The Key 2020 - She knows what she wants

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She knows what she wants.

Let’s open our eyes: women want cars. They want to be behind the wheel, to be part of the action, to enjoy the pleasure of a classic car, with the right outfit and the right spirit: a spirit that takes pleasure from having fun, without fury and rivalry. If we want to look to the future of car collecting, we should look at women. As companions, of course, but above all behind the wheel, proud and happy to show their talent.

The Key’s dossiers. Women, the car and classic cars The protagonists with three examples of today’s participants, divided between Concours d’Elegance, authentic race challenges and pure fun.

The co-protagonists by interviewing a sample of women who attend events in the company of companions and friends, discovering their interest and ambitions.

Women, cars and classics through scientific research, on a statistically representative sample of American and European driving licence holders, who told us how important the car is to the female universe and, more surprisingly, just how attracted women are to collectible cars.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -179-

The Pleasure of Beauty The protagonists by Duccio Lopresto

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SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -181-

Anne Brockinton Lee a woman at the top of the classic car world

In the world of classic cars, there are different ways to participate. There are racers who drive and compete on circuits around the world, judges who play a leading role in the most important elegance competitions and then there are the collectors, who safeguard and preserve the true stars of this world, the cars, from generation to generation. Among the most representative, passionate and prominent women on the global collecting scene, we find Anne Brockinton Lee. Collector and trustee of the Robert M. Lee Automobile Collection, she has given continuity to Robert Lee’s magnificent collection, showing and presenting the cars at the best Concourse d’Elegance events the world across. This is an immensely positive factor for the world of car collecting, as it shows that women can and must be real players in this world, while at the same time contributing to the preservation of the heritage that is now in their hands.

To Anne, the charm of a classic car lies mostly in the evolution of the car itself, design-wise and mechanically, from the early antiques through the classic post-war cars. She is particularly interested in and attracted to certain coach builders, one-offs, prototypes and show cars, especially those from the 1930’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. Many of the designs of the later cars are timeless and could almost pass for today’s modern cars.

She drives all the cars in the collection and this is obviously great fun and a thrilling experience for her. Once you have mastered driving the very early antiques and vintage cars, you’re good. The only negative for her when driving them is “road traffic”. You have to know the cars’ limitations. She is now planning to participate in more rallies and tours around the world – her late husband, Bob, always said she was an “excellent driver”.

Anne’s collection has received many awards and recognition over the past 30 years, includ182 COCKPIT

ing several Best in Class and Best of Show at the most important Concourse d’Elegance events. This is highly rewarding as she and her team take great pride in the ownership of and caring for these art forms. It is a big responsibility to be the custodian of a collectible-car.

But the greatest satisfaction for her was surely winning Best of Show at Pebble Beach in 2009 with the 1937 Voll & Ruhrbeck Horch 853 Sport Cabriolet, which was meticulously researched and restored by her in-house restoration team in the US. Her passionate team continuously exercises, details, and repairs all the cars in the collection. She is proud of them and grateful for the way they respect, treasure and diligently care for these treasures. Talking about the negatives, her biggest disappointment in the Car World was missing Best of Show by 1/2 point with her 1938 Figoni & Falaschi Delahaye 165 Cabriolet. That was Anne’s first time presenting alone since her husband’s passing. Had the Delahaye brought home the coveted award, it would have been a great tribute to Bob, his vision and accomplishments as a car collector.

When talking about car events, Anne loves all the US and European car shows that she has attended. Each is special in its very own way. Showing the cars from the Robert M. Lee Automobile Collection and sharing them with enthusiasts is incredibly rewarding for her. She likes to explain the history and provenance and unique features of each one. When doing so, she never lacks enthusiasm, as she is genuinely emotionally attached to all of her cars. But, most of all, she cherishes the many friends she has made through this hobby over the past 30+ years at the many car events and car auction houses. This hobby is a true passion, which she enjoys every day and loves unconditionally.

of the owners. A great deal of the importance of the car, after the design and mechanics, is its provenance. Auction prices certainly reflect that. These cars are bought and maintained by ardent collectors and each one’s particular ownership certainly has great value in the scope of this hobby. Car and owner go hand in hand. For her, classic car events should not be too crowded, as this could then take away the attention from the cars, the true stars of the show.

Anne does not have the solution to involve the next generation of enthusiasts, but surely she is sharing so much passion, enthusiasm and love for these objects around the globe and promoting their cultural importance that her impact on this world, in particular as a woman, is enormous. “These collectible cars have a soul and, once you understand them, they either move you or they don’t.”, she believes.

For Anne, the excitement never ends.

Anne Lee brings the magnificent cars

For Anne, both cars and owners play an equally significant role at events globally. While it’s true that shows are about the cars and their marques, you cannot dismiss the involvement

of her collection to international competitions.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -183-

She is a judge, driver, journalist and wine expert. Cici is the perfect participant at major events.

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Cici Muldoon

extraordinary is the new normal

Can a single person get a PhD in Physics at Oxford, create a start-up that is recognized as one of the most successful enterprises in England, be appointed as an international judge and become PR Director of the International Judges Association, all this at a young age? The answer is yes, if your name is Cecilia Muldoon.

“Cici” is in fact one of the most-loved personalities in the world of classic cars. While carrying out several business projects as an entrepreneur, which take up a lot of her time, she has also managed to leave her mark in the world of cars, a passion she has been cultivating since she was a little girl, thanks to her father Jaime. A love for cars lies mostly in the history of the object itself, as each car brings with it stories that can’t wait to be discovered. She is invited, as a judge, at the finest Concourses around the world, where every car has to be studied in detail. But she finds the charm of the car not just in its history, but also in the beauty of each line and proportion, which follow a specific function.

It’s something that’s intended for a purpose and ends up being beautiful to our eyes.

Also the complexity – those many thousands of individual parts that, once assembled together perfectly, form a fascinating object that inspires many emotions. “In the end, I think it’s a mixture of history, engineering, aesthetics and driving pleasure.” We couldn’t agree more. Driving a classic car requires commitment, though that’s one of the most amusing experiences, as you really have the feeling that it’s you driving the car and not the opposite. She often drives the family’s Ferrari 250 Vignale one-off, renamed “Principessa”. It’s not the easiest car to drive, but what a pleasure it is to take it out on the road and hear those 12 cylinders scream loudly, she tells us.

The future of car events is uncertain, as new generations approach this market and great

changes affect this world. Cici knows this only too well and she is becoming an ambassador for the next generation of enthusiasts. “Some of the events are too commercial and too business-focused, and this takes some of the passion away, which in the long term makes them unattractive for the future generations.”

The crucial point is to create something that is attractive to young people, the stars of the future. Concourse organizers need to work more on the format of their events, she believes. For Cici, they should make them more fun, dynamic, reminiscent of a party in order to get the young people more excited.

A good example? The Zoute GP, which is a good mix of fun, great cars and serious judging. It’s not easy to involve the next generation, she continues, as the cars that can go to such events are expensive, and most young people do not have the money, or the space, to buy and keep these cars. It’s a very expensive hobby, but one that can evoke some very strong emotions. For Cici, her love of the automobile started when she put a car back together and she realized that it was a magical experience. That’s the key to involving young people: give them a taste of why we all love these objects so much, make them understand the engineering, the mechanics, and the history behind each car.

that’s truly fascinating. It’s like a big family you can trust”. That’s another aspect that should be taken into consideration: events should be more inclusive to newcomers, less exclusive and “limited” to a select few, so that young people and outsiders can have more opportunities to participate.

Classic cars are one of Cici’s biggest passions, but in daily life she is a successful entrepreneur, who skilfully mixed her educational background with business. She created a company, called VeriVin, which developed a through-barrier spectroscopic analyser for wine, spirits and other complex liquids in sealed containers. VeriVin is creating a database with the optical fingerprints of millions of bottles of wine and spirits, allowing for bottles to be authenticated, characterised and monitored over time. For this, last year she won an award from the Institute of Physics, the proudest moment in her business career.

Cici makes the extraordinary normal, both in her daily life as an entrepreneur with her inventions and in her passionate life as a classic car collector, international judge and expert.

She is the living proof that “if you can dream it, you can make it”, as someone in Maranello once said.

Concourses are a thing that “outsiders” have trouble understanding, as they are very static and “they are becoming less appealing, while anything that involves racing, driving these cars is something that can catch young people’s attention far more, especially because you can share the experience and create a memory together.” She then tells us about her activity as judge at events like Pebble Beach, Cavallino, Salon Prive and more.

Apart from the learning experience, which is invaluable, “the great thing about judging at Concourses is that you make friends from all around the world, people with such different backgrounds and with their own stories. And SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. 185

Katarina Kyvalova an example of Passion

The preconception that classic motorsport is a thing for men is to be completely debunked.

Women are more and more present in racing and are playing an always growing role in this sport. This is confirmed by the case of Katarina Kyvalova, a classic car collector and racing driver, who now runs successfully in both rally races and on track. Not only does she cultivate her passion on a professional level, but she contributes deeply to the spread of this passion to the outside. In fact, she founded an all-female racing driver crew a few years ago, which she called Bentley Belles, that raced for the first time at Benhafield’s 24, a historic first time for an all-female crew. Katarina has a history of successes behind her, such as a podium finish at the Goodwood Revival with Phil Keen, her co-driver, and a third place at Spa Six Hours.

Why is she attracted so much by these cars?

For her, each classic car has its own story, history and soul. That’s what makes them incredibly charming and easy to identify with. The other aspect that makes her so attached to them is the rarity and beauty of these objects. They are real art pieces that triggers so many different positive emotions, both while driving them and while looking at them. When she is racing or driving, she finds a very close connection between the driver and the car. It’s a magic moment that start turning the car key, goes through gear changing, double clutching, heel-and-toeing, dealing with big wheels and unpredictable brakes. Being in total control of the machine is what makes it truly unique. It’s surely demanding, but they give you an incredibly awarding feeling, she tells us. Of course, there are negative sides, such as the reliability or safety, fundamental aspects, especially in the classic car racing world, which is extremely competitive and can be very dangerous. A moment she will never forget? When she was driving her 4,5 L Bentley, without any seatbelts nor a roll bar, at the Le Mans Classic, at night, at full speed, down the Mulsanne Straight.

Beautiful? yes. But how scary! Talking about 186 COCKPIT

events, Katharina always prefers those where you can see cars doing what they were actually build for - driving. Le Mans Classic, Monaco Historique and Goodwood Revival are her favorites, because besides seeing wonderful automobiles being raced in the right manner, there it feels like going back in time, living legendary moments of motorsports. This is what makes them truly magical. But Katharina is not only a racing driver. She also likes to show cars at Concourses. Her favorite? For sure, Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este. The intimate atmosphere, the wonderful and limited selection of cars, the spectacular venue make Villa d’Este a one-ofa-kind occasion. A must for every aficionado.

On the other side, the events that she dislikes are those kinds of “showcase” events, which are too static. They tend to keep visitors or spectators on distance and, in a way, could transmit a wrong message to the outside. “Classic cars are part of a common heritage so they should be shared in the best possible way with others who have the same passion but aren’t as fortunate as us to to own or drive beautiful cars like we do”. Her opinion is quite strong on this topic.

Someone says that at classic car events people should be invited, not cars. On this topic, she has different views. When talking about car rallies, Katarina believes that the focus should be mainly on people rather than on the entered cars. To bring the right people with the same interests, culture, background and approach to cars together creates a truly unique atmosphere, which is what we all hope for when attending such rallies. For example, she is organizing intimate private classic car rallies, where since inception, the main objective was to gather people who share the same level of enthusiasm for cars. A wonderful time to spend some time together, where the car selection is only secondary. It’s like being a in a big family. Talking about Concourses, she believes the opposite. Cars should be the protagonists as they have always been the main purpose of such events, independently from car owners. Katarina, apart from

racing old Bentleys on tracks around the world, is also a successful business woman, active in the property business. She is mostly satisfied when her clients are happy. If it is the seller, buyer or the tenants, when she sees her clients satisfied, it’s her biggest satisfaction. But, as we know, business doesn’t go without disappointments. Surely, she has experienced some in her career. When, for example, business partners let her down in some ways it’s very hard to accept.

But this has to be taken into account when making business and she knows it very well.

Katarina cares a lot about the future of the classic car world and she believes that to preserve the quality of events and to make them more attractive, there should be more focus on the quality than on the quantity, both of cars and people. The number of classic car events has been rapidly growing over the past years, so there should be rather less events but with a higher focus on the quality of displayed or driven cars, with attractive programs for everyone around the event. “Every classic car event should be a memorable experience worth joining or travel to”, Katharina confirms. Definitely, quality over quantity! As we mentioned at the beginning, the world of classic cars is men’s domain mainly, therefore is essential to make them more open and more attractive to women and to the younger generations. To achieve this objective we have to get them involved, educate them and share our passion in a very open way. An example? Organizing father/ son-only rallies, which need to be also mother/ daughter. A way to achieve this is, also, to let women or young generations get behind the wheel, let them experience what is it all about and, hopefully, the love for Classics catches on as it did many years ago with Katharina, when she got to drive a classic car for the very first time. A moment she will never forget.

Thanks Katharina, for your passion and for being so important in promoting women in this world dominated by men.

Katarina is a real driver, she participates without fear in historical races.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -187-

Women eternal goddesses Co-protagonists today by Antonio Ghini

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SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -189-

“The study of women is difficult...” sings the suitor in Die lustige Witwe (ndr. The Merry Widow) concluding with the famous phrase “Never will in body and soul man know woman”.

The interviews we have carried out, in Europe and America, with 85 women who attend Classic car events together with their husbands and companions, fully confirm that it is indeed hard to study them. Above all, how much they are precious goddesses on the greens of the Concours d’Elegance, as much as they are on board the cars involved in regularity and even speed events. Within the panorama of events to be studied we also included non-competitive ones and, in this case, we scratched the rigorous role that emerges from many of the answers given to the questions in the questionnaire. In fact, if we were able to choose a single event for all of them, most would choose a relaxing one and not a competitive race!

Curiously, it is precisely this result that allows us to understand the reason for an incredible consistency in the answers regarding the events that involve some form of ranking.

Regardless of age, nationality and lifestyle, almost 90% would not forgo being there, more than 70% would not complain about any inconvenience from the cold, and rain and even fatigue would not be considered a problem: only in the case of rallies is fatigue indicated by 20% of the respondents. On the contrary, it turns out that it’s the regularity tests and the rallies that they consider the most enjoyable events, with as much as 70% confirming this fact compared with values of around 50% for the Concours d’Elegance and events with speed trials. In this latter case it is clear that a little tension contributes towards dampening the feeling of pure pleasure.

But what exactly is the true hidden role of women that an analysis of numbers would suggest? Without question they are people who “govern” the event as a whole. Even their eagerness to declare their satisfaction in dressing appropriately for the type of engagement remains within the average, while a characteristic that emerges is the 190 COCKPIT

1) With whom did you participate in the classic car events?

Sons 4.00% Alone 9.00% Friends and others 23.00%

Partner 64.00%

2) What types of events have you attended over the past two years?

Non-competitive events 81% National Concours d'Elegance

67%

Rally

66%

International Concours d'Elegance

45%

Event with high speed tents

42%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

3) For the events you attend, say how much you agree with these statements To meet people with the same passion

67%

Entertaining

60%

To meet new people

56%

Feel like a protagonist

27%

Nice to dress consistently at the event

17%

Is tiring There are inconveniences: rain,…

26% 28% 32% 18% 16%

11% 9%

I'd rather not go there It's boring 0

10

20

30

40

Totally agree

50

60

70

80

90

Quite agree

Totally

Quite

Neutral

Not much

Not at all

To meet people with the same passion

67%

26%

5%

1%

1%

Entertaining

60%

28%

8%

4%

0%

To meet new people

56%

32%

9%

3%

0%

Feel like a protagonist

27%

18%

20%

19%

16%

Nice to dress consistently at the event

17%

16%

28%

18%

21%

4%

11%

16%

17%

52%

Is tiring There are inconveniences: rain, wind, etc.

2%

9%

14%

25%

50%

I'd rather not go there

2%

5%

6%

7%

80%

It's boring

1%

5%

7%

8%

79%

The sample of interviewees demonstrates the interest and passion of women for classic car events.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -191-

pleasure in making sure that those accompanying them are happy (53%), transmitting joy (56%) and not hiding a certain pride in being part of a situation in which they feel like stars. The feeling of pride (72%) clearly indicates how close they feel to the person who accompanies them while being the star, which is indicated between 40% and 50% by the respondents, has a double face: in Rallies and in races with speed trials this role belongs irredeemably to the person behind the wheel.

Proof of this point can be found in the answer to the question on the interest in events exclusively for women: just 27% agree and just 17% of the younger respondents, while the most requested item is the possibility to give the person in the passenger seat a real role in events. Above all when it comes to driving: 37% look for this and 31% even more firmly - young women, in particular, with 44% - ask for gender equality.

An equality which, in reality, exists but has a much higher potential than it has today, as confirmed by the Survey presented on the following pages.

On this issue there is a clear confirmation, with very similar data compared to the much larger study conducted on women with a driving license: the desire to try out a Classic car simulator. None of the interviewees said they would not try it, some were hesitant and did not respond and 15% said they were not interested, with peaks among the oldest respondents. But 78% were ready for the experience and of these, three quarters were very enthusiastic, particularly the younger generations, of which 72% agreed. The sample is by no means significant, but the polls do not fear contradiction.

4) In general, when you participate in a classic car event, what sensations do you feel ?

Emotion 72% Pride 72% Sense of freedom

69%

Joy 65% Pleasure to make happy the person I'm with

53%

Leisure

47%

Tension 18% Fear

2%

Boring

2%

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

5) If they could choose an event to participate as a protagonist, which one would they choose?

Youth

Medium

Old

Total

Not Competitive Event

28%

40%

30%

34%

Demanding Rally (Ex 1000 Miglia)

22%

13%

17%

17%

7%

18%

26%

18%

Basic Rally

11%

20%

13%

17%

Rally Raid

28%

3%

4%

8%

High Speed Race

0%

6%

0%

1%

No Answer

4%

0%

10%

5%

Important Concours d'Elegance

6) Are they in favor of women-only events?

45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5

Returning to the events for women who accompany their husbands and companions, the most prominent of the pleasurable situations is the opportunity to meet people who know each other and who share the same passion as well as the opportunity to meet new people. These values, depending on the type of event, vary between 75% and 60%.

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0

27%

17% Yes

37%

39%

No, give a role also to those who accompany Total

Young Women

31%

44%

No, eqaul role men & women

Interpreting the atmosphere of the event is pleasure that applies to both men and women.

7) What kind of classic car would you like for use in leisure?

1950/60 Sport Model

58%

1970/80 Sport Model

19%

1950/60 Luxury

12%

Pre War Sport Model

8%

1970/80 Luxury Pre War Luxury 0

2% 1% 5

10

15

20

25

30

35 40

45

50

55

60

8) Would you try a classic car with a simulator?

60

Given their ambition to be behind the wheel in a role they have the opportunity to exploit all too little, we tried to understand which car they would prefer. The results are quite interesting: the absolute dream is a sports car from the 50s/60s, shared by 58% of the respondents, far exceeding the 19% who prefer the 70s/80s and the 8% who have a thing for pre-war vehicles (but how nice it is that some even think of those). Only 15% would choose a luxury model from the same era with an added curiosity: as much as 34% of the respondents said these were their favourites. They are less attracted by sports cars and more by pleasure and adventure, as shown by the 28% who are attracted to Rally Raids compared to poor numbers supporting the alternatives.

50 40 30 20 10 0

59%

11%

Yes with Yes with a enthusiasm little fear

8%

15%

0

7%

Yes with fear of not being able

I am not interested

No, I wouldn't try it

I don't know

“The study of women is difficult…” we said.

We would not say, hand on heart, that these results are definitive given the sample size of fewer than 100 respondents; we will have opportunities for new verifications, perhaps with larger samples, but several things have emerged and we should take them into account. Including which car to let them take the wheel of... “Women, women eternal goddesses”.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. 193

Living Energy

Women and Classic by Antonio Ghini

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SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -195-

A representative sample of European and American motorists demonstrates not only the importance of the car for women, but above all their interest in the world of Classics. Looking towards the future of collecting, it would be unwise to underestimate their role as opinion leaders and potential stars. An IPSOS investigation for The Classic Car Trust.

a) For you, a car is above all (total answers – max 3)

63% 55%

A necessity

73% 58%

A must-have convenience

56% 61% 22%

Would those who think that 50% of American and European women with a driver’s license love cars and truly enjoy driving them, please raise your hand. Few think it, and even fewer say it for the simple reason that we humans tend to see things from our own jointed point of view.

When this point of view is influenced by gender difference in a field in which men have always seen themselves as the “masters”, it becomes fatally misleading. Thinking about this and knowing how important the role of women is in bringing solidity to the world of classic and collectible cars, The Key asked IPSOS, the global leader in market research, to carry out a survey on a representative sample of randomly selected women who regularly drive a car in the United States, England, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. 1,100 interviews to understand just how much energy, enthusiasm and passion women have for this contemporary and important object, and measure to what extent their enthusiasm is all too hastily called into question.

By way of initial example, just to give you a taste of the desire of the interviewees to play a central role in automobile experiences, we’d like to share the answers to the question about the possibility of driving a classic car with a driving simulator: as many as 60% of Americans and 53% of Europeans expressed no hesitation. Some of the respondents doubted they would be up to the challenge, but they were nevertheless ready to get behind the wheel. The data also shows, as might be expected, that the youngest respondents are those with the least inhibitions and that the over 55s are more cautious, but the reality is that practically all of the interviewees wanted to give it a try and have some fun.

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22%

A pleasure

22% 13% 13%

A source of fun

13% 3% 3%

A status symbol

3% 5%

An obligation I could do without

5% 5% 8% 8%

A source of problems

8% 5% 4%

Other / Don't know

4% 0

10 Total

20

30

40

Europe

50

60

70

80

USA

b) Agreement to statements about cars

62% I really like driving cars 58% 66% 59% I choose my car. I want it 53% to represent me 66% 55% I would love to drive a 49% sports car at least once 63% 48% Classic cars cause a lot of 60% pollution 33% 24% I'm interested in 24% motorsport 24% 0

10 Total

20 Europe

30

40

50

60

70

USA

On average on total answers (base 1100 cases) Agreement

Don’t know

Disagreement

I really like driving cars

62%

4%

34%

I choose my car, I want it to represent me

59%

7%

34%

I would love to drive a sports car at least once

55%

4%

41%

Classic cars cause a lot of pollution

48%

22%

30%

I’m interested in motorsport

24%

3%

73%

c) Agreement to statements about classic cars

d) If you had the opportunity to try a classic driving simulator, would you try it?

40

77%

Classic cars require a lot of money and 77% management, I don't… 77%

30

If well chosen, a classic 64% car can be a good 61% investment 68%

10

Owning and using a classic car is a way to 60% stand out from the… 66%

Total

55%

Europe

24%

37%

31%

2%

USA

49% 62%

Total

Events of this kind, with 54% a classic car, are 54% definitely a great… 54%

Definitely, I’d love to

31%

28%

Definitely, but I’d be a bit anxious

14%

13%

15%

I would be scared that I wouldn’t be able to do it

11%

12%

10%

I would be scared and would not try it 52%

I'm fascinated by classic 48% cars from the past 57% Men think that the world 45% of classic cars belongs to 46% them. This makes it… 43%

I would like to own a classic car

2%

2%

10%

12%

11%

15%

13%

14%

Definitely, I'd Definitely, but I would be I would be I wouldn't be love to I'd be a bit scared that I scared and interested in anxious wouldn't be would not try trying it able to do it, it

63%

I would love to drive a classic car at least once

35%

0

28%

31%

20

35%

2%

2%

2%

I wouldn’t be interested in trying it

31%

37%

24%

Difficult to say, I do not know

11%

8%

14%

e) If you were to own a classic car, which country would you like to come from?

34% 28%

America (USA)

19%

42%

UK, England

27%

Italy

17%

11%

21%

Germany

17%

11%

20%

France

13%

I would like to take part in regularity rallies for classic cars with...

21%

I would like to take part in concours d'elegance events for classic..

17%

0

17% 10 Total

6%

Japan Other country

17%

0

65%

20

30

Europe

40

50

60

70

5% 10

80

20

30

40

Europe

50

60

70

80

USA

USA Total

America (USA)

40%

19%

8%

27%

6%

Italy

14%

17%

11%

Germany

11%

UK, England

On average on total answers (base 1100 cases) Agreement

Don’t know

Disagreement

14%

17%

France

8%

13%

3%

Japan

2%

2%

2%

Other country

4%

5%

2%

Classic cars require a lot of money and management, I don’t think I could afford it

77%

6%

17%

If well chosen, a classic car can be a good investment

64%

13%

23%

Owning and using a classic car is a way to stand out from the crowd

63%

7%

30%

I would love to drive a classic car at least once

55%

6%

39%

Events of this kind, with a classic car, are definitely a great opportunity to see new places

54%

15%

31%

I’m fascinated by classic cars from the past

52%

4%

44%

Men think that the world of classic belongs to them. This makes it difficult

45%

17%

38%

20

I would like to own a classic car

34%

7%

59%

10

I would like to take part in regularity rallies for classic cars with...

21%

9%

70%

0

I would like to take part in concours d’elegance events for classic...

17%

f) Have you ever attendet or participated in a vintage car event 40 30

16%

10%

22%

16%

Yes, several times

15%

65%

17%

15%

32%

Yes, but only once

27%

37%

Total yes

68% Total

Europe

USA

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. 197

It doesn’t take a sociologist to understand that women today feel very strongly about their equality towards the opposite sex. It is an acquired fact. However, in many fields it is not always possible for them to demonstrate it. The broad study commissioned by The Key, which starts from those women on the front line of participation – absolute parity shown – and then moves to those who follow the passion of their husbands and partners – happy, but in many cases resigned to a different role – and finally considers women drivers who do not have a relationship with the world of classic cars as defined by this specific research, unequivocally indicates that the female gender represents a formidable asset for the future of the passion for car collecting.

The succession of questions of the survey administered to the sample group which gradually introduced, alongside the everyday car, the classic car, clearly shows that there are no real barriers between the two universes. At the same time, it turns out that in 11% of the families of the interviewees in Europe and in 13% of Americans, there are cars that can be classified as classics. In many cases these are merely old cars, but in others these are cars that have real collector value. The Americans often went so far as to indicate, with pragmatic pride, not just the make and model but also the year of manufacture. This fact alone suggests that potentially there is a dormant world of cars that could appear at events, perhaps even driven by women. But, without going so far, more than 10% of the women interviewed were aware of the existence of a world populated by cars from the past.

Analysing the attitude towards the car, it is clear that the first answer is that the everyday car is a necessity (73% for Americans compared to 55% for Europeans) and an essential comfort (29% and 20% respectively). This means, bearing in mind that we are talking about the very first answer given, that 84% of European women and 93% of Americans fully understand how important the car is to them and express it without hesitation. But there is more: 35% of respondents, in this case in magical equality, feel that the car is a source of pleasure and fun. Too bad we don’t have the same data for men... it would be interest198 COCKPIT

ing to cross reference the curves for passion over time: how much of what men have been able to enjoy for years, often in a pretentious and selfish manner that unquestionably to demonstrate their natural power instinct, has now shifted over to women? It appears that women are no longer slaves to inhibitions and, on the contrary, aim to demonstrate that if they puts their minds to it, nothing can prevent them from being autonomous masters of a means of transport which is now very much their own.

In short, just 8% of the interviewees answered “yes” to the precise question, “I don’t get any enjoyment out of them”.

good investment. 42% of Americans would like the opportunity to possess a classic car: well over 38% of Europeans feel the same way. But a note of caution: over 50% are fascinated by cars of the past and this is an important fact because it invades the territory of taste and overall look that classic cars can help confirm. Being different, out of the “pack” – 60% of Europeans with a particularly strong push from the younger generations and 66% of the Americans – highlights the growing trend to break away from social conformities that have been over exploited. The desire to drive a classic car is also very high: 55% on average,

The major differences that arise from the study are between American and European women: of those interviewed, 66% of Americans compared to 53% of Europeans declare that they choose their car because it represents them (sociological status symbol, rather than economic value, this will be confirmed once again when they talk about classic cars), although in the case of Europeans, young women are more sensitive to this issue. The same goes for the pleasure of driving, confirmed by the 66% of Americans and 58% of Europeans who agreed, a number strengthened by the answers to the question of whether they would like to drive a super sports car: 63% of Americans said yes compared to 49% of Europeans. More generally, another small indicator of how women are an intrinsic part of the world of engines: 24% declared that they were interested in Motor sport. Not bad! The in-depth analysis reveals a few surprises when the argument turned to classic cars: here the cultural difference is far more evident, even if the levels of interest and curiosity of the Europeans remain respectable.

As many as 60% of the Europeans interviewed consider classics to be a source of pollution compared to just 33% of the Americans.

Minimum prevalence of the Europeans also with regards the male assumption of being the custodians of both the reality and destinies of classic cars; 46% compared to 43% in agreement. Both Americans and Europeans complain about the excessive costs of these cars: 77% although 64% consider them to be a

A strong relationship.

with the Americans once again confirming that they have more petrol running through their veins than the Europeans: 62% compared to 49%. Equally divided, at 54%, is the appeal of discovering places and roads by driving a classic car, even if just 28% of Europeans – which is no small thing! are interested in competing in a real rally compared to the daredevil Americans, 42% of which were ready to set off. The Concours d’Elegance are less attractive and relatively known. Just 17% of those questions expressed an interest. The female stereotype of what a classic car is turns out to be quite interesting: the Americans have few doubts, the

classic car they would most like to possess is an American one (65%). From outside America, Italian and German cars prevail with 11% each, but they are a very distant second.

For Europeans, the classic car is primarily English (27%) with Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Jaguar and Bentley, which together triumph over their German and Italian rivals. The answers are however widely distributed and are affected by the fact that, while American respondents are somewhat familiar with classic car events (32%), Europeans are slightly more distant from them.

In conclusion, even if more detailed analyses show differences between the various European countries with French (23%) and Dutch (32%) women expressing the least interest in the car, and Italian (65%), German (45 %), British and Swiss (42 and 41%) women the most, in addition to the very solid 58% of Americans, we can now say with absolute certainty that women represent an extraordinarily vibrant energy which, if properly understood and appreciated, could go a long way towards strengthening the positive attitude regarding the universe of the automobile and its history.

Women, eternal gods.

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS. -199-

THE K E Y T O THE

TOP OF THE C L A S S I C CAR WORLD

2020

tcct.com/thekey

ISBN 978-3-033-08222-9

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