Driving Older Cars: Light on Tech, Heavy on Fun
“There is no nanny system. It is just you and your steering wheel and your right foot and the road.”
Cars have never been more tolerant of the bone-headed driving mistakes — like speeding into a turn — that decades ago were likely to cause a crash. But there are drivers who still prefer the challenges and potential perils of the machines of the past, feeling that they provide a more pure driving experience.
There is a direct connection with way-back machinery that makes driving more satisfying, even though it isn’t easy …
Driving older machinery requires an understanding of handling that is harder to acquire now, thanks to superior vehicle engineering, including safety features like electronic stability control, which tries to stop a skid and put a vehicle back on course.
“The modern systems do so much, but in the old cars, you are the driver. You are in charge. You’ve got to know what you’re doing,” said Phil Bell, the owner of an auto repair shop in Bethlehem, N.H. Mr. Bell has a collection of 28 vehicles, mostly from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. They include a high-performance treasure, a 1967 Shelby GT500 version of the Ford Mustang.
(photo credit: John Tully for The New York Times)
