"Hotted-up" Histories

“Hotted-up” Histories

May I use your pages to discuss the issues raised by the correspondence about the authenticity of historic racing, sports-racing and road sports cars? The dialogue between 0.6. 2., C.R. and Michael Bowler is really about two related subjects, which are related but must be distinguished. The question of true authenticity is one that should belch to philosophers, I suspect that there ix a mystical laying-on of hands regimed to make a can a true example slits rnarque. But the practical approach surely should thus damns is willing to spend the time and money to construct, say, a Maserati 250F which

by sight alone, could not distinguish from one. built in Modena, then good luck to him. I behcve only greed and a desire for exclusiveness, mauves Which have nothing to do with motor sPort as I know it, would object to this Practical aPProach. The second question raised by the current

correspondence is that of the desirability of improving cars beyond their “as built” condition and performance. This issue is the source of true controversy and, I believe, ultimate discredit to the mute of Historic Racing in all classes. The rule of thumb for determinthg a Car owner’s position on this subject is to ask him in what stage of tune his own race car is in; what he has done to hiatus, and no more, should be allowed to others. There are two factors relevant to this issue: 1) Bad cars drive out good; i.e. the car which is easiest and cheapest to modify will be raced far more when than the one which is not and therefore the cars which are difficult and expensive to modify will race lett. often. An illustration is the prevalence of Liners over Ferraris in the sports racing category. 2) By and ixrge, the person who spends the Most will go the fastest, and thus discourage those of shorter purses from racing. The solution to the problem of where to stop the “hotting-up” process can only be arbitrary, and must encourage both original and modified cars to come out and race, and discourage cheque book racing as much as is possible. My answer is to limit wheels and tyres, and w allow any modification which is not visible scan expert an the marque in question, with the exception of oil coolers and exhaust manifolds. This is simply stated, but with a few very small additions, it is a formula which will work, and encourage the greatest number of cars of all types to race. London SW I S. A. STANDEN