A34: The Man, The Machine, And The Mirror

by J.M. Sutherland

“A34 has become a national Rorschach test – a canvas onto which people project their views about public life, privilege, eccentricity, and endurance.”

In every country, there are stories that transcend the physical objects they center around – stories that become metaphors, markers of deeper truths. In Antigua and Barbuda, one such story is the tale of A34, a battered Volkswagen owned and driven by Lionel “Max” Hurst, a man whose public life has been as enduring – and polarizing – as the car itself.

At first glance, A34 is an eyesore – a machine well past its prime, with patchwork repairs that seem to hold it together more out of nostalgia than mechanics. Its doors creak. Its engine groans. It has, by all accounts, earned its retirement. Yet, there it is, day after day, crawling along the streets of St. John’s like a relic out of time. And there is Max, at the wheel. Unbothered. Unapologetic.

For Max, this car is more than transportation. It’s a statement. A stubborn, rolling declaration of loyalty, resilience, and memory. It is the very embodiment of a generation that believed in fixing what was broken, not replacing it. A generation that didn’t measure value by shine but by service. A generation that saw dignity in the worn, the aged, the faithful.

Of course, the irony doesn’t escape those who know Max beyond the wheel. His steadfast commitment to this one car may be his most enduring relationship yet. And that’s part of the intrigue. The symbolism isn’t perfect. But it’s real. And real, in all its contradictions, is what makes the story compelling.

The license plate – A34 – is more than just a number. It’s legend. It’s satire. It’s poetry. It has become a character in its own right, earning its place in the island’s digital folklore.

There’s pride in that plate, pride in its vintage status, and perhaps even in the irony that it rides on a car that looks like it should have expired with the Cold War.

When the latest video surfaced – “A34 is down. I bet you it’s back on the road tomorrow,” showing Max and passers-by pushing – the internet lit up. Some laughed. Some jeered. Some applauded. The Prime Minister reposted the clip, perhaps out of affection, perhaps out of amusement, and perhaps even out of understanding. The responses flowed:

“If you want to know what unseparated love looks like…”

“Drive it till it tap run…”

“Anytime that car stop run and dead [Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party] go have an official funeral for A34”

A34 in times past

But beneath the jokes and jabs is something deeper. A34 has become a national Rorschach test – a canvas onto which people project their views about public life, privilege, eccentricity, and endurance. Some see nobility. Others see indulgence. And still others see signs of favouritism asking: Would any ordinary citizen be allowed to keep such a vehicle on the road, let alone with such a prestigious plate as A34?

Or does the car’s very presence – with its creaks, rust, and stop-start resilience – say more about what we value in a changing society than about the man himself?

In truth, A34 isn’t just about a car. It’s about how society treats persistence. Some see it as a badge of humility – the stubbornness of a man who refuses to bow to the disposable culture of modernity. Others see it as defiance – the indulgence of ego, nostalgia, or both.

But all are watching. And that, perhaps, is the point.

For Max, who has walked the halls of diplomacy and politics, the car may serve as a grounding force. A symbolic tether to his roots, a counterpoint to the high offices he has held. Or maybe, simply, it’s his way of saying: I decide what still serves me. Not society.

Not trends. Me. Or maybe, just maybe, he’s being cheap. Or, as one might put it, strategically frugal.

In the end, A34 is not a story about a car. It is a story about identity, love, defiance, and the complicated ways we see each other – and ourselves. It is a reminder that sometimes what we choose to keep, patch up, and push down the road, broken or not, says more about us than anything new ever could.

There is something oddly poetic about A34 rattling through St John’s – patched-up and persistent, drawing stares, laughter, photos, and debate. See an eyesore, if you must. See a relic. See a curiosity. See a symbol of a country still wrestling with questions of worth, tradition, and change. And if you’re feeling generous, smile at the charm of it all.

“Drive it till it tap run,” as the streets say. For Max knows exactly what he is doing. And he is not done driving yet.