"I've noticed over the past 10 years that an increasing number of the UK's Fulvia coupes have some kind of 'competition car' modifications: black bonnet, wheelarch extensions, stickers, etc. etc. I think that's a shame, but never thought the same would happen to the B20.
Your chopped B20 might look cool but it will offend the sensibilities of every kind of old-car purist, and purism is the way that market sentiment and pricing are going. So the 'why' is quite hard to fathom."
This is my favourite quote from the chopped B20 debate and as an example of an elitist , snobbish comment it would be hard to beat. When people start using phrases like 'market sentiment ' you know they've lost the plot and have forgotten how to enjoy their old cars, focusing instead on preserving the value of their 'investment'.
I speak as one of the great unwashed currently modifying a Fulvia coupe which is an extremely enjoyable exercise and has taught me much about what made the clever guys at Lancia tick. I really couldn't give a toss about market sentiment but there again, I'm the type of bloke who thinks the chopped B20 looks absolutely beautiful.
I wondered whether to ignore this, but (perhaps foolishly) have decided not to...
It's one thing to say you prefer cars to be original (as I did, re Fulvias in my comment quoted above), another to throw around judgements about the personality ("elitist", "snobbish", "lost the plot") of a fellow forum member.
My observation about market sentiment was supposed to be about where the money is going, not my attitude to my cars. I presume that TK's 'outlaw' B20s will be fairly expensive, and I am fairly sure that most people who spend £150k (my guess at TK's price) on a 'restomod' (in US parlance) will spare some thought to what it will be worth 5 years down the line. In my book that doesn't necessarily mean they are not real enthusiasts.
I do believe in the 'it's your car you can do what you want with it' philosophy up to a point, but I also think that the historical aspects of our hobby are important, and RobD's interest in "what made the clever guys at Lancia tick" suggests to me that we might agree a bit on this.
Cars that have not been modified offer a much more direct route back to the people who designed and built them than a modified (or even rebuilt as original) car does. As time goes by, originality is becoming more prized and I applaud this. As an enthusiast.
