Better than new?

Sir,

I was interested to note MW Hicklin’s idea that the 1935 Bluebird should be an exhibit in the Montagu Trust’s car collection, disposable as the owners see fit, no matter how much donated money is lavished on an exhibit from outside sources. Restoration often destroys as much as is saved. Hence too many good historic cars now look like replicas, with those spray jobs and every rust pit and weld buffed and filled out of existence — better than new, like the racing Napier we were asked to donate money for.

Richard Hulford, Westerham, Kent