I have been very lucky to receive several issues of “The Automobile” magazine from an enthusiast here. The publisher is Douglas Blain, a man who owns a Pegaso Z102. He is a true enthusiast.
And it is apparent that there are many true enthusiasts in the UK. The magazine has adverts offering classics, true classics, and my 20 year old Daihatsu Mira doesn’t quite make the cut.
A one page advert from the Tom Hardman company has:
1926 Austin 7 Burghley
1926 Humber 12/25
1927 Alvis 12/50
1929 Lancia Lambda
1932 Wolseley Hornet
1933 Alvis Firefly
1934 Lagonda Rapier Le Mans
1935 Riley Imp
1935 Riley Falcon
1935 MG Bellevue Monoposto
These ranged in price between GBP 21,000 to GBP 78,000, and there are pages and pages of advertisers, all with cars around 80 years of age. Will a Toyota Fortuna ever become a collectors item? I think not, even if you put one in a hermetically sealed chamber to be opened in 2095 and leave it to your grandchildren in your will. It would never be advertised like the 1934 Lagonda as being “perfect for European tours with its ample luggage space. A very usable Lagonda Rapier with an extremely attractive price.” And the extremely attractive price? Try GBP 57,000. That’s around three million Thai baht.
We will never see anything like that in Thailand. The most “exotic” car for sale in the Pattaya Mail recently has been a 2002 BMW 525i with the owner wanting 440,000 baht.
No, sometimes Thailand is not the best place to be. Especially if you are an enthusiast.
