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Old man in a marathon
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Cars are meant to be driven, even the old ones. At the third Classic Cars Challenge China last month, over 50 classic cars from more than 20 countries motored 1,800 kilometers from Beijing to Shanghai in two weeks.
Many cars proved hale and hardy despite their ages, which include a 1955 Bentley S1 operated by the team of Volkswagen Group China.
I was invited to ride in the car on the final leg of the journey, from Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province to Shanghai. At the finish line, I had a quick chat with Frank Meakin, a Bentley expert from the UK and special driver of the car, about this grand adventure.
Q: Which part of the journey impressed you the most?
When we drove from Nanjing to Hangzhou, it was very good. Unfortunately, we had to be guided at the start. I don’t think all the lead cars were confident about where they were going. But once the rally started, the scenery was fantastic and the roads were good. We passed through some brilliant villages. When you enter a village, you know you have to slow down because there might be people jumping out or crossing the road.
I think we shouldn’t be racing to get from A to B. To me, that gives a wrong impression that classic cars are just fast cars zooming through villages.
We have to let people see the cars and appreciate them.
Q: So that’s the point of this rally?
Yes. When we were in Qingdao, Shandong Province, we parked the cars at a sailing club on the coast in the morning before we started.
It would have been nice for us to get into the city earlier and display the cars at the evening so that people could walk around to see them after work.
For most of the places on the itinerary, we couldn’t get there until it was dark. It is dangerous and doesn’t make for good driving. It is a pity when people in towns don’t really get the chance to see the cars.
Q: The Bentley S1 you drove certainly attracted a lot of curiosity.
All the classic cars do, whether it is a Red Flag, a Mercedes-Benz or an Aston Martin. People are not used to seeing them, even in the UK. People see modern cars all the time. So even if a luxury car comes along, they don’t tend to pay much attention. But the old cars are rarely seen and they do raise eyes.
It’s especially interesting when these classic cars are all together. The cars in this rally will probably never be together again.
Q: You seem very satisfied with the performance of this Bentley S1.
Absolutely. The only problem we had was the sun visor, which kept dropping down when we hit bumpy roads. We regularly keep checks on the car, and the maintenance has proven its worth. The car did go through a major renovation in the 1990s. We treat it carefully. We don’t let people jump on it or bang doors. After all, it is almost 60 years old. Hopefully, it could be going for another 60 years. We drive it two or three times a month. Otherwise, it’s parked in a small museum at the Bentley factory in the UK.
Q: So for most of time, classic cars are just exhibits?
They are exhibits, but they are all working cars. Only eight people at Bentley are allowed to drive these cars, and I am one of them. I have been with Bentley for 36 years, including 20 years of special training for handling old cars. Some of the cars are as old as 80 years and weigh almost two tons. They don’t brake or steer like modern cars. You’ve got to be experienced to drive one.
Q: Before today, I never imagined a car of this age could run such a long distance. It’s a bit like an old man running a marathon.
I am very pleased.
From the maintenance and mechanical side, that the car has gotten from the start to the finish is as good as a win for me.
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