We don't value great cars - or people - enough, until they're gone

The argument here is essentially about attention — how enthusiasts and the industry alike tend to recognize significance only in retrospect, when a model is discontinued or a figure has passed. It's a fair charge, and one the car world earns repeatedly: the Peugeot 205 GTI, the original NSX, countless others were underappreciated in their time and now command reverence they never received at the showroom. The same pattern applies to the engineers, designers, and journalists who shaped how we understand cars — their contributions often get eulogized rather than celebrated. Taking stock of what's genuinely good while it still exists isn't sentimentality; it's just paying attention.