Pebble Beach Mania

Hi..Bill:<P>If the CLASSIC CAR CLUB OF AMERICA, ever becomes so "cool" and "modern" that it lets in ONE post 1948 car as a "classic"...I will personally see to it that a club for MY car is formed and publisized. If some stream-lined "modern" style car is a "classic"...then it is time for us who own those "dowdy big square monsters"...to make CERTAIN people stop confusing us with a chopped and channeled '57 Chevy...<P>The Southern Calif. Region of the CLASSIC CAR CLUB OF AMERICA was told it was no longer welcome at a lovely golf course, (where we used to have our annual judging meet called the "Paul Cerf Memorial Meet") because the catering staff got worried about 'what kind of people we were..they didn't want any fights or knifings....see...they "knew"...a "classic" was a low rider....! This is NOT a joke...THAT is how far the word "classic" has gone in the general public's mind, thanks to those pretentious dolts who want to call EVERYTHING a "classic".....!<P>So...it is probably going to happen....folks...get ready...to receive an invite for<P> THE NON CLASSIC CAR CLUB OF AMERICA<P>The requirements to belong to this NON CLASSIC CAR CLUB OF AMERICA are the following<P>1) speech pattern incapable of forming<BR> the words "dude"...or "cool...man".<P>2) Car must have FOUR wheels, and all<BR> trees growing thru the floor-boards<BR> must be neatly trimmed.<P>3) Car must be so big, arrogant and<BR> luxurious-looking, that the peasants<BR> glare at it and want to throw rocks.<P>Pete Hartmann

Petey, Petey, Petey.<BR>Your club already HAS streamlined cars, a big bunch of them!<BR>Look at the list of approved classics.<BR>If you can't remember what they look like, go to the web site and gaze at the picture gallery. See all the streamlined cars. <BR>When can expect the newsletter of your new club, "Brittany Does Dowdy"?

I think the CCCA should "borrow" the slogan from the ACD Club: "FOR THOSE WHO NEVER RELESHED THE COMMON PLACE." In my book, most post war cars represent "the common place" and the CCCA has no room for them.<BR>Amen.

Truth be known, CCCA probably made a HUGE mistake by allowing any post war cars. We lost our identity. But that was done some time ago, and there is no going back.<P>So what's the right thing to do now?

Chuck:<P>The right thing to do now is admit more post war cars! Do you think admitting all those pre 1925 cars has cost the club its identity? I note that this change is considering admitting cars as early as 1922 or 21, not even close to the Classic era.<P>Do you think Pebble Beach has lost its identity because it admits post war cars? No way, its identity is the best of the best, cleanest of the clean, finest of the fine, etc, whether it be a sports car, racing car, street rod, or classic car.<P>The CCCA can maintain its original concept of honoring a SELECTIVE group of fine and unusual motor cars carefully choosen by a classification committee.<P>Fire away!<BR>Bill

The Milestone Car Club hs already done this. Let the people who own "fine or unusual" postwar cars join the Milestone Club. To Chuck's point, the original rason for post war cars into the club was the Lincoln Continentals. I was always a bit baffled by this though, because when the club was formed, the 1948 Continental was only 5 years old!

Let me point out that I have no axe to grind with anyone who has a post war car that CCCA recognizes. (Or any other car for that matter.) I have a post war CCCA Classic myself. It's just from an identity point of view, the Club would be a lot easier to defend if things had stopped at 1942. Obviously that horse is out of the barn.<P>As web master, I?m supposed to be relatively neutral about things on this forum. I try to do that, but if any of you want to contact me personally, I?ll be more than happy to visit with you.

Chuck,<P>Webmasters are suppose to be neutral? Darn... now i know where i screwed up! <P>Peter

Perer,<P>There is no doubt that we all have our opinions. Mine don't always agree with current Club Policy, but that makes things much more interesting.<P>Meanwhile, I try to report the news, not make the news.<P>Chuck

I attended pebble for the first time 3 years ago. It was a wonderful event. The role of a Concourse is to showcase a variety of cars and therefore inclusion of significant post war cars is very appropriate there, or at any other concourse. I was somewhat suprised to see a display that year of historic hot rods, however. I therefore think this demonstrates that what is acceptable for inclusion at concourse is entirely different than what is acceptable for our club.

We focus on the best cars of a certain era, the classic era. Everyone agrees that the classic era ended with WW2, where it began is a little fuzzy. Cars made immediately after the war are not much different than those made before for obvious reasons, but there is a definite change in 1949, as all that wonderful "war technology" was put to good use.

Inclusion of any of these cars (49 to present)is the domain of other clubs, period. I doubt this will ever change. Even 20-25 years from now, when I am an old fogie member, I think that there will be enough others like me to keep the end date right where it is.

We celebrate an era as much as the products of it.

Just my 2 cents

Shawn Miller

Indiana Region