Last week I went with Diogo to the premises of SIVA — an importer of Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda, Lamborghini and Bentley in Portugal — to pick up a car from the press park.
Just outside the premises of this importer, right after the gate, we saw a red Volkswagen Polo from 1992 arrive. Due to the rattle of the engine, it was certainly a Diesel version. A "cigar" in the eyes of those who don't like cars, an "old car" for those who only like the latest news, just "another one" for those who just want to move from point A to point B.
For the owner of that Polo with more than 25 years on the road, that car certainly meant much more. It's a shame, I couldn't take any pictures (I was driving).
The taste for cars
The car was immaculate. Whoever that owner is (if you are, let me know!) you could see that he was proud of the car. When he bought it, it might have been an end-of-life cigar. But he put some special rims and a storage compartment on the roof, where he carried some vintage-looking objects (an old suitcase, a fuel tank and a tyre).
Maybe he spent more on the car than what he was worth. You could tell he was proud of the car.
All this to say that the taste for cars is of an almost infinite variety. In this wide spectrum of possibilities there are cars as distinct as that humble Volkswagen Polo (which should not exceed 140 km/h), as well as an exotic Ferrari 488 GTB (which exceeds 300 km/h).
In this spectrum fits my 70-year-old neighbor who proudly washes his 2002 Mercedes-Benz E-Class 220 CDI every day and fits that young man who found in the old Polo an “escape” for his taste for cars. It's a friend of mine who put a flower on the dashboard of her car and another friend of mine who has a SEAT Ibiza 1.8 TSI Cupra with more than 200 hp. It even fits the best driver in the history of Formula 1 (in the highlighted image).
What do they have in common? They all take pride in their cars. New, old, cheap or expensive, the car is an object that arouses passions (and in some cases drains wallets…). An extension of our personality some will say. In my case that's not true… I have a 2003 Mégane 1.5 dCi and my personality is more in keeping with a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
Still, I can say that I have some pride in my Megane. It spends very little and is comfortable. Yes, the guns are fine and recommended. Thank you, oh ominous birds!
And thou. Are you proud of your car?
Certainly yes — otherwise you would have already given up on this article and were reading another one, like this one, for example. So I'm giving you a challenge: would you like to see your car here at Razão Automóvel? If the answer is yes, send an email to [email protected] with the subject: " I'm proud of my car!”
It doesn't matter the brand, the potency, or the extras. It doesn't even matter if it works! It could be a project you've been keeping in your garage waiting for the right moment. It could be a car you've been preparing for a few years to teach two or three things to more powerful cars on the next track-day. It could be a classic or it could be a just bought car. It can be just that: your car.
Do you accept the challenge? We want to see your car.
