May the funniest win

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Just a few racing drivers have reached legendary status. Some cars have, too. But none seem to have made it into a fairy-tale. Our beloved four-wheelers may just be too modern for a classic tale of mystery and imagination. On the other hand: fairy-tales are for ever and have been subject to modernizations ever since they were narrated. So why not recreate the fabled ‘The tortoise and the hare’ with something slightly more up-to-date? Let’s say a sports car.

It’s an idea that could have come from the minds of the Top Gear makers - who admitted they aim at juvenile television watchers last week. But no, this one was carried out some 50 years ago, with that legendary driver and that legendary car. For what reason? Perhaps to put off a certain new sports car manufacturer? Or perhaps to make a point about being clever in the first place? Probably not, as Clark had nothing to prove. He drove an Elan simply because he liked it. No, this one must have been just for fun. Jolly good fun.

(Text Jeroen Booij)

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