Classic
Car Club of America
The Classic Car Club of America defines a CCCA
Classic as follows:
A CCCA Classic is a "fine" or "distinctive"
automobile, either American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and
1948. Other factors, including engine displacement, custom coachwork and
luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and "one-shot" or
automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered a
Classic.
Any member may petition for a vehicle to join the
list. Such applications are carefully scrutinized and rarely is a new
vehicle type admitted
This rather exclusive definition of a classic car
is not universally followed, however, and this is acknowledged by the CCCA:
while it still maintains the true definition of "classic car" is its, it
generally uses terms such as CCCA Classic or the trademarked Full Classic to
avoid confusion.
Classic car styling
There was a worldwide change in styling trends in
the immediate years after the end of World War II. The 1946 Crosley and
Kaiser-Frazer, for example, changed the traditional discrete
replaceable-fender treatment. From this point on, automobiles of all kinds
became envelope bodies in basic plan. The CCCA term, "Antique Car" has been
confined to "the functionally traditional designs of the earlier period"
(mostly pre-war). They tended to have removable fenders, trunk, headlights,
and a usual vertical grill treatment. In a large vehicle, such as a
Duesenberg, Pierce-Arrow, or in a smaller form, the MG TC, with traditional
lines, might typify the CCCA term. Another vehicle might be a classic
example of a later period but not a car from the "classic period of design",
in the opinion of the CCCA.
Why we like Classic Cars
We like classic cars as they are the cars we used
to drive in when we first passed our driving test and cars which our
parent's had when we were kids. They are also very different to the cars on
the road today.
At the turn of the century, most cars on the road
were either electric or steam driven. The Internal Combustion Engine was a
relatively new concept. It was only the outbreak of the two world wars that
really pushed the automotive industry along. The engines were needed for
aircraft and the military needed vehicles to ferry their men around. Some
cars were mass produced before the First World War such as the Ford Model T,
but most were only available to the rich that could afford them.
After the Second World War, the car industry in
took off producing cheaper cars in vast numbers. Most of these early cars
can still be seen today. They are a lot harder to find than say a car that
is 40 years old or so but there are still quite a lot of them driving
around.
Classic cars are rarer than modern cars but have
more passion and soul. This is because many of them were hand made and have
been carefully looked after or restored by their owners. They don't all look
the same as manufacturers experimented with hundreds of body styles to make
their models stand out.
We love classic cars as they are part of our
heritage and because they are better than their modern counterparts!
