Yes, it bothers me-I have complained about it, I have written about it. And nothing. Or, I get the classic response "But I drive my car!"-not 10k miles a year or more! More like 500- 100 miles a year and the reast of the time it's locked up, pampered and polished.
I judge at the Huntington Beach Conours for the last 3 years and last year decided to enter my car in the "street driven" catagory-in which I came in 4th-and you know why? The Engine compartment wasn't CLEAN enough! I said-hey, it's a DAILY driver! Not a WEEKEND, let's go to the show driver-a DAILY driver-STREET driven! My British car club friends are rather upset with me as I'm not planning on doing the whole round of none-sense this year. I'm tired of the show and shine-I want to DRIVE my car. And because my car is a DAILY driver and my ONLY car, I'm tired of being penalized because of it, in favour of people who have many more cars than I, and a lot more money to spend. My car is really a good looking car-ranks in gold at Triumphest and the like, but I've made my feelings known to organizers and to the clubs-so I'm now "voting with my feet"-I'm not doing the rounds of shows and such-at $20-$25 a show-plus gas (not to mention energy)-I'd rather put that gas in the car and have a good DRIVE! Laura G. > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > Went to a British car show in Wadsworth, Oh. this weekend. Lots of > > killer cars on display. Again I parked my TR4a out in the lot with the > > riffraff. Paid walk in admission which seemed to be on the honor system. >I > > think people that run these things should consider letting all marquee >cars > > park by model in the show area. They can separate " show " and >"display" > > easily. Maybe have the " display " types pay 1/2 entry fee of the show >cars. > > I don't see ever being able to get my car up to the level that the >show > > winners achieve, it's beyond my financial status, but I think it would >do the > > LBC hobby good and promote camaraderie to include those of us who are >out > > there in the driver category. > > I would love to hear from as many people as possible on this >thought. > > Maybe there's something I'm missing. > >I have had, on numerous occasions, arguments, personally and by email, >with VTR officials regarding this very point--I've felt, for the longest >time, that the VTR and other regional clubs have depended upon the >trailer queens for membership and support. > >I've always felt that the greatest pleasure in the cars was in driving >them, and that's at great odds with those who only wish to show. I felt >strongly enough about this matter to work on creating, with the help of >John Macartney, a "daily driver" award, named after John's father, who >was, over fifty years, either for Standard, or Standard-Triumph, a >service manager, a works manager, production and/or a quality assurance >manager. > >John's dad really liked the cars, liked driving them, and wanted others >to take the same enjoyment in them. A trophy in his honor for people who >drove both Standards and Triumphs, rather than just showed them, was >long overdue, I thought. > >We worked to include recognition of the ordinary drivers, the people who >_drove_ the cars, rather than just hid them away from show to show, to >no avail. The awards ceremony for the 2001 VTR was to include the >inaugural "Charles Macartney Daily Driver Award," and yet, it didn't >happen. The trailer queens won. > >If the way in which shows of all sorts are run bother you, contact your >local club, and the VTR. My general feeling is that the people who most >appreciate the cars are the ones who drive them, and those are the >people who are most likely to feel excluded from shows. > >Those who really get the most bang for the buck are those who drive >Triumphs, rather those who hide their cars away in a bag from show to >show, and yet, events are too often structured for the latter, rather >than the former. > >All that said, it's quite okay for the trailer queens to have their >venue, to have their place to exhibit their cars. But, they should not >make the rules nor run the shows. > >John's dad, bless him, thought that the car's should be enjoyed by being >driven. That was the ultimate reason for their manufacture. > >My GT6 Mk III is a real horror to the guys who only wish to show their >cars. Dent in the nose, rust peeking through on the top, crappy chrome >on the rear trim. But, the mechanicals are pretty good--I didn't give a >second thought to driving 500 miles each way to Breckenridge, last >summer. Just hammered it out and went. Didn't need a tow truck or a >trailer.... Just did it. Drove. And didn't care that the trailer queens >looked down their noses. I drove. They didn't. > >I think there are many more people, mostly younger and less well-heeled >than older folks, who drive the cars because they love them, than those >who just show, and I'd really like to see the regional clubs and the VTR >respect the daily drivers to a greater degree than those who just >trailer their cars from show to show. I don't know, exactly, how to make >that change happen, but I very much want it to happen, before those of >us old farts die and our cars end up in the local crusher because our >heirs don't know what they've inherited, and the daily drivers wonder >what happened to that Triumph solidarity. > >Cheers, all. > >-- >Michael D. Porter >Roswell, NM (yes, _that_ Roswell) >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] _________________________________________________________________ /// [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list /// Send admin requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED] /// or try http://www.team.net/cgi-bin/majorcool /// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive /// Send list postings to [EMAIL PROTECTED] /// Edit your replies! If they include this trailer, they will NOT be sent.
