Photo: Trade Unique Cars
They say accumulated wealth and material possessions mean nothing, because you can’t take any of it with you when you die. Well, ask Philip Allen and he’ll tell you they’re wrong.
Philip Allen is a millionaire businessman from Australia and a known car collector. In that latter capacity, he boasts anything from a 1935 MG PA Airline coupe to a 1974 Lancia Stratos Stradale coupe, a bunch of Ferraris (and a pair of Dinos, which may or may not be Ferraris, depending on who you ask), a 2001 Maserati 3200 coupe and a 2008 Morgan Aeromax. The Morgan is the same one that was made for Richard Hammond, later sold off to Chris Vermeulen and, in 2014, to Allen.
The latest print issue of Retromotive magazine (story via the Daily Mail) brings a new interview with Allen, who, we learn, has a business importing Kickers and JBL speakers for cars into Australia. He describes the Aeromax as the love of his life and says that he’s been in contact with its original owner, Hammond. He’s come to regret his decision of selling it in the end, apparently.
Hammond is probably going to regret it even more when he hears this: Allen plans to take the 1-of-100 vehicle into the ground with him when he dies. This might sound like a joke but, in reality, it’s not that uncommon a practice. And it sounds like Allen has every detail in place, having already ordered the container in which they will seal the car and then lower it into the ground.
The container is air- and water-tight, and the Aeromax will sit on jacks inside it: for whatever reason, Allen doesn’t want its tires to go flat. A concrete slab will prevent scavengers for digging it up.
He thought of everything else, too: he will be mumified and dressed in his finest, with a leather jacket and leather pants and crocodile boots, one hand on the steering wheel and another holding a cigar. “It'll be facing east because at the Second Coming, when Gabriel blows his horn I ain't walking nowhere – I'll be driving like a bat out of hell!” the millionaire says.
Well, there are definitely far worse ways to go than riding into eternity in your rare and impressive car. The Aeromax, the coupe version of the Aero 8, cost £110,000 ($153,000 at the current exchange rate), but Allen paid £143,000 ($198,000) for it in 2014. Turning it into an unlikely coffin will cost him an additional $75,000, but he’s probably chalking it up as investing in eternal life.
To answer what you’re probably wondering – Why?! –, Allen says he knew the Aeromax was “rolling art” the moment he saw it. This is his way of ensuring it stays that way for all eternity, and beyond.
The latest print issue of Retromotive magazine (story via the Daily Mail) brings a new interview with Allen, who, we learn, has a business importing Kickers and JBL speakers for cars into Australia. He describes the Aeromax as the love of his life and says that he’s been in contact with its original owner, Hammond. He’s come to regret his decision of selling it in the end, apparently.
Hammond is probably going to regret it even more when he hears this: Allen plans to take the 1-of-100 vehicle into the ground with him when he dies. This might sound like a joke but, in reality, it’s not that uncommon a practice. And it sounds like Allen has every detail in place, having already ordered the container in which they will seal the car and then lower it into the ground.
The container is air- and water-tight, and the Aeromax will sit on jacks inside it: for whatever reason, Allen doesn’t want its tires to go flat. A concrete slab will prevent scavengers for digging it up.
He thought of everything else, too: he will be mumified and dressed in his finest, with a leather jacket and leather pants and crocodile boots, one hand on the steering wheel and another holding a cigar. “It'll be facing east because at the Second Coming, when Gabriel blows his horn I ain't walking nowhere – I'll be driving like a bat out of hell!” the millionaire says.
Well, there are definitely far worse ways to go than riding into eternity in your rare and impressive car. The Aeromax, the coupe version of the Aero 8, cost £110,000 ($153,000 at the current exchange rate), but Allen paid £143,000 ($198,000) for it in 2014. Turning it into an unlikely coffin will cost him an additional $75,000, but he’s probably chalking it up as investing in eternal life.
To answer what you’re probably wondering – Why?! –, Allen says he knew the Aeromax was “rolling art” the moment he saw it. This is his way of ensuring it stays that way for all eternity, and beyond.
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