Vintage Motoring

In an article by Telegraph in the UK it is reported that people are looking toward classic cars as investments during the current economic recession.  This is an interesting turn of events, as historically we have seen prices drop during times of economic hardship.  In the past, collector cars have typically been viewed as luxury items by most.  It is possible that modern media outlets such as internet forums, televised car auctions and others have broadened the appeal of classic cars and shown how stable their values remain compared to traditional investment schemes.  The following is a reprint of the Telegraph article, as found on this page.

Numbers of people interested in acquiring these old vehicles are increasing, according to insurance company Hagerty International.

It said there has been “robust trading” at classic car and collectors’ auctions of late.

Hagerty’s managing director Angus Forsyth said: “A well-sourced, classic and collector car can accrue in value rather than depreciate, as is profoundly the case with new cars.

“In the current climate, buying a classic car wisely can represent a good investment.

“As a consequence, we are seeing increasing interest in ownership amongst private motorists looking to join the ‘hobbyist’ movement, which currently constitutes some two million owners in the UK.”

To those interested in exploring classic car ownership, Mr Hagerty said: “There are both opportunities and heartaches, which is all the more reason to carefully research and verify the information on a car you have your eye on, and buy one that you love and would be happy to keep for a period of time.”

To comment on this issue, visit the discussion thread in the forums.

The organizers of Cars & Coffee in Irvine have issued a statement addressing the problem of modern car groups hoarding the limited amount of display area in the PAG lot.  Apparently this has been an issue for a while, but the final blow was when “NSX day” showed 100 cars, and then 75 Honda S2000′s crashed the gate, taking up most of what was left of the parking lot.  They were asked to park elsewhere but reportedly ignored the gate workers, yelled insults and drove in anyway.  After the show, the organizers sent out the following message:

I just returned from Cars&Coffee. Way too many “normal” cars in the display area. We had to close the “Display” lot at 7:15am because of overcrowding. Today was not the vision of C&C. We have decided to “re-calibrate” Cars&Coffee, starting next Saturday Feb 7th and future Saturdays, only “pre” 1978 and “Special Classic Automobiles” will be allowed into the “Display” lot. All others will be directed towards the “Spectator” lot and parking structure. There is a new “Every Saturday” car show starting in Orange County that may appeal to many enthusiasts starting March 7th at the “Orange County Market Place”. Please pass the word.

Freeman

A large number of interesting cars that should have been in the show were forced to park elsewhere or leave, as the lot was completely full before the official opening of the gathering.  Arguments are still raging about the details of what happened, but the problem is obvious and the organizers of Cars & Coffee have been forced to take rather drastic action to prevent it from happening again.

The “tuner” crowd are understandably upset about the new rules, and undoubtedly owners of super cars will be equally so.  However most car enthusiasts would surely agree that the average person would rather see something unique or different at a car show than to walk past rows and rows of the same cars they can see at the dealership near their homes.  Gatherings like these are the most fun when a person can see a mix of classics, hot rods and newer cars that are unusual, modified in an interesting way or somehow different than the cars that should be parking in the spectator lot.

It seems a fair assumption that the new rules are a result of the inability for anyone to come up with a way to let some newer cars in and turn others away, without appearing discriminatory.  Hopefully the organizers will find a way to balance the rules but for now it appears they have eliminated their greatest problem with the gathering and gained valuable time to evaluate their options.

To comment on this issue, visit the discussion thread in the forums.

This just in from SEMA…

Washington lawmakers are drafting a large economic stimulus package to help create jobs and rebuild infrastructure. They want to include a nationwide scrappage program which would give U.S. tax dollars to consumers who turn-in older cars to have them crushed, as a misguided attempt to spur new car sales. The lawmakers need to scrap this idea.

The stimulus package is being drafted right now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wants to introduce the bill on January 6 and have it approved by Congress by January 20, so that President Obama can sign it into law after he is inaugurated.

Contact House Speaker Nancy Pelosi IMMEDIATELY To Oppose Cash for Clunkers!
Call: 202/225-0100
Click here to send an electronic message: http://speaker.house.gov/contact/

Click here for more information and to discuss this issue!

As is tradition with the Department of Motor Vehicles, each year we are presented with an assortment of new laws designed to simultaneously help and hinder our hobby. This year we are presented with more changes to the world-famous smog bill, which fortunately is still surviving in a way which leaves pre-1975 vehicles exempt. There will also be added restrictions on the use of cell phones while driving, namely text messaging.

In all, 1,187 bills were passed and 772 were signed into law, including over 80 changes to the Vehicle Code during the 2008 legislative year.

Following is an abbreviated summary of the new laws that will take effect Jan. 1, 2009. A more comprehensive list appears on the DMV Web site at www.dmv.ca.gov.

1) TRAFFIC SAFETY

*Text Messaging (SB 28/Simitian) This long overdue law makes it an infraction to write, send, or read text-based communication on an electronic wireless communication device, such as a cell phone, while operating a motor vehicle. Not that this will stop many people from doing it, but at least this is a step in the right direction.

*DUI Probation License Suspension (AB 1165 Maze) Under a new zero-tolerance law, any person caught driving with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.01 percent or greater while on court-ordered post-DUI probation will have their driver’s license suspended for one year, and their vehicle impounded.

2) AIR QUALITY

*Temporary Operating Permits (AB2241/Saldana) This law restricts DMV from issuing temporary operating permits to allow more time to obtain a smog certificate as part of the registration renewal process. Under the law, extensions will cost $50 and are only allowed if the vehicle has been tested at a smog station and failed. The extension can be for no more than 60 days from the date registration is due. The $50 fee will be waived for owners accepted into the Bureau of Automotive Repair Consumer Assistance Program (CAP).

*San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Fee (AB 2522/Arambula) In an effort to fund programs to reduce vehicle emissions, vehicle owners who register their vehicles in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties and Valley portions of Kern County will be assessed an air quality fee of $6.

3) HOV Violations

*Counterfeit Clean Air Stickers (SB 1720/Lowenthal) This new law will make it a crime to forge, counterfeit, or falsify a Clean Air Sticker. These stickers are currently issued by DMV to certain low emission vehicles and permit vehicles with these stickers to be driven in the HOV lane.

4) OTHER

*New Special Interest Plate (SB 1455/Cogdill) A new “Gold Star Family” special interest license will be available to family members of individuals killed in the line of duty while serving in the Armed Forces during wartime or military operations.

*Motorcycle Definition (AB 2272/Fuentes) This new law changes the definition of a motorcycle, deleting the existing weight limitation of 1500 pounds. It also removes a separate definition for electrically-powered vehicles. This change in law will also allow drivers of fully-enclosed 3-wheeled motor vehicles to use the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.

For further information on the California Vehicle Code, log on to the DMV website at www.dmv.ca.gov and click on the “Publications” button in the upper left hand corner of the home page. The DMV driver handbook is also on the web at the same location.

Phil Hill, champion and gentleman of motorsport.

It’s sad news when a man who was hero to thousands, and a gentleman to boot, passes away. We faced this unfortunate inevitability on August 28 of this year when Phil Hill, champion and legend of motorsport, left us. There are hundreds of places where a person can read biographies and recollections about the man, so I won’t bother trying to write my own. My meager attempts wouldn’t do his legacy justice anyway. But one after another as I read such stories from his friends, strangers and even fellow competitors, I found no mention of a man who was anything less than a person anyone could look up to and aspire to be like. Although I never met him, I have seen him race and will never forget it. I will also never forget reading that he owned a Model T as well as an MG TC, both of which I also own. The man had good taste! Phil will be missed by many, including me.

Pat Moss (right) poses with her co-driver Anne Wisdom.

Today another automotive great left us, and although she is not as famous or recognizable to most as Phil Hill is, she is certainly deserving of recognition. Pat Moss (pictured on right in the photo) was a successful rally driver at a time when women were not supposed to be successful rally drivers. She helped pioneer the way for other women to not only enter the sport but to be accepted and even excel at their craft. Pat led an interesting life, part of which is chronicled on a page at THIS LINK.

Lately it seems that too many of the truly great people of the 20th century have passed. I like to think that when heroes of auto racing’s past die, they go to the great racetrack in the sky where the tarmac is firm and fuel is free. Each time one of these legends leaves us, it reminds us to learn what we can from them while we have the chance.

This post is a bit late since the “new and improved” forums have been online for a while now, but better late than never. The forum software has gone through a major update and design change. The basic functions work the same, but you will notice changes in the layout and added functionality. Hopefully everyone will find the new software easier to use and more pleasing to the eye. The layout and visual aspects are still being worked on and may take some time to complete.

Other than being more secure and streamlined in operation, you may also notice many improved features. Some of these features are the ability to embed Youtube videos directly into your post, more easily manage attachments and a more powerful user control panel where you can manage your account, private messages, topic subscriptions and more.

Ok, enough with the technical babble. Check out the forums and drop a note in the “Feedback Forum” to let me know what you like and dislike about the new software. It’s your site after all… I just work here!

This change to the site has been a long time coming while pros and cons were considered. As of today it is finally official that So Cal British Motoring has been renamed to Vintage Motoring! Our events have always drawn non-British classics and it seems only right to include them in our online discussions as well as to offer them the same resources as for British cars. We’re all classic car nuts and share the same passion for our hobby. In local matters, what benefits a ’61 Porsche will benefit a ’74 Triumph! We are all in this together, and as a group we can make Southern California’s classic car community even stronger!

Nothing has changed in the forums. Everything works as always and even the old look remains for now. The look of the forum will be changed eventually to match the rest of the new site, which should be a great improvement over the questionable visual styling of the current one. What can I say, I’m not a graphic design artist!

I hope everyone enjoys the newly expanded site. Feel free to post any feedback or suggestions in the discussion forums!

California Bill to Require ANNUAL Emissions Tests for Vehicles 15-Years Old and Older Dead for the Year

In a major victory for enthusiasts in California, the Senate Appropriations Committee rejected SAN-opposed legislation (A.B. 616) that threatened to require annual Smog check inspections for vehicles 15-years old and older. After having been approved previously by the full California Assembly and the Senate Transportation Committee, the bill is dead for the year.

“Car clubs and individual hobbyists across the state loudly and forcefully objected to passage of this bill,” said SEMA Vice President of Government Affairs Steve McDonald. “Ultimately, the lawmakers in Sacramento heard their message.”

Read more in the forums >>>

Improvements have been made to most of the existing pages and a few new ones have been added. An image gallery is now available and albums are being uploaded. Navigation has also been improved so hopefully the site is as simple and easy to use as possible.

The forums are still being integrated into the new site, and while the look is still the same as the old forum it remains fully functional. Sometime in the near future there will be a major software upgrade made to the forums which will result in an interruption of their availability. It should be minimal however, and if all goes well it will be a worthwhile project.

The Vintage Motoring website has existed several times in different formats, but a final design is now online for testing. Further development continues while I add new features and refine the look, feel and operation of the site. We should be in full business soon!

For now, those who know of the site’s existence are invited to browse the various sections and use the “Contact” page to give suggestions. Happy motoring!