i went to a classic car show a few months ago and met the event organizer who also turned out to be the owner of several vehicles at the show including this one: a 1950s Pontiac Chieftan. unfortunately, the Chieftan no longer runs (note the tow rope) and has some rust problems but it’s still beautiful.

as a car, it’s a tired piece of rusty junk. i would never want to drive this thing around (underpowered gas-guzzling engine, weak brakes, no power steering, probably weighs something like 12 tons) but then again, i wouldn’t have a go in a Qin Dynasty chariot, either.

as a historical object then, it’s brilliant. i could stare at this thing for hours and take in every last detail, intentional or otherwise, from the contours of the rear quarter panel to the rust patterns on the grille.

fantastic.