British cars, forgotten? Don’t think it couldn’t happen, warn the organizers of British Car Week. Yes, MGs and Triumphs and Austin-Healeys were popular in the U.S., but it’s been more than three decades since the last new ones arrived on our shores. In the meantime, a whole new generation of enthusiasts has come of age. Making them aware of the joys of British car ownership is the goal of British Car Week, which this year runs through June 5. If you own a British car, all you need to do to participate is to get it out of the garage and drive it.
British car enthusiast Scott Helms launched British Car Week after he was inspired by a 1997 column on “Seldom Seen Cars” by Road & Track‘s Peter Egan. In the column, Egan mused on how long it had been since he had seen a Porsche 356 driven on the street, and concluded that cars need to be seen, or risk being forgotten. Helms took the message to heart:
British Car Week is an annual British car driving awareness week for promoting British cars on a world-wide basis. Participants don’t need to travel very far for this event, because it takes place in their own community. This is a calling for all owners of classic British cars to get together with other car owners in their own communities and kick tires, tell stories, answer questions, and have a good time.
Best of all, you’ll have the chance to show your car off to the general public who rarely, or in many cases never have the opportunity to get a real life close-up glimpse of these extremely interesting automobiles of days gone by. If you’re a British car enthusiast reading this, think about how you originally became interested in your favorite British car. Chances are, you caught a glimpse of one and it quickly swept you off your feet. Later, you somehow managed to acquire one, and from that time on, it has provided you with a lifetime of fun and entertainment. If you had not experienced that opportunity, you wouldn’t have known about the car, and would not have gotten bitten by the famous British car bug! Since these cars have become very rare on the roads today, it takes a special effort to create awareness for the general public. If you’re a British car owner/enthusiast who has what it takes, then WE WANT YOU! British Car Week is all about providing opportunities for potential enthusiasts to become aware of older model British marques, and hopefully generate interest and enthusiasm among the the next generation who can enjoy and maintain them for many years to come.
I’m doing my part – that’s my 1968 Rover 2000 TC above, which I shot this morning in the parking lot here at Hemmings World Headquarters. I counted just one other British car on my half-hour drive to work today; you Morgan guys can hold your heads a little higher, but the rest of you are still on the hook. So come on – fill those SU dashpots, oil those trunnions, and brush up on those Lucas jokes. I’ll see you out on the road. And don’t forget about National Collector Car Appreciation Day, which comes up on July 8.