Cars and fashion share the same language – clean lines, perfect proportions, timeless silhouettes. At Brooklands Museum’s London to Brighton Run, this synergy came alive.
Cars have always been cool—the perfect marriage of aesthetics and engineering. But they’re more than just machines. They’re cultural signifiers, marking moments in time. Every make and model carries a memory, an emotion, a story.
Think of a Porsche, and you hear the symphony of its engine, feel the raw, analog connection between driver and road. Picture a 1974 VW Beetle, and suddenly you’re flooded with childhood nostalgia. These visceral associations are why cars and fashion are such natural allies.
From James Dean’s Porsche 550 Spyder (“Little Bastard”) Rebel to Audrey Hepburn’s cab-mirror moment in Sabrina, cinema cemented cars as style icons. That legacy continues today, as I witnessed at this month’s London to Brighton Classic Car Run at Brooklands Museum.
Fashion’s automotive love affair goes deeper than surface aesthetics. I met Steph Dobinson, impeccably dressed beside his ivory 1957 Porsche 356A. “I sourced it from Holland,” he explained, “and spent two years restoring every detail for this first proper outing.” Nearby, David Tucker showcased his ultra-rare 1935 British Salmson S4C Drophead Coupé – one of just five surviving examples, and the only roadworthy one in England.
The scene was pure time capsule: Tucker and friends dressed in 1930s Art Deco elegance, complete with a lady casually smoking through a Bakelite cigarette holder. “We enjoy playing the period,” Tucker admitted with a grin. “Last year we went full hippie and bought an MG Midget to match.”
This timeless connection between style and machinery is perhaps best embodied by legendary brands like Lewis Leathers. “They still carry echoes of that rebel, open-road attitude,” says Derek Harris, Lewis Leathers’ owner. “But the biker jacket is also a modern design classic, like the Mini, the ballpoint pen, or the brogue shoe. You can’t really improve upon it.” Every stitch tells a story of freedom and rebellion, much like the classic cars and motorcycles they so often accompany.
This is why vintage cars captivate designers. Brands like Suixtil mine racing history for contemporary collections, transforming pit-stop grit into runway-ready style. Each classic car represents a cultural moment – whether it’s the rebellious spirit of a 1950s hot rod or the Space Age optimism of a ’60s concept car.
As fashion continues drawing from automotive history while pushing toward an electric future, one truth remains: cars will always be more than transportation. They’re rolling sculpture, mechanical poetry, and the ultimate style accessory. The journey between these two worlds is far from over – Like a perfectly tailored suit or a timeless leather jacket, their design speaks before their engine ever does. The road ahead? As always, it’s best dressed.
Horst A. Friedrichs
