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British cars as art
The British Car Club of Northeast Pennsylvania held its Seventh Annual car and motorcycle show two Sundays ago in the South Abington Park along Route 6, and as usual it served as an open-air gallery of vintage design.
MGs, Healeys, Triumphs, Jags and even a Sunbeam Tiger rolled onto the mowed green. Some newer Minis joined the line ups, and if I’m not mistaken there was even an antique Mercedes hanging out.
The fact that the air was humid and rain threatened made this showing impressive. British steel rusts faster than Sean Connery can change hairpieces, and most of these cars won’t run at all if they’re within 50 feet of a wet sponge.
Nevertheless, there were some extraordinary examples of functional art parked all over the field, in pretty rows, thanks to the many organizers who are mostly lead by Harry Ware, a collector of MGs whose personal assortment is difficult, at best, to track.
While it must be admitted that the British have offered remarkably few great painters to the world, they aren’t without an eye. It might even be added that it was for the most part such English aesthetes as Ruskin and Berenson who rekindled wide appreciation for Italian masters like Giotto and Piero della Francesca. But while they haven’t contributed much to the art of painting, they have excelled to some degree in the more functional field of automotive design, particularly in the 1950s and 60s. It should also be added that in many cases there were Italian designers contributing to the general program, and in other cases, there are clear Italian influences.
It’s difficult to trace accurately the history of all this, giving full credit where it’s due — it’s often difficult to find a definite reference to any particular individual to give authorship to — but one overall tendency can be cited in the Le Mans styling of 1950s-era Jaguars such as the XK roadsters. The noted French race, held in Le Mans, is the source for the name now associated with rounded, sloping form.
Much of the Le Mans sensibility is rooted in smooth, quietly aggressive curves that lean forward — as opposed to the back-leaning aesthetic of, say, 1970s Corvettes. The gradual, sensual build feels natural, organic, and much of the energy seems somehow contained in the fenders. Great biomorphic biceps, the fenders on Jaguars, Healeys and MGAs in particular, are splendid duo-phallic statements of potential.
Jaguar was the featured “marque” of Sunday’s show, and there were a few of these sleek, long-bodied beauties as well as at least one later E-Type. The XK style bore a significant influence on the Austin Healeys and MGAs that followed and, in this show, formed elegant fleets across the park’s field.
Certainly one of the most admirable examples of any design on Sunday was a 1960 Austin Healy Bug Eye Sprite being restored by owner Tim Aikman, whose architectural offices can be found in Dalton. Perhaps the smallest car in the show, it’s an example of the Donald Healy-designed model before the MG influence, which resulted in a less distinctive design nearly identical to the MG midget.
Aikman’s car is painted a medium intensity, medium-value green, that he assures is “correct” for the period and model. Not a common color to see on any car, it’s a striking and beautiful tone that somehow enhances the pleasing shapes of the car.
This visitor left the show as rain began to drop — British car owners often will, since the notorious electrical systems seem not to function in English types of weather — so I have no idea who took best in show. But it seems Aikman’s car was garnering quite a bit of attention, and if you aren’t a stickler for pristine restorations, you might agree that his car deserved some sort of award.
If you haven’t seen one of these shows and can handle the nerds in their straw cowboy hats, try to catch the next one. You’ll never long for a Ford Focus again.
By the way, don’t forget these upcoming shows: Goddess Creations Art Show featuring Paul McCrone, P. Simons and Keith Barbuti, opening reception Friday, Aug. 7, 6 to 9 p.m., at The Scranton Club, and the same evening, at AFA on Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton a reception for Zoja Forsberg.
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