You don’t often see someone driving a car that’s older than they are. Most people drive newer cars, and the people who own classics typically go for the ones they remember from their childhood. But not Loïc Maschi. His car is nearly two and a half times his age.

Maître Maschi, you see, is only 19 years old, but his car is pushing 47. It’s a 1969 Fiat 850 Sport coupe, and a cherry of an example at that, resplendent in deep blue with a brown interior. What’s more is that he’s had it since he got his license at 16, and at the beginning could only legally drive the thing with one of his parents riding shotgun.

With a little help from a bodyshop or two and a stack of manuals, but no prior experience, Loïc managed to get the old Fiat up to concours condition, and displayed it as part of the Chantilly Arts & Elegance show – the French equivalent of Pebble Beach or Villa d’Este, held at a château in northern France.

In an age when millennials seem less and less interested in cars, much less the classics, Maschi’s story is an exceptional one. Hear it straight from la bouche du lion (in his native tongue with subtitles) in this latest video from Petrolicious.

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