Why Does Nobody Care About Pre War Cars? (1934 Humber 12 Drive) 

Great video I love the prewar cars

To old for childhood memories and zero parts...No one wants an expensive banger blocking their driveway. Post War cars have far better parts availability.

@@brokeandtired I was born in the 80s

Well I'm not sure about Britain but if I had to guess I would say a lot of collectors fear that the parts would be harder to come by for pre-war cars and even if you did get a couple of connections for parts the parts may actually cost you who knows four times more then maintaining a 60s or 70s car I know here in the states it would probably be cheaper to restore a 60s or 70s Cadillac then it would to restore and maintain a 32 Ford coupe unless of course you're in the right area and you have the correct connections for parts you have to figure that some collectors are not mechanically inclined they just have money they buy these things for showpieces and they leave the maintenance to somebody else so it could be that they calculated that their maintenance bill is going to be much much higher than if they purchase the 60s or 70s car furthermore they have to understand that we're also reaching a zenith with a generation and let's just say the younger the baby boomers may not be as crazy about pre-work cars as they're older siblings of say somebody approaching their 80s so it's a matter of taste changing and the economics behind it is what my guess would be!

Its simple nostalgic logic actually. You see no one is left alive who was alive during that time. The people of that time period's children are in their 60s to 90s. People like stuff that they have a feeling and relationship to according to the time they were born to at most 10 to 20 years before their time but that past nostalgic time of before they were alive means less to them than when they are alive. Seeing as how cars from the 1960s to 1980s were what people's parents drove to grand parents drove and anything really after grand parent age drops in value and nostalgic wanting of. You see the pre war cars are stuck in that time of not being a war collectable and being from a time that no one is alive from and the people who knew of people who lived during that time are also dying out in mass numbers so the feeling of wanting of that time is gone because none now live who remember it. No one wants them because no one know anyone who was alive during that time. There is no emotions of love and respect for the items because everyone who bought the brand new or made them has been dead for over 50 years. Over 80% of the worlds population is under 40 years old. Over 80% of the worlds population was born over 10 years after 90% of the generations that owned those cars died. The reason the 1960s and 1970s cars are going for so much right now is because the people who bought them and made them are the grand parents of the modern mass population generation. To put it bluntly the people that want the 1960s to 1980s cars are the people who made them and were the first to buy them or the children to grandchildren of the people who bought them and made them and people love to understand and do stuff like their parents and grandparents. The grandchildren of those pre war cars are grand parents themselves now to even great grandparents. There is just no respect for them because the people that passed on the love of those cars died over half a century ago. I am sorry to admit this sad fact but its the truth and I do not apologize unless I really mean it because this does hurt my soul. As much as we want things to stay the same and as much as we want people and those emotions to exist the truth is time moves on long after we are gone and much gets forgotten in time such as the love that people had for people and things long ago. The people who loved those cars because it was their first car is dead and has been dead for over half a century. Their time passed as the people who loved them as their children to grandchildren are now dying in mass numbers themselves now and their children will be passing on after them.

Totally agree, it why 80s cars are climbing in price

I was born in the late 50's & i love 50's & 60's cars because i remember them when i was young

Spot on. I agree.

Not always. I don't remember the 1960s at all but I've owned three cars from then and still own (and love!) a Singer from 1964. For me and many others it's about a love of styling, design and mechanics.

Well I remember as a youngster in the early fifties travelling in a Humber 12 like this that my mum drove. We had a number of cars during the 'used car boom' that were bought 'restored' at my Dads garage and quickly sold on. This one and a Morris 8 tourer stuck around as she rather liked them.

Where I come from in the Arizona desert, cars don't rust and many were still in regular use in the 1970s and early 80s until the city grew so big and there were more careless drivers is when people started putting them away except for the weekends.

we had a 42 Pontiac in the family for a while. It existed, but the interesting bit is that it didn't have any chrome.

I mean now it would be like saying there's a lot of 90's car on the road which there is, even without a global war people do drive 30 year old car on a daily basis, but they're much less noticeable than a 30's car in the 60's or 70's

@@drwatson32bit IIRC all 1942 model year cars sold in the US were sold without cosmetic chrome. Even the bumpers were painted. They called them "blackout specials" as it seemed to be designed for not causing glare in air raids. Civilian chrome also took resources away from war production, which was ramping up even before Pearl Harbor.

Not true

Heck, in the part of America where I live seeing another car at all is heavy traffic.

Other nutters? You aren't admitting to be a nutter yourself are you?

I wouldn't worry overly about the nutters. They'll bounce off an antique. Just try not to stop suddenly., like against a brick wall.

@@garyjonah22 you pretty much have to be a nutter to want to drive a vehicle with poor brakes, narrow tires, no safety restraints, and vague steering. At least, that’s what regular folk will believe. Car enthusiasts view the world differently, but even they wouldn’t daily drive such a car willingly.

this is absolutely true...unfortunately. when i owned an old and slow land rover many years ago...driving was an absolute joy. people were polite. no tailgating, no illegal passing. just patience. now is a different matter entirely. i won't drive vehicles with just drum brakes anymore. too much skidding across the double yellow line because someone pulls out in front or cuts you off. but this ride is a beautiful one. it deserves to live a second life with someone in the country. hope it finds a good home!!!

That's fantastic Gary, god speed!

Agree entirely, I try and get out in something old whenever I can

i reckon historical vehicles will get exempt just like they are from tax, mot and ulez

I drive my 1926 Model T Ford everywhere as a normal car. And I drive it at night and in the rain, just like they did in 1926. I’ve even taken it places you’d need a modern 4WD. Definitely not ‘precious’, but a reliable car for the masses that could go anywhere, and that’s exactly how I use it.

So true. I would never pay such 5 figure sums for a car just to leave one sit in the garage all the time. I mostly avoid USA interstates even in my modern car as they've gotten too dangerous and all are overflowing with truck traffic.

I age 24 also own a Model A ford and daily it with no issues, we must keep these cars alive and in peoples minds

Yes if certain very important parts such as wheel bearings aren't available then I will pass on it. No worry on a Model A since over two million still exist.

Love your channel man. I’m a subscriber and I’ve watched all your videos.

The pre-war cars were designed for all weather, including the harshest of winters. This resulted in them being extremely rugged and reliable. Not to mention many places didn't have roads. The 20s Fords could turn down steep incline and shrug it off. Simplicity really is king, when you think about it. No fancy quirks or gadgets to break, the main upgrades were plush seats, a heater and windshield wipers. And the cars were classy as hell. I would give anything for cars to be designed to be beautiful again. Not the jagged edges of the newest supercar, but the soft, elegant curves of the Golden Age. I love newer classic cars, but nothing beats the curves of Deucenbergs and Cadillacs of old.

@@GetDougDimmadomed don’t forget Packard or Cord. We’ll never see such elegance and class in automotive styling ever again.

You can even add EFI to them and make them start like a modern car too which is a plus.

I can tell you've never owned a car from the 80s or 70s have you.

@@TheWestIsDead I have driven cars of the 'Teens and 'Twenties in daily service for forty years now. My current regular driver of a '24 Chrysler, my work truck is a Ford A, and the Better Half runs a Dodge Brothers Victory Six Brougham. All run well and reliably. none are suitable for the Interstate, of course, but for surface streets they travel along comfortably enough at fifty or fifty-five.

@@TheWestIsDead I daily drive a '75. The only difference in lifestyle is warming up the engine for 30 seconds before driving.

@@TheWestIsDead Why? He is right. I own 4 cars from the 80s and they drive more or less like a modern car minus the useless electronic stuff.

They really are gorgeous vehicles. It’s the maintenance that puts me off.

@@sirrathersplendid4825 surprisingly easy actually and parts are easy to get too. I joined the Morris Register where there is lots of help and advice available if needed.

Re stopping distances courtesy for others and much more.

That pretty much sums it up i suppose. The people who ARE into these cars now are likely to have grown up with a father who was into them.. so will have full appreciation. The impact of hydraulic brakes and vacuum servos on sheer effort multiplication can't be denied. Also, with a cable or rod operated system it's not the drum brakes that are necessarily the problem- The front wheels must steer so movement is lost in the system which can mean quite a 'long' brake pedal....the slightly scary feel of pre-war brakes is to a great extent down to the way the effort is moved to the brake drum. I believe a lot of people would fall in love with an older car on the second or third drive of their life...as long as the thing stops.

The best thing for them is make hotrods out of them, you can't drive them on motorways to slow, also all the modern cars pull in front of you and slam there power brakes on. It you leave a braking distance someone pulls into it, the suspension is terrible and you must fit radial tyres, nobody looks for traffic actors I had everybody on there horns at me.

@@thephilpott2194 70's cars don't stop like a modern car either, but after a little while your foot gets stronger and you get used to it.

These cars were still on the road in the 1960s since no ‘civilian’ cars were produced during the war. Many people approaching retirement will still remember them.

@@sirrathersplendid4825 I'm in my late 60's and I remember them well, often driven by some ancient looking people. ;-)

Darn pity because I know a fair number of people who want to be somewhat old fashioned. A classic car would suit the look.

Precise.

not on rolls royce. phaetons ghosts etc. those are phenomenally popular from the 1930's...you just don't see them because they are few and far between and in the hands of wealthy owners.

@@JP-vs1ys Yes, but there's a reason that the current VW- owned RR has distanced itself from it design history so greatly. The current models are barely discernible as Rolls Royces. RR doesn't want to be associated with the past and current owners who have paid a half million for a RR don't want to pull up next to a car that looks like theirs but is being driven by a successful junk dealer.

70s and 80s cars are becoming popular now with young people. Some are worth a lot now. People junked a lot of now valuable cars from the 70s during the 90s lol..

Don Rico - "70s & 80s stuff just look all the same, boxy, plastic and vinyl". Yup! And let's not mention the early 2000s identical-twin jelly beans! Aarrgghh! Those were times when I couldn't tell a Benz from a Nissan until I saw the badge. One could see that the manufacturers had been in bed with each other: they bore mutant children with no personality.

Don is your Snipe the 4 litre side valve ?

Yes, you’d notice all those things unless you’ve driven a modern car … 😂😂😂

@@bertiewooster3326 that's the one.

My uncle drove a Snipe in the '60s, ex British consulate in L.A. He liked it a lot, but was always "Going through" cars. The first I saw him drive was a '63 Ranchero, then Toyota & Mitsubishi pickups.

Very true. But if there's one thing i would generally mod., it would be the brakes.

When cars were built from left over bicycle parts, bits of timber and brass fittings like letter boxes…..obnoxious heaps of shit!

well i am blowed. first the Humber 12 my first car. now my second the little car Austin ruby 7. sold it to G Flowers scrap yard in Chippenham Wilshire. 1959/61. for £4.00. Old Money.

Right, watch a film of the model t being knocked out in Trafford park and tell me about care and attention … 😂😂😂

I was also going to say that I would like to have a Citroen Traction Avant; I'm in my early 20s (if it helps for reference). And I bet there would be some sort of part support, since the engines are kind of related to the Citroen DSs'.

Ah, but the Traction Avant has film noir chic and also the WW2 links that sell it to military collectors.

For a different approach, the 1961 Buick full size cars.

I love old cars from all generations and most manufacturers but the Traction Avant has to be one of my favourite cars. That and the “newer” DS. I’d love a DS.

@@adamlee3772 As a kindergartner in California around 1977/8 I saw a DS often around the school. It is the sort of car a middle aged teacher might drive at the time.

yeah. very true. makes it hard to enjoy. for starters...get classic insurance if you don't already have it. it takes some of the fear out of me relative to tailgaters.

@@JP-vs1ys Problem is most classic insurance only allows very specific uses, basically just going to car meets and stuff, and have strict mileage limits. Don't allow any sort of dailying-type use. You can get regular insurance but they don't cover it for even a tiny portion of what it's worth - assume value only goes down. I daily a '70s Beetle and just have liability on it, accept the risk for myself. At least with tailgaters though, if they hit you it's their fault and their insurance has to pay to fix it. But no insurance - yours or theirs - can replace something super unique, or find parts that are not available to fix it.

might be late, damn! almost the same age, really love the classics, tho currently i own a 66 coronet, huge huge boat of a car, easily can block lanes here in the philippines, yes true the only thing that youd watch out are the people driving around you without respect, got my driver door nicked by a tricycle (some form of public transpo here), would love to get a pre war car to be honest, the likes of a packard, something that is well done and turn key.

My grandfather owned a 1936 pierce arrow v12 town car. It was a one off prototype and he got it in perfect original condition for $500 in the 1950s. He later sold it for a corvette and a few years ago it was sold for about $250,000. It’s crazy how there was a time when nobody wanted it. It’s a shame not many people make parts for old cars other that model A’s. If I could drive an old car I would want something like a packard, Cadillac, Chrysler, or pierce-arrow, but there is no parts to go through them.

I should mention that the pierce arrow was not his only old car. He left behind two very rare 1928 Chrysler’s and a rare 1937 Cadillac. He got ‘em when they were cheap, now it would cost way too much to buy them. He was not rich.

Well, that's not a classic anymore, now is it? You might as well buy a kit car or a neo-classic. Save yourself the trouble and keep a perfectly clean, original example still perfectly clean.

I was always envious of the legroom in cars like this. When I was growing up in the 1970s, a Cadillac Fleetwood was about the only car in which you could really stretch your legs, and it would wouldn't fit in many garages. I understand why they moved the rear seats forward after the war; better ride and more room across, not to mention the trunk space, but it came at a cost. I suppose today's minivans and some SUVs are the modern vehicles that come closest to the layout of pre-war sedans.

Buy a Traction Avant and modify that; there's pre and post war models (23 year model run!), and there were about 3/4 million made so modifying one isn't a big deal.

Hmm, kinda, the cars are quite high, but so is the floor. And they are often a little cozier inside then you would think. If you're longer then 6 feet you have some modifying to do to comfortably get in and out and even drive in these cars

I'll contend that your final statement isn't particularly accurate- at 6'2" tall, I have comfortably fit inside and driven a 1st-gen Miata (both convertible and as a hard-top), and daily-drive a C4 Corvette, a car infamous for its so-called 'difficult' entry and exit. I've found that the 'Vette can be tight in narrow parking spaces (the doors swing quite wide) but beyond that it's actually very easy to get into and out of. The real problem has nothing to do with being tiny and a contortionist; it has to do with age and lack of fitness causing people to lose their mobility.

@@DrTheRich "Hmm" - are you a bee?

pretty much what our generation is going through, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer

@@TheGamingChad. it has always been like that, ever since humanity existed. I'm a relatively poor guy but I saved up for my Ford model a. and it's the best thing I ever bought.

Fantastic choice, Ian!

Great stuff, don't see too many around

That sounds fantastic Steve, kudos for using it for the Aldi shop!

Thanks for watching, Joseph! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

Indeed, my Humber was used for Churchills car in an Andrew Marr Documentary

I agree with you on most of your points. especially the one about brakes. even into the 50's a lot of cars had brakes in word only. my first car, a Morris Minor of around 1958 vintage was woefully underpowered, but with the brakes that you needed legs like Arnies to make any sort of dent in your speed, even after a complete rebuild from master cylinder through to all wheels, having a pitiful top speed of around 90 Km/hr was a blessing in reality. and as for the distances we have to travel here in Australia as you mentioned, you do need a car with long legs to make it a reasonably comfortable experience.

Watch out if you get an import Phillip. There have been one or two horror stories about Aussie customs ripping out anything that 'might' have asbestos in it.....and they're none too careful about doing it. Pre-selector gearboxes have been ruined, brake and clutch linings ripped out.

I often drive my Model T for a couple of hours in 40 degree heat, at 75km/h down the freeway. Grew up without air con, still don’t need it. Worst thing to do is to expect a vintage car to be like a modern so it can be driven the same way. They’re totally different things.

I think another thing to factor in is the scarcity and cost of pre-war cars in Australia. A lot of the members of Facebook groups I'm in constantly complain about the lack of interest in older cars from young people, but can't seem to grasp the fact that most 25 year olds simply can't afford to drop $35,000 on a restored Austin 7 or $10,000 on an incomplete mess of a '41 Ford ute.

@@atomicmillenial9728 thats true. especially with the way prices are going crazy at the moment. 11 years ago my brother and his wife bought a V8 GTS HK Monaro. they paid just under $12k for it. they sold it 6 months ago at auction for $120k. go figure.

Oh my yes! And one car I have always wanted is a 1934 "Vickie" Ford. I always liked the looks and the size.

I don't know about that. The 2cv is incredibly light and easy to drive, even by todays standards.

Thanks John!

I live in Wellington too (well, Kapiti now) and yes, not so great for old cars. I was trying to work out how far you could get out of Wellington without using a main, busy road. Not far. With Transmission Gully done I am now waiting for Peka Peka to Otaki to be done making the roads around me back roads.

David I strongly recommend you stay in NZ the UK is rammed with people,foreigners horrendous roads overcrowding etc etc stay where you are Seriously stay where you are.

Thanks for watching! 😁

… if you can get batteries for it … 😂😂😂

That's down to familiarity; to me pre-war cars have greater variety in looks and detail, whereas post-war cars are all much the same! As for reliability and no-worries motoring, give me a pre-war car every time; just yesterday I did over 120 miles in my 92-year old Austin Seven without any worries, and it's ready to repeat the process without any further attentions. Of course it won't sit on the motorway at 70mph, but nor will most cars of the fifties and sixties - they just weren't built for that sort of motoring.

I've driven my tatty Austin 7 from China to Southend with not one mechanical issue over 8500mls so your talking tosh chum !

@@paulbritcliffe4372 when it was new though !

@@saxon-mt5by many late 1950's early 1960's cars would not cope with motorway either without overheating being flogged along at 60-70 mph with low gearing like 15 mph/1000 rpm or less. A pre war MG would be a nice drive, would love one myself but not a motorway car. having said that I saw a 1927 Bentley 4 1/2 litre tanking up the M40 well in excess of 70 mph a couple of years back.

It's the post-war cars that all look alike, and there isn't much to look at either: no long bonnet, elegant sweeping fenders, or impressive radiators and separate headlamps, just a three box design. All the interesting manufacturers - Hispano-Suiza, Isotta-Fraschini, Bugatti, Duesenberg, Lorraine Dietrich and many others - were gone. The truly interesting body styles - sedanca de ville, dual cowl phaetons, sedanca coupes - were gone, as were the independent coachbuilders that produced them. With the exception of a few Brits and Italian exotics, a sea of mass produced banality is what post-war cars. And even the rarest Ferrari doesn't quite cut the mustard when compared against - say - a Mercedes 540 Spezial Roadster.

All of the above, plus “my folks had an MG (or a Malibu, or a Fiat, or a …) when I was a kid. I always loved it, but I never got to drive it”

My dream garage would be full of tall, slim, young Ukrainian babes at £350 per week … but that’s just me 😂😂😂

Man, you are totally like me.

@@clarivsmedia8697 They are just wonderful motor cars aren't they.

The only British saloons I really care about are those from the Rootes Group. Seemed to always be a cut above their mass-market rivals over at BMC and Ford while also being very interestingly engineered most of the time.

@@jakekaywell5972 I agree. A Hillman Minx, of any mark, would also be welcome in my 'dream garage'.

Driving a pre-war car is a world away from something of the 60s/70s, buy the right one and you could use it regularly

Please wake me up when you find a Bugatti T57 available for sale at an affordable price - say anything less than £100,000 - because the folks who grew up with them in the 1930s are gone. I wouldn't mind a Duesenberg J for $100,000 or so because nobody remembers these cars new so nobody wants them. Well, I grew up in the 80s, never saw any Duesenberg or Bugatti on the road, and yet I hanker after these sort of cars.

@@stephaneaderca7948 Exotica of that level will always command a comparitively high price tag. It's the run-of-the-mill production models that have had their values plummet over the past two decades.

Fuck electric cars

The sound of the engine is the soul of a pre-war car. It's nothing like modern cars. I've never missed a radio in my 29 Ford a. really if you electrify one you miss out on so much joy. The car feels, sounds, smells alive. Electrifying it would make it dead inside. Not saying this from a purist perspective, but genuinely because you would be ruining the experience.

They are not really that high in consumption. Obviously depending on the car but my Model A gets 25 mpg & fills up on 15-20$. Thats pretty good compared to cars from the 1950s-80s

@@Thekris0927 you Americans with your cheap gas... It's currently $70 (converted) here to fill up mine

Even orginal breaks can be great, you just need to adjust them properly and upkeep them

That's the spirit!

My 29 ford is neither loud, nor bumpy. People really have the wrong ideas about these cars

I drive mine in rain, snow, wind etc, but yes I do store it in a barn. Not because it's not weather proof, but to preserve it. The sun and the weather are harsh on cars. I hope mine gets to go another 100 years