Lucien Franck: “It’s a matter of passion”

“First, there is the legal framework: the law states that a vehicle must be at least 30 years old and in its original condition. Then, we distinguish between pre-war and post-war cars. But within the broader family of historic vehicles, you need to refine further. There is the historic car in the heritage sense, produced in series; the rare car – produced in limited numbers – which falls more into the collector category; and finally, the cars that made history by winning great races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans or the Mille Miglia. The collectors themselves are varied: some come from motor sports, others are pure enthusiasts. And today, we also see young people entering this world for leisure, with a budget of between ten and twenty thousand euros, which is already enough to find a fine historic car depending on its condition.”

“Not really. Luxembourgers are people who love cars – that is a fact. I sat for a long time on the International Historic Vehicle Commission for sport and road use at the FIA, so I was able to observe the situation across Europe. In Luxembourg, the number of registered historic vehicles is estimated at 18,000 to 19,000 – and it appears that just as many are still sitting in garages, undergoing restoration or awaiting registration documents. Compared with the rest of Europe, the quality of historic vehicles owned by Luxembourgers is among the very best. Someone who owns a historic vehicle here maintains it really very well. It’s a matter of passion.”

“Personally, I am an Italian car man! But more seriously, there are indeed many Italian cars in Luxembourg. British cars also have a long tradition here. If my memory serves me correctly, the very first historic vehicle club in the country was in fact dedicated to British cars. I would say these two nationalities dominate over other countries. What is interesting is that you can find beautiful examples in both categories at reasonable prices: a Triumph Spitfire for between eight and fifteen thousand euros, a Fiat 500 or a Fiat 850 Spider for around ten to fifteen thousand euros.”

“It really depends on the vehicle. The young people I see entering this world are often very shrewd: they choose small cars like the Fiat 500 or the 2CV, which have very reasonable maintenance costs. They know that as soon as a problem arises on a larger car, the bill can quickly escalate.”

“Personally, I do not think so. In the era of historic cars, you could remove the badge and still know which brand it was. Today, if you remove the badge, you can no longer identify the car. The mechanics are also split between several different brands. In fact, at the FIA, there is a serious ongoing discussion about setting a cut-off date – saying that from a certain year onwards, vehicles can no longer be considered historic in the traditional sense. The rolling 30-year rule will no doubt need to evolve.”

“Ah, that is the most difficult question! For me, the most beautiful cars ever built – in both design and engineering – are those from the late 1950s through to the 1970s. And I remain loyal to the Italians. I myself have a Fiat Abarth 600, a car that won many races, which speaks to me since I was involved in motor sport. I also have a 1935 Fiat Balilla, a pre-war car. But if I had the means to buy another, it would be a Ferrari 250 or why not a Ferrari Dino. For me, those are the most beautiful designs that have ever existed. When you lift the bonnet of these cars, you discover a perfectly crafted eight or twelve-cylinder engine – it is fabulous.”