turbo or a blower or intake pipes sticking out of the hood I suppose the '20s - '40s car guys felt much the same about currently new cars taking up space among the true hot rods and customs as are expressed here about the currently new cars now. Back in the '60s and '70s I went to see both the "old classic hot rods and customs" and the newer generation of performance cars which were mostly stock or close to it and expensive in terms of the dollar values then. I suppose the overall balance was skewed in favor of the then newer stuff, like the currently newer stuff is now so it is not too surprising even though guys in our generation are the ones in the older range of the enthusiasts these days.

If it gets the general population out to see the new stuff it also exposes them to our range of interests, too, so it is not all a bad thing, just the way time works generation by generation. Still, it is kind of bittersweet to realized the cars we learned to recognize by specific model, year, options, quarter mile times, color options, aftermarket wheels brands, tires, traction bars, manual vs automatics, prices, etc. that now there is a whole new set of information that mostly younger folks know the way we knew our generations cars spec info. Even back then it was blowers or turbos or dual point distributors, or headers, etc that helped separate the stock from the modified for most us, not the full body redesign or lift kit or any chopped top or sectioned body of any newer stuff.

The next generation is already beginning to work its way into the mainstream. The specs on the electric cars are Greek to me, but the newest generation knows the incredible initial acceleration they have and the brands and models and their charge times, miles per charge, costs, etc. like we knew our generation's performance brands and numbers. The aftermarket guys are in full swing for them, too, with turbos, wheels, full body "wraps", etc. Todays shows' emphasis has changed but there are still shows that cater to our generation but lets face it, our population numbers and percentage are beginning to decline. So lets enjoy whatever is still available and maybe even get some insights on what goes into making the current generation cars special in their own ways. Just my nickel. ;^)