sergio romagosa
Last Epiphany night, Fausto Saavedra Martinez left us, after a long and fruitful existence, from which the old vehicle greatly benefited.
Those of us who remain will have to resign ourselves to never seeing his unmistakable image or enjoying his comforting company. Something not easy, at least for fans who -like me- live in central Spain, because for 40 years both things have been permanent elements of the scene in which our fans have developed.
Fausto was not at all a fan of panegyrics and I would not like to be the one who makes him frown for the first time in this new stage of his existence. However, I consider it very pertinent to highlight on this sad occasion the aspects of his personality and his life that I consider have benefited our fans the most, to fix them in the memory of those who knew him and, above all, to serve as guidance to those who did not know him. They were that lucky.
Fausto belonged to the small group of precursors who opened the path that we are all following in the seventies, giving the movement in favor of the ancient vehicle the form, breadth and meaning that it has today. His merit is not only in having felt this hobby before others, but in being actively, persistently and generously committed to spreading and strengthening it. He began that path by discreetly leaving cards on the windshields of every classic car he came across, he continued to co-found and coordinate the activity of the company for many years. AECD and did not abandon him until his illness prevented him from continuing to serve in the influential RACE Foundation, which he came to represent before FIVA
The main tools that allowed him to successfully navigate this long journey were none other than his exquisite education and his firm belief in the benefits of teamwork, for whose coordination he was especially gifted. His conciliatory spirit and his constant encouragement and support for any good initiative, always managed to join forces and create bridges of collaboration with other related entities. An attitude that is very common in other countries and that it would be desirable if it also became general in ours.
I do not want to end this obituary without making a well-deserved recognition – as Mr. Fausto would surely like – to those other people who shared dreams, merits and efforts with him from the beginning. Some have already left us, like Jaime Parser (RIP), president of the TR Register Club and co-founder of the AECD; or Julio de Santigo, among other things director of the magazine Classic Cars; others, such as Pedro Goyoaga or Beatriz Gómez-Acebo seem to have distanced themselves from our fans in recent years, although we do not lose hope of seeing them again. Fortunately, there are also those who follow in the gap, like Francisco Pueche or Julián Mendieta (and we hope for many years).
To all of them, a thousand thanks for having directed our fans well.
[alert type = 'info'] Note: Fausto Saavedra's funeral will take place in the Jesuit Church
(C / Serrano, 104 - Madrid), next January 23 at 20:00 p.m. [/ alert]
