

I can completely see collecting things. If I ever make it, I want to have a room that's sort of a pathetic collection of things. The original white ceramic Intel 4004 microprocessor, one of the original first 50 MacIntosh 128ks, one of the F2004 Schumacher Ferraris (McLaren hoards the Senna cars), yada yada.

The Smithsonian has the US Constitution, the Wright Brothers Flyer, the Apollo 11 command module, the Enola Gay and other stuff that's not used today. Kennedy and Johnson space centers have the two complete Saturn Vs that never flew.

There's a coolness in appreciating history. I think Leno and Lauren do. So what if Leno doesn't DD his Miuras. For the engine love affair in the past few pages, the Gandini + the V12 should give you guys a boner which might last longer than 4 hours - keep your doctor on notice.

Totally not car related but during Elementary school the pilot of the Enola Gay came and spoke with us. I think he lived in our city but it was about 20 years ago so I forget. As an adult, I feel like it would have been a fascinating talk but as I child I could not comprehend what happened during those flights. As some point the guy had enough and stopped doing talks.

As for collecting, I get the mentality. I collect those Starbucks mugs with cities on them wherever I go. It gives me a reminder of my trips all over while drinking my coffee.

 

[ramuman]



Totally not car related but during Elementary school the pilot of the Enola Gay came and spoke with us.  I think he lived in our city but it was about 20 years ago so I forget.  As an adult, I feel like it would have been a fascinating talk but as I child I could not comprehend what happened during those flights.  As some point the guy had enough and stopped doing talks. 

As for collecting, I get the mentality.  I collect those Starbucks mugs with cities on them wherever I go.  It gives me a reminder of my trips all over while drinking my coffee.  

I had the pleasure of meeting Van Kirk, who was the navigator of the Enola Gay and he talked about when they were training, they weren't told what they would be doing. They literally practiced by dropping tree logs. He was as down to Earth and justifiably unapologetic as you can imagine. He, along with Freebee and Parsons had to enable the bomb that would kill a bunch of people, but hopefully would end WW II - though it took the Bockscar team to ultimately do it with Nagasaki.

There is an amazing book on the topic. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684813785/theatomicarchive

The Enola Gay is just mesmerizing in person; anyone with a chance to visit it should do so.

 

[akatsuki]



I think they both drive and use their cars a fair amount. Leno's Lamborghini Countach had about 70,000 miles on it a few years ago.

I think buying and driving the **** out of a car is a great idea in terms of maximizing your enjoyment, but its easier to do with modern cars.  These guys are probably limited by the sheer number of cars they have, their actual time available to drive them, and probably collector car insurance restrictions (some policies don't let you drive cars to work, to run errands, or to anything except car events/shows/service to limit the exposure to them paying expensive repairs).  Not to mention, once you are talking about vintage cars, especially Ferraris they just aren't that practical or easy to drive, resulting in them not being the owner's choice for puttering around town to do errands.  I've driven vintage Porsche 911s and Ferraris and while they are a lot of fun to drive, they are high effort cars to drive. When you get to your destination you feel like you've had a work out.  Its much easier to drive a modern sports car around town (with modern amenities, power steering, and a more conventional seating position), not to mention its easier to repair/replace if it gets damaged.   

I've driven a fair number myself, and I suppose that is why I would probably buy very few "vintage classics". Old Ferraris are a pain ********** in so many ways (and don't even get me started on the one time I drove a Lambo Countach, that thing was ******* torture)

Some people have the collector's bug and some don't. My brother collects tons of **** from vintage star wars toys to vintage guitar equipment, and then builds shrines to them so that he can practice idol worship. I've always found it boring. You buy some things and stick them in a room and they collect dust.

I just don't like owning stuff that I am not using, and the "collector's bug" feels to me very much like my stuff owns me.

 

[jet]



Some people have the collector's bug and some don't. My brother collects tons of **** from vintage star wars toys to vintage guitar equipment, and then builds shrines to them so that he can practice idol worship. I've always found it boring. You buy some things and stick them in a room and they collect dust.

This is like most guys' in mc and their shoe collections with no wear or patina.

 

[jbarwick]

I had the pleasure of meeting Van Kirk, who was the navigator of the Enola Gay and he talked about when they were training, they weren't told what they would be doing. They literally practiced by dropping tree logs. He was as down to Earth and justifiably unapologetic as you can imagine. He, along with Freebee and Parsons had to enable the bomb that would kill a bunch of people, but hopefully would end WW II - though it took the Bockscar team to ultimately do it with Nagasaki.

There is an amazing book on the topic. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684813785/theatomicarchive

The Enola Gay is just mesmerizing in person; anyone with a chance to visit it should do so.

So the guy who lived near me was Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot, whose mom was Enola Gay Tibbets, who the plane was named after.

 

[ramuman]



So the guy who lived near me was Colonel Paul Tibbets, the pilot, whose mom was Enola Gay Tibbets, who the plane was named after.

No kidding. Proper Badass

 

[Find Finn]



This is like most guys' in mc and their shoe collections with no wear or patina.

Nike Hypebeasts.