insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 21 - November 2016 | Page 96

MOTORS
Q&A WITH SUSSEX-BASED CLASSIC CAR SPECIALIST, NICK FALK cont.

Jaguar XJ12

Lancia Integrale

Hi Nick. Where does your passion for
classic cars stem from?
The passion for classic cars, for me, has led
to it becoming a major part of my life. I collect,
restore, repair and trade them, and, for the
most part, I love every minute of it. For me, the
thrill of finding a great car, or tracking down
parts, sorting the car correctly and then, best of
all, driving it, is what it's all about. Some of the
more recent classics from the 70s and 80s are
just brilliant cars to use; simple and plain fun.
Have you always loved cars?
Yes. I discovered I had petrol in my veins from
a very young age and my love of toy cars goes
back to my early years - from James Bond’s
Aston DB5 with the ejector seat to the less
obvious Alfa Bertone Carabo. I can still see the
vivid green paint of the car racing along the
bumpy blue of the sofa.
As I got older, my mother either bought, or
was given, a 1963 dark green Hillman Minx
that did not run and she gave it to me to ‘play’
with. That was it; I was hooked - I think I was
around twelve years old and it was mine! As I
remember it was well past ever going again,
but the fantasy and the passion I felt then still
remains today.

1973 Porsche 2.7 RS

What is it about classic cars that stands
out for you?
I love the design of the older cars; the passion of
the designers; the elegance over practicality; and
engineering without the constraints of legislation
or accountants. Obviously, this has led to cars
having their flaws, but these, for the most part,
can be forgiven for the overwhelming reason of
what that particular car was designed for. For
example, with the 70’s Jaguar XJ saloons, the ride
quality is second to none; even today I stepped
out of a late Mercedes S class into my 31-yearold XJ12 and the elderly Jaguar was clearly
smoother. It’s a gentlemen’s club on wheels - the
smell of the old leather, the way it conveys you
and then you catch a view of the car in a shop
window; that’s what classic car ownership is
about. Yes, it may do only teens to the gallon and
can’t lap a track like a new one, but it doesn’t
matter. The advert from its time claimed ‘grace,
space and pace’ and it has all of them.
Are British cars your preferred type then?
No, it’s not to say I only like British cars, I can’t
help but like the engineering excellence of old
Mercedes and Porsches. They have a design
ethos and completeness of engineering that
you do not see today in modern cars. These
cars were designed and built to the highest
standards that there possibly were at the time.
All German cars dated before the mid-90s
were developed over years to be maintained
and used without time or mileage constraints.

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The Porsche 911 started life in 1964 and
evolved all the way through until 1997. The
Mercedes SL from 1971 continued almost
unchanged until 1989, which wouldn’t happen
today as cars change every four or five years.
After 10 years of building something, you tend to
iron out most of the faults; if you are still making it
20 years down the line it’s fairly perfect; and when
that pushes 30 years, you know it’s something
very special. In the case of the Volkswagen
Beetle, that’s lasted nearly 45 years - very special,
and the reason why it has a following some 40
years after they stopped making it.
What do you specialise in and why?
I try to specialise in Porsches and Mercedes,
though I will admit being unable to help getting
distracted by the odd Italian car, namely
Ferraris, Maseratis, Alfas and Lancias, which
always catch my eye. For me though, Porsches
touch emotions that other cars can’t reach;
they are special because they shouldn’t really
work as a sports car. No other manufacturer
built a rear-engined sports car and no car
company could compete on the track against
a Porsche 911. It dominated production-based
car racing, even though the engine was in the
wrong place! Its feel is unique, the pedals are
hinged from the floor and the front bobs up
and down, but there is no substitute for an aircooled Porsche.