I used to wonder at the originality of historic 'stuff' - racing cars, aircraft, buildings...
I was reminded by an old friend of the totally original axe, that had four new handles and six new blades.
It's not necessarily the physical, but the emotional that stirs the memory.
I suppose history never ends for old race cars. If historics are raced today, they will need maintenance and repair equal if not more involved than in their heyday.
I remember Stuart Turner being interviewed about his time as competitions manager at Ford, and what he thought of the current fascination with matching numbers and original paint-codes.
He joked that, if todays owners of these 'classic' rally cars knew what went on, they'd be amazed. Bodyshell swaps, engine replacements, even complete chassis number and number plate changes were commonplace.
As I said, it's the countenance, not the sum of parts that endears us to an historic racecar.
And I'd love to hear about your trip please!