An old colleague of mine once told me that he tended to shy away from buying a model of car that he’d already owned. His reasoning was that there were too many good ones out there that he was yet to enjoy, so why go back? Been there, done that.
The only car that he did admit he’d love to own again was a Mazda MX-5. This demonstrates, I think, that he’s a man of taste.
It’s an interesting point. There are, of course, enthusiasts who are devoted to one model in particular. And why not? You get to know every inch of it, and – should you wish – you’ve got more time to become involved in club life than someone who flits hither and thither.
Through sometimes-bitter experience, you’re also better placed to spot a good example rather than a lemon.
The classic-car world is a broad church, though, and if your finances dictate that you have to sell one car before you buy another – rather than being able to add to your collection – then it seems rather a shame to replace it with something exactly the same.
My own buying tendencies lie somewhere between the two. In the past, I’ve owned cars as disparate as a BMW M535i (above) and a Morris 1800, and I loved them both. They’re also cars that I can see myself owning again. I’d have another MX-5, too.
In the meantime, there are too many motoring itches left to scratch, and I’m still browsing the classifieds with an open mind. Only this morning, Elliott was gazing at a Citroen CX – surely a car I’ll one day own - on eBay, and if it wasn’t an auto I’d have made more concerted efforts to relieve him of his Lotus Elite.
Revisiting past haunts will have to wait.
