Prime
Succeeding: The Art of Class
A car at the Vintage and Classic Auto Show held at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel recently. Credit: Daily Monitor.
Let us reflect on two words. Classic and vintage. the online thesaurus gives synonyms for classic, timeless, immortal, unforgettable, memorable, lasting, and ageless. As for Vintage, the words are: pure, rare, excellent.
Last Saturday, I attended the Vintage and Classic Auto Show at Sheraton. I understand it’s the first of its kind. I was torn between going to see cars and heading to Namboole to watch Uganda Cranes take on Congo Brazzaville. I decided to go for the cars as I monitored the match on TV at the sports bar near the gardens where the cars were paraded.
It was quite a spectacle! From Mercedes, Triumph, Renault R4 saloon to a Beatle which just consumes 20 litres to travel from Kampala to Gulu, the options were mouth watering. What stood out the most for me were two cars – Ford 1928 owned by Chipper Adams and Amphibian owned by Arthur Blick. Why? As for Ford 1928, it was the “oldest” car on the show because the rest were 1950s and beyond. It’s indescribable in looks. It’s been kept in pristine condition. I had a quick chat with Chipper and I found out that it’s a family car which has been kept in top condition since 1967. Every 10 years, he works on the whole body. You can even see a reflection of yourself.
Amphibian? It can travel on land and on water! I never knew such a car existed. It has propellers at the back which are used on water. I would love to see this baby glide.
I asked a lady who was studiously taking pictures what fascinates her about classic or vintage cars. “These days, you can easily mix up the brands and types of cars. But there is something about the classics. They are unmistakable. They are timeless,” Miss Auto Fan said. And that’s where you come in to look at these moments as times of inspiration. Could it be that what you are working on becomes a collector’s item one day or a candidate for the trash bin? A master piece to celebrate or fodder for comedians to laugh at? We all deserve to create classics.
Where does such a creation come from? I think it comes from deep down in one’s soul. Not necessarily for the fame or achievement per se but the pure joy of ultimate creation. And that’s when something becomes timeless. Call it classic or vintage. When that happens, it lifts humanity to another place – ecstasy. Thankfully, Massa was at his vintage moment when he tore the net with a thunderbolt to register Crane’s third goal. The fans had to fight to get a piece of the net. That’s what a classic performance evokes.
Every day you wake up healthy, an opportunity is before you to put in a classic performance. Question is, are you willing to do whatever it takes to rise up to the occasion?
