The New Regulations

Losing the Customers

Sir,
I was most interested to note in “Matters of Moment” in the February edition your fear that car enthusiasts might well forsake their four-wheeled interests for other pastimes, such as “boating, model making, hi-fi and R/C model aeroplanes”. This has certainly proved to be quite true in my case, looking back over the last year or so. I find that I spent less time in the garage rebuilding my 1939 Lancia Aprilia, whilst my new hi-fi system gives pleasure to both me and my family.

I have also built a simple single-channel radio-control model aeroplane which is great fun; I can thoroughly recommend this as an alternative hobby to impoverished or bored car enthusiasts. Finally, towards the end of last year, I started crewing a friend’s racing dinghy, an excellent way to work out any aggressiveness pent up by the new speed-limits.

It seems that the only item on your list that I have not tried is model making, but I have just started designing a semi-scale model of that most successful aeroplane of the Great War, the SE5a, which I will then, hopefully, be able to build and fly.

There is one hopeful sign in these new bobbies, however, one does need a car to reach the flying field or sailing club, or even to get into the town to buy records and balsa wood, public transport being what it is, and if one has to have a car, it may as well be an interesting one, and I certainly find my Lancia Fulvia Sedan to be that. A real wolf in sheep’s clothing!

Cardiff. Colin D. Rose