"Car Folks"

In our "Carnival Ecstasy" Stateroom watching an old Ronald Reagan movie- "Night Unto Night".
In one of the first scenes, he drives up to a big home in a car similar to the one pictured, (a 1939 Buick), and I thought:
"Wow. How beautiful that thing is! How nice it would be to own one like that."
And then I remember-
-It probably got about 15 miles per gallon when on its best behavior. (And needed "Ethyl" gasoline.)
-In the rain, going uphill with the throttle depressed, the (vacuum operated) windshield wipers would slow, or come to a complete stop.
-It needed an oil change about every 2000 miles.
-Terrible brakes that would virtually cease to exist if used heavily, as in steep downhill grades or "spirited" driving. Drive through high water? Don't try to stop!
-Tires? They might last 15,000 miles if you were careful with tire pressures.
-And that bar in the center. How wonderful it was when "wrap-around windshields" started appearing.

At "Cruise Nights" and other car shows I always show respect to the folks that restore or keep these old beauties in great shape. They ARE Art... and history.
Keeping one around is a VERY expensive labor of love.