How Old is Classic

[Montblanc]

Hi Everyone
Some will know me, most will not. Some will guess from my user name.

I'm in the Alps this summer, camping in a Land Rover. Should be somewhere between Geneva and Zermatt and may be later Corsica; if things go according to plan.

If anybody wants to meet up for anything from a BBQ to some off gentle off roading, or even a climb - let me know. It'd be good see like-minded Land Rover enthusiasts.

A couple of thought provoking questions - devil’s advocate if you like:
1. How old is classic? Series? Pre 1973 (DVLA tax exempt)? More than 25 years - US and European definition?
2. Does it count if the crew is classic but the vehicle is new? In some events the combined age of the Driver and Navigator has to be more than 100 years - they then become a veteran team!
3. How converted does a LR have to be to count as a camper - stick a LiLo in the back; is it a camper?

Just a thought but those who know me can see where I 'm going with this.

Happy camping,

Neil

[lowebox]

Hi Neil.
I don't even have a camper(yet) just a tent (i think it is older than your puma tho ) and they let me into the club.
All the best Gordon

[RMS]

Hi Neil,

Welcome to the forum

I had this same dilemma yesterday - Patrick and I went to help set up a local classic car show (Classics on the Heath), intending to help register vehicles as they came in, have a quick look around, and pop home to get more work done on our classics!
However, the judges didn't turn up, so Patrick & I were roped in to judge

Our dilemma was that there were a quite few Fiestas, Sierras etc. as well as almost brand new sports cars - how do you judge those against what I would call the 'real' classics like the Jowett Javelin and the 1950s Austins etc.

Of course, if you use the 1972 'Historic Vehicle' tax status, then there will be 'modern' cars included as well.

My own personal feeling is that anything up to 1972 could be considered 'classic', but of course, there are classics and there are classics, and that's just my opinion

On a similar note, a 96 year old friend has offered to give me his 1982 Honda Concierto - he reckons it's a classic as only about 200 of that particular model were imported/made, but I'm afraid it leaves me cold!
Ok, it's in excellent condition, only about 18k miles, always garaged (dry & well ventilated) and hasn't moved for the last 8 years! but I'm still not really interested in it as a classic


Anyway - on to the 'Classic Camper' question - we asked ourselves the same question when we considered starting LRCC, and I think we came to the conclusion that it should be Historic (up to 1972), and must be self-contained for sleeping, cooking etc. I really don't think a sleeping bag thrown in the back of a 109 could be considered a 'classic camper'; do you

Of course, there are no 'rules' as such, and anyone can join the forum; you don't even have to have a Land Rover, but when we are invited to display at shows, we will obviously pick the vehicles which best represent LRCC

As I say, these are all just my opinions, and I'm not imposing my views on anyone else (unless we are displaying at a show ).

Cheers,
Robin.

[Montblanc]

Hi Robin

Of course there are as many answers as there are grains of sand on a beach. My friend across the road has a number of veteran cars: there they regard anything older than 1904 (end of the red flag rule) as modern!

I tend to think that up to the end of the Series III Land rover (coil springs) marked the end of the classics. (Of course when I owned a SIII in 1984 it was just an old farm hack - there was nothing classic about the 3 litre V6 Essex, Steve Parker conversion in those days) Now I'm becoming quite fond of the very early 110 - the ones with cream paintwork down to the waist line. So a rolling 25 years seems a good cut off. I wonder if anyone out there has a very early 110 Dormobile for sale?

Neil

[WhiteKnight]

Hi Neil

Fancy meeting you here!

Corsica sounds like a blast, if only I could keep up with you in your 'Classic' camper.

Cheers

Steve

PS Many of us on here are absolute classics

[Montblanc]

Hi Steve

You're welcome to join us anytime

My only claim that Lara (Moira named her after Lara Croft) is a design classic - is that near enough? I need the extra speed because I have to get to the campsite in time to pitch a tent - there you have the advantage.

My only defence, m'lord, is that currently it is our only vehicle - jack of all trades ..................

Neil

[WhiteKnight]

Hi Neil

Thanks so much.

Lara sounds like a perfick name.
Is there a 'Jane' of all trades?



Steve

[Montblanc]

Very witty:
I do seen to remember that it was John and Jane Smith. Ingenious all the same.